Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu – Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse & Dunkel

For the Twelfth Beer of Christmas, we wrapped up our journey east with a stop in the country that celebrates beer like none other, Germany.

To get this brew, we gathered some friends together and went to a local bar known for it’s broad selection of beers. While there, we went for a hefeweizen two-for: Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse and Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel. Both beers are from the hefeweizen (unfiltered wheat beer) family with the dunkel being a dark wheat.

Franziskaner’s reputation for brewing great beer made these an easy choice from Cricket’s lengthy beer menu. Unfortunately, an unexpected complication dampened the enjoyment of the brew. I know this isn’t going to surprise you, but I didn’t think about it until it was too late. Cricket’s allows smoking in the bar. I know … shocker! A bar that allows smoking. But the tobacco haze, especially from the lady at the table next to us, killed the aroma of the beer.

The Hefe-Weisse, which we drank first, came with a slice of orange (as seen in the photos), and if you got in real close you could smell the orange. Short of that, nada. By the time we got to the Dunkel, I couldn’t smell anything.

Aaron, Wyatt, Brandon, and I enjoy some Franziskaner.

Both beers poured very cloudy as hefeweizens should. The Hefe-Weisse tasted creamy with mild carbonation and a wheaty taste. Of course, the wash of orange squeezed into the glass gave it a definite citrus taste. The hops were muted, possibly by the orange. It’s a decent beer, but I prefer Michelob Shock Top. Which is funny because Michelob is part of the Anheuser-Busch family, which is a part of the InBev family, which just happens to own the Spaten-Löwenbräu-Gruppe, which is, yes, the owner of Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu.

The Dunkel, on the other hand, had a stronger flavor and slightly heavier body. Cloves came through along with a toasted flavor from the darker grains. Again, the hops seemed muted. This was my favorite beer of the night but fell in the lower half of the scale in comparison to the other beers we’ve had since Christmas.

Stats
Brewer: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Location: München, Germany
Website: http://www.SpatenBraeu.de

Hefe-Weisse	Hefe-Weisse Dunkel
Style: Hefeweizen	Style: Dunkelweizen
Alcohol Content: 5.0% ABV	Alcohol Content: 5.0% ABV

Interesting Note: While the Smithwick’s from a few nights ago comes from a brewery that is older than The United States, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu brewery (under another name) was founed in 1397 … nearly 100 years before Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World.

Brouwerij St. Bernardus – Abt 12

For the Eleventh Beer of Christmas, found a beer with an alcohol percentage that nearly matched.

We continued our trek east from England to Belgium (and plan to do so again tomorrow with a German brew). Probably the most famous brews in Belgium are the Trappist beers. While St. Bernardus is an abbey ale, it is not a Trappist beer. But it carries on the Trappist traditions of brewing even though it comes from a commercial brewer.

Although a beautiful medium/dark brown, the beer is translucent rather than transparent as most of the other medium-ish beers have been. Most commercial beers I’ve drank have tended towards transparent except for the hefeweizens and some other heavier wheats. The head was very thick and left a lot of lacing on the glass. The smell was rich with an apple and yeast smell that reminded me of home-brewed hard cider. Strong but not unpleasant.

The taste starts off sweet with a strong dose of cloves. Partially disguised in the flavor, the alcohol sneaks past the cloves for a brandy-like sharpness and a finish that is both warming (not surprising) and smooth (surprising).

Would I drink this again? You bet. And I would recommend it time and again. But if I’m going to buy a big 750ml bottle of strong, dark ale, I prefer the true Trappist Chimay Grande Reserve.

Stats
Brewer: Brouwerij St. Bernardus (Brewery St. Bernardus)
Location: Watou, Belgium
Website: http://www.SintBernardus.be
Style: Quadrupel
Alcohol Content: 10.5% ABV
Interesting Note: The beer now known as St. Bernardus used to be a Trappist beer, but the St. Sixtus monastery decided to turn over brewing to a commercial enterprise which brewed under a “Trappist license” until 1992 when the Trappist Monasteries agreed to impose qualifications that required true “Trappisentbiers” to be brewed within a Trappist monastery.

Wychwood Brewery – Hobgoblin

For the Tenth Beer of Christmas, we travel 225 miles south east of Dublin to the Wychwood Forest and the brewery that shares its name.

