The holiday season is in full swing. Christmas shopping continues, holiday parties are becoming more frequent, and maybe even some of you are going out caroling. One thing I also think of, are libations (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). With the festivities going on, the holidays wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning champagne, wine, apple cider, eggnog, mulled cider, mulled wine, and of course, beer.
As an avid beer fan, it’s always interesting to see what holiday ales & lagers breweries come up with. And, since Charlottesville is either nearby or home to 5 local breweries, it seemed only natural to see what they had to offer for the holidays.
Although there are 12 days of Christmas, there will be 2 beers each day due to the volume of suggestions from the local brewers.
Check in every day for two more (due to a delay today we’ll have 4, only 11 days till Christmas!
Day One
Blue Mountain Brewery // Afton, VA
1) Lights Out – One of Blue Mountain’s regular beers, but this one usually only appears around the holidays. Deep malt flavors & an earthy hop spice, this beer is an American version of an English Old Ale. It is currently on-tap at the brewery, or you can pick it up as a six-pack.
2) Hibernator – Another one of BMB’s seasonal beers. Described as a traditional German doppelbock, this lager should be fitting for the holidays since it’s a cold-weather style beer. This beer can only be found on-tap at the brewery, but you might be able to fill up a growler if you have one (if you don’t, BMB also sells them too).
Day Two
Starr Hill // Crozet, VA
3) All Access Tripel – Starr Hill has started off a new, limited release series called All Access. The first beer, which is already on tap in their tasting room, is All Access Tripel. If you’re not familiar with Belgian Tripels, you can expect complex flavors & aromas (fruity, sweetness, spiciness). Tripels are also usually between 8-12% abv, so be careful.
4) All Access W H – Starr Hill’s second All Access release will be a Scottish Wee Heavy ale. Another strong ale, this beer will be sweet like the Belgian one mentioned above, but you can expect a darker color, and malty caramel & roasted malt in the flavor. However, we’ll have to wait until January 1st to try it out.
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Special thanks to Mary Wolf (Wild Wolf Brewery), Heidi Crandall (Devil’s Backbone), Taylor Smack (Blue Mountain Brewery), Mark Thompson (Starr Hill), and John, Josh, & Molly Woodriff (Beer Run) for all their help and suggestions on holiday beers.
Check back in tomorrow for more!
Cville Niche 
Joyce
December 15, 2011
Fa la la la laaaaaaaaa……..