Your intrepid liquor reporter loves this time of year. No, gentle reader, it’s not that I’m partial to the snow, treacherous roads, and cold weather. Rather, this time of year is a veritable cornucopia of seasonal beers!
It all begins in September, when the shelves of our local booze merchants are crowded with special Oktoberfest Lagers.
By the time I have finished off the Oktoberfest-themed beers, usually with a few pretzels or bratwurst, the Pumpkin Ales appear on the scene, performing double duty for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.
As luck would have it, I finished the last of the Pumpkin beers just last week, at the same time my local booze merchant was stocking the shelves with the Christmas beers.
Since your humble narrator likes to think globally and drink locally, my first seasonal brew was from the annual release of Cherry Porter from Calgary’s own Wild Rose Brewery, which I enjoyed fresh from the brass teats at the brewery’s tasting room.
Faithful readers may recall that this particular brew has earned a spot in the illustrious beer tome “1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die”, which your humble narrator has been diligently plugging away at.
Made with ripe BC cherries, then aged with a dark porter-style beer, this brew reminds me of a smoky-flavoured black forest cake. The beer pours almost black into the glass, and has an intense flavour that will take your taste buds on a wild ride.
Big Rock Beer, the granddaddy of the Calgary craft beer scene, also has a seasonal brew, in their form of their popular Winter Spice Ale, which has made many appearances over the years. Starting with a flavourful medium-dark ale, the brew is spiced with caramel, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, making the whole thing smell like grandma’s Christmas baking.
Looking north up the QE2 highway, Edmonton’s Alley Kat Beer has just released their 21st annual limited run of Olde Deuteronomy, a 10.3% ABV heavy hitter whose tremendous malt flavours are balanced with heavy additions of El Dorado hops.
Called a Barley Wine instead of a beer, the Olde Deuteronomy is one of the few styles that can be aged for years like a fine wine. Your humble narrator always buys a six-pack, drinking 3 in December, and ageing the remaining bottles for vertical tastings over the following 3 years.
Looking west to BC, Granville Island Brewing puts out their Lions Winter Ale about this time every year, and has long been a favourite beer for those dark and stormy winter nights. This beer starts out in the style of an English Brown Ale, but then has hints of cocoa and vanilla added during the brewing process, making it like a grown-up version of the hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows that we all enjoyed as children.
My favourite winter beers for 2016 have been in the Seasons Greetings sampler pack, a 24-beer collaboration between Central City Brewing and Parallel 49 Brewing, both based in Vancouver. Boasting 12 assorted bottles from each brewery, your humble narrator has been giddy with anticipation as I opened one bottle a day from December 1 all the way up to Christmas Eve.
The 24 beers in the Seasons Greetings sampler pack are boxed up in the style of an
advent calendar, making each different bottle a tongue-tantalizing voyage of discovery.
There are plenty of the classic winter ales, but also unique styles like Scottish Heavies and Belgian Sours to whet your whistle. Whatever your favourite style, you are sure to find it somewhere in this sampler pack!
After the grand finale on Christmas Eve, I save one final extra-special beer while opening presents on Christmas Day, which is a beer especially made for Christmas.
Yes, gentle reader, I am referring to a bottle of Samichlaus, also known as the Santa Claus Beer.
For those readers not familiar with Samichlaus, it translates directly from the German into Santa Claus, and is a whopping 14% ABV lager that is brewed only one day per year, on the historical feast day of the 4th-century Saint Nicholas, then aged for 10 months and released just in time for Christmas. If I’m feeling particularly festive, maybe I’ll even leave a bottle for Jolly Old Saint Nick, instead of those dreary milk and cookies!