I’ve heard a number of people say that Hobgoblin is a good beer. But looking at the label (click the image to see the full size photo), my first thought was that this must be the official beer of Dungeons and Dragons. Don’t get your knickers in a knot, though, I can tease about it since I spent so many years playing it.

The half liter (16.9 oz) bottle poured out with a quickly growing head. I had to be careful not to overflow the glass. The head dissipated slowly with a light, lush smell. Chocolate, toffee, and coffee with a bit of malty sweetness. I sat here for a long time just inhaling the scent. The best description I can give is that it was as welcoming as the smell of my grandmother’s kitchen when she wasn’t cooking. My grandmother was the best cook I’ve ever known. When she was cooking, the kitchen smelled like heaven. In between meals, the lingering aroma whispered a promise of bliss. Hobgoblin whispers, too. Pour a glass, hold it to your nose with both hands, inhale, enjoy, repeat.

The ruby brown ale delivered on that promise. Full bodied, with a silk smooth feel, Hobgoblin carries the chocolate and coffee into the taste, along with a clean, almost subdued bitterness from the hops. One thing I found particularly interesting was that the pleasant bitter aftertaste came as an echo, several seconds after the swallow.

The Fourth Beer of Christmas, Flying Dog’s Classic Pale Ale, was dubbed “my favorite so far.” While very different in taste and structure, Hobgoblin just surpassed it in this year’s list. But the great news for Flying Dog is that Hobgoblin is $4 per bottle while Flying Dog is about $1.50. Ounce to ounce, Hobgoblin (in a bigger bottle) is twice as much.

If you get a hankering, grab your 20-sided dice and head over to my house. We’ll break out the Hobgoblin and storm the gates of Mordor. I get to be the ranger.

Stats
Brewer: Wychwood Brewery
Location: Whitney, Oxfordshire, UK
Website: http://www.Wychwood.co.uk
Style: English Brown Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
Interesting Note: The website includes a fun and highly interactive design. Animated hobgoblins (the larger cousins of goblins, of course) and page turning spell books full of lore and history dominate the site.  However, the odd “forest sounds” coming from your computer speakers might drive your dogs a little crazy.

Smithwick’s (Guinness) – Smithwick’s

For the Ninth Beer of Christmas, we hopped the pond again to visit the most famous brewery in Ireland.

At least I think Guinness is the most famous brewery in Ireland. It’s the only one I can name. Before we get into tonight’s beer, let’s start with a side note … I don’t like Guinness Stout, the brewery’s flagship. In my experience, it’s a love it or leave it drink, and I prefer to leave it. Every so often I try another one (I did on New Year’s Eve), and yet the result is always the same. Consequently, I didn’t have high hopes for this brew. But my low expectations were without merit.

A nice copper-brown, the Smithwick’s kept a nice head and filled the space around the glass with a malty, toffee aroma. A shade of hops adds complexity to the scent. It’s a nice smelling beer. It doesn’t scream “drink me,” but it’s inviting.

The flavor is equally hospitable to the mouth. It’s a medium body beer with a lightly sweet taste. The malt and hops come through and the drink finishes dry.

Smithwick’s is not a great beer, but I was pleasantly surprised given my non-Guinness bias. I’m not likely to run out a buy a 6-pack again any time soon, but I wouldn’t turn one down if it was offered to me. And if I ever wander into an Irish pub, it will probably be first on the list. Yes, if I find a good Irish pub (I’ll have to leave West Texas for that), there will be a list. I’ll probably even have another Guinness Stout (and I still won’t like it).

Stats
Brewer: Smithwick’s (Guinness)
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Website: http://www.Smithwicks.ie and http://www.Guinness.com
Style: Irish Red Ale (Pale Ale)
Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Interesting Note: Smithwick’s is purported to be Ireland’s oldest beer, being brewed since 1710 by John Smithwick. In 1965, Guinness purchased a controlling share in the Smithwick brewery. Up to that time, the brewery had been under the control of the Smithwick family. And at that time, This year, the beer celebrates it’s 300th anniversary.

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) – Winter Lager

For the Eighth Beer of Christmas, we picked a beer from another of our favorite brewers.

