Holiday Beers

Over in the Hoosier Beer Geek email inbox, it should come as no surprise that we receive a lot of newsletters and press releases.  Last week, the folks at Shmaltz (HE'BREW) sent us an announcement for their Jewbelation Sweet 16 and their Holiday Gift Pack.  This particular press release provided a bit more substance than most and provided us with an interesting topic.  The holiday shopping season is ushered in with the Black Friday tradition of ridiculous bargains and continues throughout the season with huge markdowns, intended to help you purchase even more presents for your loved ones.  Beer, on the other hand, successfully bucks the trend.  Every winter, craft brewers unanimously break out the big guns.  Barleywines, strong ales, old ales and every variety of high alcohol spiced beer flood the market and are synonymous with the season.  Seeing as the hallmark of the season is high alcohol, it follows that this would also be the season which releases the most expensive beers of the year.  And yet, craft beer consumers eagerly run out and purchase all of their holiday favorites, plus a few more for good measure.  'Tis the season to share!

Rather than dwell on the phenomenon of craft beer successfully releasing their most expensive offerings while every retail store slashes their prices to draw customers in, let's focus on the beers that keep us looking forward to December all year long.  Shmaltz suggested a few of the winter seasonals they are looking forward to - Anchor Christmas Ale, Firestone Walker 16th Anniversary and Stone Vertical Epic 12-12-12. Here are ours.  Be sure to leave your favorites in the comments!

Oh, and if you haven't seen the Shmaltz Holiday Gift Pack, check it out.  It comes with instructions on how to turn it into a menorah.

Rodney

Goose Island Christmas Ale - This is a fun one, as they change the style up each year. This year's seems to have a background of candied cherries in it.

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus - I certainly wouldn't be upset if Three Floyds made more stouts, and this one has a delicious hoppy kick.

Anchor Christmas Ale - Predating Goose Island's tradition, Anchor also brews a different beer each year. Last year had a good balance of smoke and spice.

Bell's Hopslam - Not really a Christmas beer, but it does come out in the winter and I do look forward to it!

Jake

I agree completely with Alpha Klaus. It was one of the first winter seasonal releases that I tried and will always have a place in my heart.

Stone/Nogne O/Joly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale - This one has been out the last two years and is fantastic. I buy it anytime I see it on the shelves for opening in early December.

The Bruery 12 days of Christmas series - This year is Five Golden Rings. I typically buy three bottles; two to drink and one to put back as part of the vertical.

Jim

Alpha Klaus - Definitely look forward to this one every year. It's one of my favorite Three Floyds beers, and I wish it were available year 'round.

He'Brew's Jewbelation series - You'd think that a beer brewed with as many different malt and hop varieties as the Jewbelation beers are would be a huge mess. But without fail, Jewbelation is delicious every year. Jewbelation is one of a select few big beers that is kind on the palate when it's fresh as it is with a year or so of age on it. I opened a Jewbelation 15 at Tailgate for Nothing 7 and consistently got the exclamation "That's awesome!" from everyone who tried it.

Flat 12 Glazed Ham Porter - The brewery's Pogue's Run Porter is already one of my go-to beers, but when they release the Glazed Ham Porter, I can't get enough of it. The subtle clove and cherry notes in the beer really make it shine.

Matt

The holiday season also coincides with a temperature drop. This is high alcohol beer season. Alpha Klaus is always near the top of my list. I buy an entire case every year. You can get the case price to around 6.50 a bomber when buying from FFFs. My other beer I really enjoy is Jolly Pumpkin's Noel De Calabaza. I will have to Flat 12 credit as well. I really enjoyed that Koko B. Ware last year and look forward to grabbing a growler this year.

Jason

The holidays means spending time with family. And spending time with family means drinking. Lots and lots of drinking. This time of year, I crave big beers and big flavors. Imperial stouts, barleywines, imperial IPA's, anything bourbon barrel aged, and anything spiced. I am sure with all the new breweries in town I will be selecting some new favorites, but here are some of my go-to's...

Brugge Thunder Monkey - assuming, of course, that they make it... TED!

