Merry Christmas, you filthy Draughters! While we snuggle up next to the fire, open presents and spend time with loved ones, we have a variety of options when it comes to choice of drink. While some may go with some wine or a festive cocktail, here are a few beers that I tested out for this Christmas season. Think of this as our little gift to you, and maybe one becomes a Christmas tradition drink for you and your family.
Deck The Hills - English Style Holiday Ale
Jackie O's Brewery (Athens, OH)
5.6% ABV
The Can: If you have been a part of this journey, you know one way to reel me in with a beer is simply with a great name. "Deck the Hills" is great Christmas wordplay that immediately draws you in to the festiveness of the can. The art with the snow, presents, a sled and a "North Star" reference, adds into this play on Christmastime staples. The color scheme of red, white, bright yellow and green accents help further the playfulness of this can and beer.
The Taste: As an English-style ale, I anticipated the obvious darker taste of this beer. And while not generally not a darker beer drinker, I found myself pleasantly surprised with this one. A sip of this beer is sweeter and hoppier on the front of the tongue, but as the sip travels, you begin to taste the malt and hints of caramel at the backend. I also would say that the taste left at the end felt similar to that of a coffee. However, as darker styled ales go, this one was still an easy drink.
The Situation: A common occurrence throughout the Christmastime is: holiday parties. Whether its with work colleagues, friends, or family, a holiday party is a fantastic way to get people into the Christmas spirit. This beer would play as an excellent wingman to any Christmas party. With its brightness and its lightness, no one drinking this beer will be having a bad time... even if they didn't get the video iPod for Yankee Swap.
Fun Fact: "Deck the Halls" comes from a Welsh lyrical competition in the 1700s that was transcribed into English by a harpist 100 years later. In fact, while the English version revolves around Christmas, the original Welsh language was in regards to "kissing a maiden."
Hoppy Christmas - Christmas IPA
BrewDog (Scotland, United Kingdom)
6.0% ABV
The Can: While simple, this can is a great canvas for displaying Christmas cheer. The obvious red, along with the gold lettering and white accents, brings a happy and warm feeling as you look at this can. The snow falling down around the can is an excellent detail that highlights the atmosphere of winter. Lastly, as always, the play on "Happy Christmas" is clever and brings me a smile. While you can't see it from this angle, the side of the can reads "Batteries not included," which provided me a chuckle.
The Taste: While the name on the can would lead you to expect that the taste to be overly hoppy, it was quite pleasant. While there is a pretty good presence (or.. presents...) of hops, it comes with a mild taste that allows for an easy drink. The hops hit the tongue pretty early on in the sip, but fade as the sip travels through the back of the tongue. It is similar in taste to other hoppy IPAS (citrusy, fragrant and bright) and I would have enjoyed a little bit of a Christmas flavor to tie it all together.
The Situation: One of my favorite Christmas activities includes watching all of the various sporting events that take place throughout the weekend. Whether it is football, basketball or hockey, you can't watch sports on a holiday weekend without cracking open a beer. This beer would be a perfect placeholder for a Miller Lite this holiday season. With its bright and refreshing flavor, it is easy to sip on this while the kids open presents and you watch your betting parlays hit.
Fun Fact: The term "X-mas" has been around since the 1500s! With the Greek letter of 'X' being the first letter used in the Greek word for Christ, it quickly became common practice to shorten it to "X-mas."
Christmas Ale - Winter Warmer
Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Cleveland, OH)
7.5% ABV
The Can: This can is an all-time classic when it comes to creating an atmosphere for your beer through artwork. The immediate tie in to Christmas through the train car full of ornaments, the snow, and the children in the street playing sets an aesthetic feel for what Christmas means to so many. I am a big fan of the icicle look at the top of the can, which adds a cool little design touch. And while the imagery in of itself is cool and brings a great vibe, it is also not overpowering or flashy. The dull colors allow the imagery and the taste do the work of advertisement for the beer.
The Taste: Again, while anticipating a darker beer, I was pleasantly surprised with the easiness each sip of the beer was. When you first take a sip, you begin to think "Oh yes, this is just a darker ale. Just during Christmas." But then ever so slightly, like the faint jingle jangle of a bell in the fog of Christmas Eve, the taste of cinnamon and spices come join the dance. Now, I am not a fan of cinnamon, but the use in this beer is so mellow and blends fantastically with the rest of the beer. The honey provides a sweet twist at the end of the beer, which keeps you coming back wanting more. It is no surprise that this beer is a consistent award winner.
The Situation: I can think of only one situation for this beer: Christmas Eve, presents around the tree, fire is started and everyone is asleep. I don't think I could choose a better beer to end the night before Santa comes.
Fun Fact: In 1965, "Jingle Bells" became the first song ever played in space after it was broadcasted upon NASA's Gemini 6A space flight.
Thank you for being part of the Draughter family and following along these past few months.
From everyone here at Straight From the Draughts, we hope you have a Merry Christmas and holiday season.
Until next time, bottoms up!
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