Sam Adams Boston Lager, the company’s flagship beer, was one of my early ventures outside the Budweiser/Coors world. It’s remained one of my favorites.

Their Winter Lager poured to a nice amber brown with a medium head retention. Like Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale that we drank as the First Beer of Christmas, this lager is spiced for the holidays. Although it isn’t as strongly spiced as the Christmas Ale, the cinnamon and ginger come through clearly along with a touch of hops.

The spices and hops are also predominant in the taste, along with the sweetness of toasted caramel malt. The sweet, spice, bitter, and carbonation are well balanced with none of them overpowering the others in this Boston medley. As lagers are wont to be, the beer is smooth, although a little sharp from the spices rather than creamy as most lagers I’ve had tend to be.

Even though the weight is best described as medium, it’s still a filling beer. I was three and out with this beer tonight, as I have been with most of the heavier beers. This is opposed to the nine (yes, 9) Lawnmowers I drank for the Second Beer of Christmas. I’m telling you, those Lawnmowers go down like Gatorade.

Before spring sneaks up, run out and grab yourself a 12-pack, curl up on the couch with someone special, and if you get past three, plan on falling asleep.

Stats
Brewer: Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MS
Website: http://www.SamuelAdams.com
Style: Bock
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Interesting Note: When Anheuser-Busch sold to InBev, a Belgian-Brazilian brewer, in 2008, the Boston Beer Company became the largest American owned brewery.

Real Ale Brewing – Coffee Porter

For the Seventh Beer of Christmas, we continue our trek east with a stop in Blanco, TX, for a beer that would not disappoint if it were poured from a coffee pot (I’ll have to see what they think about this at the office).

Pouring the bottle into the glass did not result in a waft of aroma like some of the other beers, including our Sierra Nevada Porter from two nights ago. The scent is more subtle and understated. You nearly have to get your nose into the glass. I think the thin head retention might have something to do with that. During this experiment, I’ve found that the beers that poured with thick head have a more robust scent.

But once you close, Real Ale’s Coffee Porter gives off a smell that combines rich, roasted coffee with bitter chocolate. There’s a light suggestion of vanilla as well as a hint of the strong alcohol content (6.3% ABV).

As you probably expected, from both the name and the smell, the taste is strongly influenced by the coffee used in brewing this beer. Although the strong alcohol content comes through, there’s a smoothness to the brew. I drink my coffee black (unless I’m at Starbucks and then I have to cut the strength with sugar and half & half … or if I’m at a convenience store, where I have to disguise the flavor with half & half and sugar). And I like the sharp, astringent taste of the coffee. But this Coffee Porter has a creamy taste, like a coffee cut with half & half (definitely not cut with the fake stuff).

This was tasty beer that gave me flashbacks to my first (heavenly) sip of coffee that I have each morning at work.

Aubrey says, “It’s decent, but I’d rather have a coke.”

And tonight we have special guest commentators Betty and Lisa.  Betty says, “It tastes like coffee.”  However, I think she would have preferred the coffee.  And Lisa says, “It’s good.”

Stats
Brewer: Real Ale Brewing
Location: Blanco, TX
Website: http:/www.RealAleBrewing.com
Style: Porter (American)
Alcohol Content: 6.3% ABV
Interesting Note: The Coffee Porter is actually brewed with coffee, which comes from Katz Coffee Roasters (http://www.KatzCoffee.com) in Houston, TX.

New Belgium Brewing – Abbey

For the Sixth Beer of Christmas, we stopped in Colorado for a Belgian Dubbel (okay … obviously I’m not going out of town, this was another trip to World Market … I should get them to sponsor the Twelve Beers of Christmas).

New Belgium Brewing is the creator of one of my favorite beers, 1554, a Belgium Dark Ale. Even though Abbey has been around for a while, I hadn’t noticed the bottles on the shelf until we started shopping for our Twelve Beers.  I was excited to see this addition to the New Belgium lineup since Fat Tire, Skinny Dip, 2° Below, and especially 1554 are in regular rotation at my house.

The beer began with a strongly spiced smell, cloves, maybe coriander, and a suggestion of pepper, with a light touch of alcohol peaking through.  Even though it’s not a Christmas beer, per se, it had an aroma that whispered “Christmas” into my nose.  Hmm … that’s an odd statement.  Anyway, it’s a pleasant and inviting scent.

