Before I get started, I must confess that I prefer wine over beer. That being said, if I do drink beer, it's usually of the Belgian variety (love those fruits and spices), but when notice of this Christmas Ale arrived in my inbox last week, I definitely thought it would be worth a taste. Not only is it made by the highly regarded Great Lakes Brewing Co, but it also has all of the ingredients I enjoy in beer-namely spices and a touch of sweetness.

The Cleveland OH based brewery is also an environmentally conscious company that has made numerous strides to conserve resources and energy during the brewing process, including using the barley used to make homemade pretzels and breads and using alternative fuels to power their delivery trucks. All of which make their Christmas Ale the perfect eco-conscious brew for the holidays.

Brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon, I could taste the sweetness of the honey with every sip. Although I could smell the ginger and cinnamon in the Christmas Ale as I poured it into a glass, when I took a sip, the flavors of the spices were fairly subtle (as they should be) and worked in concert with that "beer" taste to create a pleasant tasting brew for us non-beer drinkers.

Christmas Ale was awarded a Gold Medal in the 2009 World Beer Championships and is the perfect accompaniment for a traditional holiday feast or paired with fruit cake, gingerbread cakes or cookies, or any spiced holiday breads--before or after a meal.

Recommended reading:
Recipes for Holiday Cheer



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