A Month of Christmas (Ales)

Starting tomorrow, the Columbus Beer Scene blog will be featuring a winter, Christmas, or holiday style beer every day (all 7 days a week!)… until at least December 25.  We might even drag it out until New Year’s Day.  If you’ve ever wondered what some of those seasonal beers on your retailer’s shelf taste like, you’ll probably know very soon.

Already in the plans for this month are the following seasonal beers:

• Abita Christmas Ale (December 8)


• Anchor Merry Christmas and Happy New Year


• Anderson Valley Winter Solstice (December 11)


• Bell’s Winter White Ale (December 13)


• Breckenridge Christmas Ale (December 12)


• Brew Kettle Winter Warmer (December 2)


• Brooklyn Winter Ale (December 26)


• Columbus Brewing Company Winter Warmer (December 10)


• Dark Horse Brewing 4 Elf (December 19)


• De Dolle Stille Nacht (December 7)


• Dubuisson Scaldis Noel (December 1)


• Fat Head’s Holly Jolly (December 4)


• Fat Head’s Pimp My Sleigh (December 5)


• Goose Island Christmas Ale


• Great Lakes Christmas Ale


• Guinness Red Harvest Stout (December 21)


• Harpoon Winter Warmer (December 14)


• Hoppin’ Frog Barrel Aged Frosted Frog


• Hoppin’ Frog Frosted Frog


• Lagunitas Brown Shugga (December 22)


• Mt. Carmel Winter Ale (December 17)


• New Holland Cabin Fever (December 16)


• North Peak Blitzen Festivus Ale (January 1)


• Ommegang Adoration (December 24)


• Penn Brewing St. Nikolaus Bock (December 15)


• Revolution Brewing’s Fistmas (December 3)


• Ridgeway Brewing UK’s Bad Elf


• Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2012, cellared for one year


• Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2013


• Samuel Adams Winter Lager (December 9)


• Shiner Holiday Cheer (December 18)


• Sixpoint Global Warmer (December 23)


• Southern Tier 2XMas


• Southern Tier Krampus (December 20)


• St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (December 25)


• The Brew Kettle’s Winter Warmer (December 2)


• Thirsty Dogs 12 Dogs of Christmas


• Troeg’s Mad Elf (December 6)


• Weyerbacher Winter Ale

(Those beers with a date next to them are already reviewed and will appear on the site on the date indicated.)

Although this is more than enough beer to get us to December 31st, as I encounter other Christmas beers not on this list, you can be sure I’ll check them out and let you know what they’re like, too.

If you’ve got a favorite holiday ale that doesn’t appear on this list, please feel free to post a comment telling me what it is, why you like it, and where in the Columbus area I can pick up a bottle or a pint.  I can’t promise that I’ll be able to get it and review it, but I’ll certainly cover as many as I am able to.

I’m very interested in seasonal beers from Ohio breweries, especially those located here in Columbus and in Ohio in general.