The taste carries a touch of the spice that came through in the smell along with a large dose of yeast, almost like rising bread dough.  With a medium body and a light hint of carbonation, the Abbey finishes with a warming caress of alcohol.  Yes, that 7% ABV actually does come through in the taste.

Overall, I enjoyed New Belgium’s Abbey, but I doubt I buy this one very often.  For me, 1554 is just too good to pass up when I mosey past the New Belgium section of the store.

Stats
Brewer: New Belgium Brewing
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Website: http://www.NewBelgium.com
Style: Dubbel
Alcohol Content: 7.0% ABV
Interesting Note: If you get a chance, read through their employee perks (http://www.newbelgium.com/Files/nbb_employee_perks.pdf).  I’ve heard people say that New Belgium is one of those few companies with a culture that combines hard work with a love of the job and a lot of fun.  Their “perks” highlight this with things like:

• A “Fat Tire” bicycle on your one year anniversary
• An on site Cyclocross course
• A 12-pack of Employee beer per week
• And … yes, it’s awesome … one “shift beer” after you clock out!

Oh … and I hear the brewery tour is really cool.  I haven’t been, but if you get close to Ft. Collins, stop by for the tour and let me know how it is.

Sierra Nevada – Porter

For the Fifth Beer of Christmas, we went back to the West Coast for a little California Dreamin’.

After the light to medium beers we’d have the last three nights, I decided it was time to come back in black (I know, I’m mixing my musical genres … just go with it) and the nearly opaque, deep brown/black color of this particular porter was a great selection.

Pouring the glass resulted in a rich aroma, like deep loamy soil mixed with caramel, coffee, and a hint of vanilla. Good head retention from the light tan foam that held up during the photo session and remained as a thin wisp through the entire glass … and foamed up again nicely for the second glass.

Now, I’m normally a “drink it from the bottle” guy (“longneck bottle, let go of my hand”), but I wanted to take pictures of them in the glass so you could see the color of each beer. One of the side benefits of this has been enjoying the rich aromas. The Sierra Nevada Porter has been the best smelling beer of the twelve (so far). As I tipped the glass for each drink, I took a big whiff just to revel in the scent. When you buy this beer (and you should), it deserves a glass.

The taste starts off just a little sweet and finishes with a bittersweet chocolate flavor. The dark, roasted malt comes through strong between the start and finish for a warm and friendly drink (despite the beer’s cool 38° F temperature when coming from my refrigerator). The lush, thick taste translates to a rather filling beer. I finished three and felt comfortably full … like Thanksgiving before I hit the desserts and move on to uncomfortable and sleepy.

Speaking of desserts, Aubrey thinks this beer would go great with cheesecake.

Stats
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Location: Chico, CA
Website: http://www.SierraNevada.com
Style: Porter (American)
Alcohol Content: 5.6% ABV
Interesting Note: Apparently I’m not the only one who likes this beer:

• California Brewers Festival (2000) – First Place
• Colorado State Fair (1996) – First Place
• “…there can be little doubt that this is one of the best porters being brewed anywhere in the world today.” – Christopher Finch, A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best Beer

Flying Dog Brewery – Classic Pale Ale

The Fourth Beer of Christmas went to the dogs … Flying Dog Brewery.

Last night we drank an English Pale Ale. I was a little concerned that Pale Ales might not be my kind of brew. I know I’ve had a few over the years, but I don’t remember much about them. Maybe I drank them after a some shots of tequila. Hmm … the Twelve Tequilas of Christmas … maybe that’s next year’s project.

Anyway, back to beer. So I was a little concerned about this brew but I forged ahead anyway and poured my glass for the photo. It was a nice light brown (or deep gold, depending on your arrangement of cone cells). I had a second bottle ready to refresh the head on the beer as I took the pictures. The last two nights, the head quickly wasted away to nothing. The photo in this post was the 5th photo I took. And I took it after stopping to stare at the beer for a second, slightly amazed by the head retention.

Then it was time to tip the glass.

Just as quickly as her comment last night, tonight Aubrey said, “Soooo much better than the last one.” And I agreed.

