I don’t have a specific favorite, but I was very inpressed with Sierra Nevada’s Celebration.
I have tried these four so far this year. Sierra Nevada Celebration, Anchor Christmas, Troegs Mad Elf and Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve. My favorite has been the Rogue.
Sierra Nevada’s Celebration isnt really a holiday beer, it’s just an IPA. Dont get me wrong, it’s one of the best IPAs in the country. Although this years body and mouthfeel seem a bit bigger than usual to me.
Breckenridge makes a good holiday ale. Belive it or not, I was impressed wtih Points holiday beer. That’d be Stevens Point. Malty, Munich malt like, hint of chocolate/roast and just a nip of spice. Very drinkable.
I believe a Pumpkin Ale is an absolute must have for a seasonal October through New Years brew. I actually look forward to brewing it all through the year.
Pumpkin Ale can be served along with a slice of pumpkin pie and you will truly enjoy the complimentary flavors the beer and pie have for each other.
Here is another way to serve your Pumpkin Ale, that maybe, you have not thought of before.
Get a 13 oz Margarita serving glass. Nice wide open glass with a thin stem. You can purchase these glasses at Walmart 2 for $4.99. Good price, has a great presentation. Get several for serving your friends and family.
Frost the glasses and fill with Pumpkin Ale within 3/8’s of an inch to the top of the glass.
Top with whip cream from the can in a spiraling pyramid shape. Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on top and garnish with shaved/grated Hershey milk chocolate.
My wife absolutely loves this. You can actually serve this with a meal, along with a desert, or just by itself. Everyone that I have served my Pumpkin Ale to like this have been totally shocked and truly enjoyed the drink.
try rimming those glasses with caramel - I don’t like it, but my wife goes ga-ga over it.
Excuse me, but it most certainly is a holiday beer since it’s only available at the holidays! A “holiday beer” doesn’t necessarily have to have spices and stuff in it. I fond Celebration to be my favorite of all the holiday beers.
Why isn’t isn’t it a ‘holiday beer’? It’s one of the very small handful of ‘holiday’ beers that I actually look forward to.
+1 Actually, it’s the only holiday beer I look forward to…
agreed - its probably single most purchased commercial beer for me for the whole year in terms of quantity. I’ve bought 1.5 cases so far, and I might buy some more :o
I do look forward to Avery Old Jubilation though.
Never tried Santa’s Reserve - maybe i’ll grab a 22ozer.
I haven’t seen it this year, but I enjoyed Avery’s christmas ale quite a lot last year. Celebration is good, too.
I also enjoy the Sierra Nevada Merry Christmas Ale (or whatever they call it) that comes in magnums. I have a small collection of magnums that I will be using for some of my own Christmas Ale.
On a lark, I picked up a couple bottles of Trader Joe’s X-Mas Ale (or whatever they call it). It’s contract brewed by Unibroue (one of my favorite breweries) so I figured it should be decent, particularly at only $5 a bottle. It’s OK, not great. Strong all spice, perhaps. Reminds me of a spiced Chambly Noire or perhaps Maudite. Unibroues dark beers are not my favorites, but I can’t get enough of La Fin Du Monde.
I think you mean Anchor Brewing?
+1 on the Celebration. Years ago, it used to be one of the few highly hopped beers. I always looked forward to it’s release & bought a case each year. I’d drink most of them, but would always hold on to a six-pack to age. Very nice to sit down to a vertical tasting of multiple years of Celebration. Now of course, there are many hop monsters out there, some of them quite good, but Cekebration still holds up as a well-balanced IPA. Don’t always buy a case anymore, but at least a sixer or two.
Yes. Anchor.
Multi-tasking at the office this AM.
Summit’s Winter Ale is a great beer. But then, all of their beers are, other than the Imperial Pumpkin Porter which I personally didn’t care for very much.
I’ve been working on a 6-pack of Celebration- pretty good thankfully there’s no spices in there. I also had a Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve last night. Very good as anything from that brewery always is. I do detect some metallic notes which isn’t pleasing but overall a nice beer.
+100 Sierra Celebration is a fav of mine 2 cases so far this year and counting.
I also enjoy Anderson Valley Winter Solstice very much. I have even tried to clone it. I’m pretty close.
Hibernation Ale, Celebration, Isolation Ale in that order
A holiday beer is one that is enjoyed while sitting by a warm fire.
Hmmm…that’s actually a very long list. 8)
Goose Island Christmas Ale, too bad it wasn’t produced this year. Second place would have to go to Celebration Ale.
I always look forward to Sweetwater’s Festive Ale.