Only six more drinking days until Christmas. That means you’ll have to double up on Joe Sixpack’s annual 12 Beers of Christmas.
Cooked up by happy brewers as a gift to beer fans, these holiday beers typically contain added malt and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.
Each is a satisfying alternative to eggnog and hot toddies, perfect for a cozy evening in front of the fireplace or ‘neath the mistletoe. Hurry to your local specialty beer store or tavern, because most will be gone by next month.
- Anchor Our Special Ale (California).
- Sierra Nevada Celebration (California).
- Pyramid Snowcap (Washington).
- Humboldt Holiday Nectar (California).
- Independence William’s Winter Warmer (Philadelphia).
- Snow Goose (Maryland).
- Dogfish Head Immort Ale (Delaware).
- Still Nacht (Belgium).
- Affligem Noel (Belgium).
- Affligem Pater’s Vat (Belgium).
- Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome (England)
- Samichlaus (Switzerland).
Of the dozen, Samichlaus (Swiss for St. Nick) is the strongest, with a 15 percent alcohol content that’ll knock the whiskers off your chinny-chin-chin.
This world-famous double-bock is brewed just one day a year, on St. Nicholas Day, Dec, 6. Then it’s stored for a year to allow it to ferment properly.
Among the domestic micros, Immort Ale from Dogfish Head in Rehoboth Beach, Del., is the strongest – around 12 percent. Though it’s not a true Christmas beer, this ale’s vanilla and maple aroma is comfortable and warming enough to take the chill out of a snowy night.
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