The beer had a medium body and a fruity flavor that was more citrus than apple. Which is good news because I do like citrus. The dose of hops (Northern Brewer and Cascade) comes through strong including a bitter finish. I took several drinks and tried to get a handle on my feelings for the aftertaste.  Definitely bitter, and definitely strong.  But unlike last night’s un-Holy (Grail) aftertaste, I enjoyed tonight’s aftertaste and found myself pausing after every drink to savor it.

The best beer I’ve ever had? No. My favorite beer so far during this Twelve Beers of Christmas? Yes. I know we’re only four beers in and there are some strong contenders in the days ahead. But this one will grace my refrigerator again.

Stats
Brewer: Flying Dog Brewery
Location: Frederick, MD
Website: http://www.FlyingDogAles.com
Style: American Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Interesting Note: I laughed and laughed when I went to their website. There’s a link for “Free Shit.” And their 20th Anniversary beer is named “Raging Bitch.” When I have more time, I’ll go back and look through the site more thoroughly.

Black Sheep Brewery – Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale

For the Third Beer of Christmas, we hopped the pond (by going to our local World Market) and picked up a bottle with a label that’s been intriguing me for while.

Opening the bottle there was a very faint aroma, like a light apple juice scent. The bad news is, I’m not a big fan of apple juice, so this got a quirked eyebrow from me. After taking the photo, Aubrey and I raised our glasses and drank.

Aubrey’s first reaction? “Oh God, not my favorite.”

For me, it was about the same. I was just glad we’d bought it at World Market where we could build our own six pack.* But as I sat down to mull over my thoughts and continued to drink, the taste grew on me … a little. The whiff of apple in the nose translated to a light apple taste and then an aftertaste that left me scraping my tongue against the roof of my mouth. The label states that the beer was “tempered over burning witches.” I’m thinking that tempering might be the cause of the aftertaste. Cut the aftertaste and this would still not be a great beer, but it would be better than it is.

For the Monty Python fan, buy the bottle and keep it capped on the shelf along with your plush killer rabbit (even Aubrey owns one).

But for everyone else, if you’re offered this beer, just say “Ni!” Yes, I really went there.

Stats
Brewer: Black Sheep Brewery
Location: Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Website: http://www.BlackSheepBrewery.com
Style: English Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Interesting Note: The ale was specially commissioned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Monty Python in 1999.
* For those of you who have never visited a World Market, they have a cool feature in that you can build you own six pack. Just grab a container and mix & match your own six pack. It’s a little more expensive than buying a six pack at your local beer store, but you can try out several beers that you’re not sure of without having a refrigerator full of something you won’t drink and then you have to pawn them off on your friends (who don’t appreciate it …trust me).

Saint Arnold Brewing – Fancy Lawnmower

For the Second Beer of Christmas, we jumped ahead six months to a beer whose name screams “SUMMER!” Saint Arnold’s Fancy Lawnmower.

Before buying a six-pack, I was told that this beer “tastes just like freshly cut grass smells.” That comment had always made me a little leery of buying this beer. I like the way my lawn smells after I mow it, but I’m not sure I’d want a glass of that. It turns out that it tastes nothing like freshly cut grass smells. Doesn’t even remind me of it (see below for info on the naming of this brew). But this coming summer, after spending a day mowing the lawn or repairing the fence, this is the kind of beer I’m going to reach for.

Light bodied, with a clean, crisp finish, this beer is as refreshing as it is clear (if you’re not sure how clear it is, check out the full size picture, you can see the texture of my living room wall through the glass). It’s like the Gatorade or iced tea of beers: thirst quenching and refreshing, light and drinkable.
However, like Gatorade or iced tea, it doesn’t stand out much. Neither the taste nor aroma are particularly remarkable. Not bland, but not remarkable. Now don’t get me wrong, this summer I will probably be twisting the top off one of these on a Saturday after mowing the yard because my usual post-mowing fare, a Shiner Blonde, is just a bit too heavy. But cold, clean, and light bodied, these just slide down.

Fancy Lawnmower will never be my staple beer, but it might just be a thirst quencher that finds a regular home in my refrigerator during the summer months.

