Holiday Libations
The holidays have got me thinking about beer, and how pleasurable sharing a drink of something new or a special aged bottle from the cellar with pals and family can be. It is a great time of year to drink something special! Wonderful holiday offerings from top flight breweries make up a long list of holiday options, as do categories of ale that you might usually overlook.
I particularly enjoy getting into styles that I do not frequent throughout the year: winter ales, Imperial Stouts, and Barley wines. The latter two on this list could have some of you thinking how a self-proclaimed beer lover could ignore such outstanding styles across the year. Well, they’re actually not ignored. These styles are well suited to ageing and this is the time of the year when I dip into the cellar to crack what has been developing over the past 6 months to several years.
Getting into the cellar is often a significant event well suited to the celebratory season we are in. Comparing vintages of repeating classics like Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Anchor Christmas, and Sierra Bigfoot, always results in a fine evening or afternoon. There are also countless collector-level beers to think about adding to your cellar, like Alesmith Speedway Stout or Stone Vertical Epic. If you are feeling adventurous, there is a selection of numerous vintages of English strong ale from JW Lees and Gales available.
I also quite enjoy the exploring of overlooked styles. For me the most ignored style is weizenbock. Generally speaking I’m not hot for Weiss or Hefeweizen. However there’s no denying the unparalleled quality of a brew like Schneider Aventinus. A revisit keeps me in contact with the breadth of brewing and mindful of my fast changing palate.
As for winter ales, the Belgian brewers have winter locked up. As much as I love American brewing, the Belgian Christmas beers are simply the best holiday beers around. I look forward to the yearly release of warming yeasty ales that show off complexity, refinement, and acute deliciousness. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale and De Ranke Pere Noel are 2 of my favorites, but I also enjoy the glass packs that mix your ale of choice with the brewery’s glass specially designed for drinking their ale.
Tasting beers or lining up 1 or 2 drinks with a chum or relative you have not seen in a while is a very delightful and affordable source of entertainment that can be hosted at home. There is so much out there, but as long as you have what you like best in your favourite glass and someone to share it with, you are all set for a great winter season!
Tim Bush found his way to Colonial Spirits of Acton in 2002. It was beer that brought Tim to Colonial Spirits of Acton and ale that permitted him to make a meaningful contribution to the store. At this point ale is only a small part of what Tim does, however he enjoys ale now more than ever before. Tim’s Beer Blog is where Tim shares his many thoughts on the subject of beer.