Three Floyds Dark Lord - I usually open a current year's DL on Christmas Eve to share with the family. Alpha Klaus is awesome too.

He'Brew Jewbelation - I'm not a member of the tribe, but I do enjoy He'Brew's many offerings. And Jewbelation 16 is really good. Good enough to make me get all Black Eyed Peas and say Mazel Tov!

Mikkeller Big Worse/Big Worst - I'm not necessarily identifying Mikkeller's barleywines as the best. I'm just saying that a lot of Mikkeller's beers are great for winter drinking and they have a couple of barleywines to boot. 

 
Upland Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer - Bourbon. Beer. Honestly, do I need to say more?

Meg

Spaten Optimator - Probably not what many consider a holiday beer. It's my Dad's favorite, and when I venture home for the holidays we share a few pints. He only serves it at room temperature, he doesn't mess around.

Bell's Hopslam - Technically it's released AFTER the holidays (in January), but I look forward to this one with great anticipation. I buy enough to last throughout the year, but it's usually gone by March.

Sun King's Johan the Barleywine - I was lucky enough stock up on this when it was released, this is my favorite cold weather/holiday/sit in front of the fireplace beer. At 10% ABV, it warms ya right up.

Kristin

I love the Gingerbread Brown from Triton. The name definitely does the beer justice - the spices are fantastic.

I also dig Three Floyds Alpha Klaus to get my holiday spirit going. I'm not usually a porter fan, but this one is laced with some great chocolate and coffee flavors, and I love the hoppy kick at the end.

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome is also a favorite of mine, and to hit a family note, my mom absolutely loves this beer. 

 
Finally, I'll go with Brugge's Black. It's easy drinking and warms me right up!

Must Have: He'Brew, The Chosen Beer

Jewish-centric blog Jewcy has a brief but informative profile of Shmaltz Brewing Company and its founder, Jeremy Cowan. In the near future, we'll be reviewing Shmaltz's latest seasonal, He'Brew Rejewvenator, and their new line of craft lagers. So, stay tuned!

Previously: KOTBR #36 | L'Chaim! (or, "On the Third Night of Hanukkah, My Friends Brought Beer to Me")

Make room in the fridge for...

Those of you who visit the liquor store on a fairly frequent basis may have noticed that Brooklyn Brewery beers are now available around these parts. On my last trip to the Hop Shop, I noticed a few six packs of BB product sitting on the shelves. I started to swoon with joy as I recalled memories of sitting in Manhattan last summer nursing a few Brooklyn Lagers at an Upper West Side watering hole. The Lager, which is BB's flagship beer, is a hearty American amber that would serve as a good gateway beer to other microbrews for those new to the whole craft beer thing.

BB offers five other core beers, though I've seen only the Brooklyn Brown and the East India Pale Ale available here in Indianapolis (I've had both brands, which are excellent). In addition, BB offers several seasonal beers. Almost out of season is the Black Chocolate Stout, which BB releases every winter. This is a rich imperial stout, which at 10.1% ABV is made only for sipping. There's also the Monster Barleywine Ale, which is distributed on a very limited basis. I haven't seen it anywhere in town except for the Wild Oats store on 86th Street, so if you know of any other locations, please chime in.

BB's offerings are fantastic stuff, so if you get a chance, check out their wares. I'm sure that we'll be reviewing a BB product at a roundtable in the near future. And, bonus--their beers are certified kosher! So, if you've had the missus on your back because you keep eating cheeseburgers, at least you can tell her that the new six pack in the fridge is okay to consume.

Speaking of kosher beers, one of my favorite brewers, Shmaltz Brewing Company (home of the outstanding He'brew brand), has just released a new beer that replicates the original He'brew imperial amber ale that Shmaltz founder Jeremy Cowan began with in 1996. The unique ingredient in this beer, called Origin, is pomegranate juice. Studies have shown that pomegranate juice is wicked good for your health, so if you ever wanted an excuse to drink beer for its health benefits, this is the one, folks.

In Indianapolis, you can find Shmaltz brands at a bunch of places, including Kahn's, the Hop Shop, and MacNiven's.