It's That Holly Jolly Seasonal

In the world of beer styles there are 15 categories of hybrid styles, 15 styles of lager beers, and 37 styles of ales creating 147 different styles of beer (per the Great American Beer Festival). Needless to say, it will not be hard to write on this subject. This week we are going to get ready for the holiday season by perusing the unregistered, but highly touted, 'seasonal' style.

New to our shelves (and soon to be gone) are these wonderful beers that the head brewers present to us. Even if they have the same name as last year they can be completely different, which puts a little more adventure into the season. These can take on many different category names like specialty beer (#7), or my favorite name (that strikes terror into the heart of every beer judge), experimental beer (#10). But seasonals of this time of year usually fall into the fruit and vegetable category (#4) or herb and spice category (#5).

This fall and winter season carries big beers (high alcohol and robust flavor) into our homes, hearts, and stores. Some of the common flavors are clove, nutmeg, vanilla, pumpkin, cherry, molasses and brown sugar. These are commonly mixed with a low hop variable (or they should be). Whereas, some of the seasonals balance their powerful aroma hops with such things as smoke, juniper, pine and hazelnuts, sage and and other herbs of the season. With these beers your imagination and pallet only set the limits.

If you are a beer drinker and not too sure if you will like a certain seasonal, only buy one, making a mismatched 6-pack to take home for the night. Pick from a couple different companies that are home favorites (like Winter Solstice from Anderson Valley, Yellow Snow from Rogue, Big Foot from Sierra Nevada, and Old Stock from North Coast just to name a few of the classics), and maybe a couple you've never heard of and dial in your taste, (it's much better to have a half finished beer then a 5 pack of beer that will only taste worse in 6 months in the summer heat). If you are a home brewer and you have a fab~boo idea that NO ONE has ever tried before, get a reality check from your brewin' friends. If only half of them cringe DO IT!!! And if it doesn't work in the way you hoped it would you got 4 1/2g of a great marinade for the summer barbeque's!

Cheers!
And a happy holidays!