Aubrey’s thinks it’s a tasty brew, light and refreshing, but her favorite part of the beer (which applies to any Saint Arnold’s beer) is the witty comments printed on the inside of the caps: “Wait no lager!”, “Grin & beer it!”, “Be hoppy”, etc. She’s looking forward to our Tour of Texas Breweries this summer when we’ll visit Saint Arnold’s.

Stats
Brewer: Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Location: Houston, TX
Website: http://www.SaintArnold.com
Style: Kölsch
Alcohol Content: 4.9% ABV
Interesting Note: After creating the brew, they had five possible names for it: Select, Blonde, Kölsch, Golden and Fancy Lawnmower. They took a survey of people and asked people to rank the names on a scale of one to five. If they’d averaged the scores, Golden would have won. Fancy Lawnmower got lots of 1s and lots of 5s, but regardless of how it was rated, all the survey participants wanted to discuss that name. And so it stuck.

Anchor Brewing – Christmas Ale 2010

For the First Beer of Christmas,
Anchor Brewing gave to us,
Their 36th holiday ale!

For Christmas Day’s beer, we had to go with a Christmas brew. What could be better than a bottle that wished us a Merry Christmas (and a Happy New Year) right on the label?
Anchor Brewing Company has a reputation for brewing great beers, with Anchor Steam being the flagship of this nautical themed company. I’ve had plenty of Anchor Steams, but never ventured into their other offerings until now. Not for any particular reason, though. I just never got around to them. But after drinking tonight’s beer, I’m going to have to give some of their others a try … and before next year’s Twelve Beers of Christmas.

While pouring it into the glass, two things struck me. First was the rich aroma. It reminded of my childhood when we kept a real Christmas tree in the house and my grandmother mulled spices in apple cider. It was so strong at first that I thought the taste might be overwhelming. But the smell mellowed quickly to a comfortable and inviting aroma.

The second thing was the gorgeously dark color. I do love a deep brown, yet translucent, color in a beer. Held up to the light, the beer reminded me of a deep mahogany dining table that we used to own. It was a beautiful table and this is a beautiful beer. When poured, the head frothed up into a light caramel color.

The taste matched the aroma. Sweet and smokey. Spicy (holiday spicy, not jalapeno spicy) and crisp. And an hoppy twang to end each drink. Given the deep color, I expected a heavier beer, but I really enjoyed the lighter than expected feel. That strong a flavor mixed with a sweet, heavy beer would have been more than I wanted. But the Christmas Ale’s medium body was a good match for the strong flavor and intense hoppiness. (Is that a word? Spell check doesn’t like it.)

Overall, a nice change a pace that I think the Christmas-in-a-bottle feel would be a great addition to any holiday gathering. It’s certainly not my favorite beer of all time, or even in the top 10, but it’s a nice beer that murmurs “Merry Christmas” while you drink it.

Aubrey says, “It’s smokey.”

Stats
Brewer: Anchor Brewing Company
Location: San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.AnchorBrewing.com
Style: Winter Warmer
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Interesting Note: This is the 36th Christmas Ale from Anchor Brewing. Each year, they customize the bottle by featuring a different tree on the label. This year’s tree is the Ginkgo biloba tree. For a look back at past labels, check out http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beers/pdfs/Flyer_ChristmasAle2010.pdf.

Christmas 2010 … A New Tradition is Born

Last night, a discussion born of Shiner Bock turned into an idea for a new holiday tradition: The Twelve Beers of Christmas.  Each day during the Twelve Days of Christmas, Aubrey and I will try a new beer that we’ve never had before.  And by the way, that’s the regular Twelve Days of Christmas, not the Bob & Doug McKenzie* version.

Now … you may be asking WHICH Twelve Days of Christmas we are going to cover.  And that’s a good question because I didn’t know there were so many varieties.  Per Wikipedia (the only source for answers), The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Christmastide, begin on Christmas Day (December 25th) and end on January 5th.

So join us this holiday season as we drink twelve new beers and then give a brief review of each.   Until then, prosit!

* For those of Aubrey’s generation, Bob & Doug were characters on the sketch comedy show “SCTV.”   They were Canadian who loved drinking beer and all things Canadian.  Here’s an animated version of their “Twelve Days of Christmas:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2oPio60mK4 .  For more on Bob & Doug, check out their page at Wikipedia (the only source for information): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie .