Guest Post by Patrick Huff/Tis The Season To Celebrate Craft Beer: Beer

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Happy Holidays everyone.  Patrick from ”Crafty & The Beast“ and I are in the spirit of sharing.  I truly believe findingourwaynow.comyou will enjoy his latest offering.  If you take a moment and go the Patrick’s site you will find my wine post about “Van Ruiten Pinot Grigio 2010“ from Lodi California.

Now, I’ll let Patrick take it from here.

findingourwaynow.comThe season for giving, celebrating and sharing. This is a great and fun time for craft beer. The beer stores are full of holiday and winter ales. This is where the brewer can be quite creative. There are no rules for winter and holiday beers. Some brew strong ales with holiday spices, others brew rich dark beers such as Imperial Stouts. The labels and names can be quite festive and pretty humorous such as Santa’s Little Helper and Yellow Snow.

Holiday ales make a great gift or a partner for holiday feasts. Here are a few I have purchased to get me through the tough winters and Yuletide Tide season.

Affligem Noel. Affligem Abbey resides on the findingourwaynow.comBelgium border between the provinces of Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. The Abbey has quite a long history. First formed in 1074 with six knights establishing the monastic order of the Benedictines. Affligem survived wars of religion and independence and of course the French Revolution. The Abbey was ruined several times forcing the monks to escape. This didn’t, however, stop the monks from returning each time.

Affligem Noel is a dark, Belgium Ale. It is a dark amber with dark fruits such as prunes and raisins with notes of spices. The carbonation is soft, and the ale is full bodied. I recommend you enjoy this in a brandy snifter or Trappist glass.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat. San Francisco, California. The 21st Amendment, as you may know, was the repeal of prohibition allowing us to enjoy our favorite libations once again. The name of this beer comes from the Addresses or “chats” Franklin D Roosevelt would give the nation through radio broadcasts. The President findingourwaynow.comgave 31 of these chats that covered current American issues.

Fireside Chat. At 7.9% ABV, this dark English ale is warm and rich with hand selected spices and cocoa nibs. Quite a spicy ale with dark fruits and a warm finish. Fireside Chat comes in six pack cans but don’t be fooled into believing canned beers are inferior. 21st Amendment brews are top notch beers worthy of any craft beer lover, and the craft of their beer cans says it all.

Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper. Port Brewing started off as Pizza Port in San Diego, California. Co-owners findingourwaynow.comVince and Gina Marsaglia were brewing at home and decided to share their passion with their customers, so they served their first hand crafted brews in 1993. They would go on to open two more Pizza Port brew pubs and finally opened The Port brewery in San Marcos, California.

Santa’s Little Helper. Santa has been delivering toys all over the world in one night and needs a little more than just milk and cookies. How about treating him to a rich Imperial Stout and warm him up with a full and creamy bodied, chocolate and coffee bomb. Oh, and pour yourself a glass. After all, you have been up all night helping Santa too.

What special gifts do you like to bring to all the holiday festivities?

I do hope you enjoyed what Patrick had to share.  We would love it if you would take a moment to leave a comment or two and let us know what you think.  Oh, and don’t forget to check out my “Van Ruiten Pinot Grigio 2010 Wine and Winery review“ on Patrick’s site, as well.  While you’re there, check out some of the great things he has going on. Enjoy.

Here is wishing the very best the Holidays have to offer…

PS: As always, what are some of your favorite wines (or beverages)?  I would love to hear and showcase your suggestions.

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  • Jon Jefferson

    Santa’s little helper reminds me of what my kids left Santa every Christmas. Of course there was the usual milk and cookies but I also always said that Santa loves a beer and a cigar.
    This came from a flippant remark the father made in the old Calvin and Hobbes comic. While my children believed in Santa this was part of the tradition.

    • http://www.facebook.com/mike.owens.790 Mike Owens

      That’s funny. When I hear, “Santa’s Little Helper” I think of the dog on the Simpson’s

      • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

        Me to Mike… LOL

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Hi Jon, I love this part of your tradition, Who says that Satna wouldn’t mind something a bit different… LOL

  • http://www.bindu.ca/ Bindhurani

    Santa’s little helpers and beer… Nice combination. Santa having a big tummy, I always thought he might be beer drinker.

    • http://twitter.com/Craftyandbeast Patrick Huff

      Santa has needs too

  • Ed

    A Christmas beer that must be tried and added to the list is the 11.46% alc Troeg’s Mad Elf Ale….it is absolutely out of this world and a great gift for Christmas beer drinkers

    • http://twitter.com/Craftyandbeast Patrick Huff

      Yeah, the first holiday beer I had was Mad elf. That beer rocks

  • Edward Reid

    I truly love the beer descriptions and the history behind the ales does make one thirsty. Thank you for the information. I am now an informed buyer.

    • http://twitter.com/Craftyandbeast Patrick Huff

      Edward, One of things I decided to was to offer more than just a review. every one does that

  • Kelly Wade

    I love the flavors around the holiday season and have especially enjoyed a mix of hard cider and Pumpkin ale. These flavors also sound delicious and seem like beers that would go great with family and friends during a holiday gathering. The names like “Yellow Snow” are pretty entertaining as well.

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Hey Kelly, They do don’t they. I think it is as much fun reading all the interesting names as it is to taste them. Happy Holidays. :-) ))

  • http://twitter.com/Craftyandbeast Patrick Huff

    Yeah some are pretty simular and others are random styles

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      So true Patrick, so true. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/m4bmarketing Susan Oakes

    A friend’s daughter gives him a few craft beers for him to try each Christmas and I have passed on this article to see if we have any similar ones in Australia.

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Thanks Susan, Do tell us how they liked them if they should give them a try. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/geekgirlusa Cheryl Therrien

    I love these posts! I learn about beer in the same way I learn about wine. :)

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Hi Cheryl, So do I, when it comes to beer. Patrick makes these posts so much fun to read. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/JeriWB Jeri Walker-Bickett

    One of my favorite parts about going to Cost Plus World Market is looking at the labels on the craft beers. That could be an entire blog in and of itself!

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Hi Jeri, You are so right. It is a hoot to read some of the labels and their descriptions of the beer. Their creativity is inviable. :-)

  • HomeJobsbyMOM

    I’m not really a drinker so I don’t know much about wines or beers. I probably should since most of my family likes to drink but I just never got into it because of my mother. I’d like to learn more every now and then though. I will be reading up on your wine ideas when we move since my house will be more of a tuscan theme so I will need to drink wine more then lol.

    • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

      Hi Krystle, LOL… the Tuscan feel of a new house isn’t a bad reason to start learning about the different wines. I also understand your reticence with drinking as well. I love to read about the different histories of how some of the wines came about. It can be quit entertaining. :-)