Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to drink

 We’ve finally hit January, putting the holidays behind us. ‘Twas the season to be jolly, and if you’re like me, your “jolly” is fueled by the unmistakable charge of beer. Store shelves are lined with a variety of seasonal options from quite a number of breweries—after all, we do live in the Northwest, Portland nonetheless, where beer is most likely brewed down the street from where you live. So who is who in the seasonal beer market?

Jubelale

“A festive winter ale” as advertised on the bottle, Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale from Bend, Ore. is the cocoa of seasonal beer. This brew has the most significant punch of chocolate with coffee flavor out of any seasonal brew I have come across. But this comes after an undeniable sweetness, and it is sweet. This is the beer you quickly down before heading out into the crisp frigid night to help keep you warm.

Brrr

Widmer once again strays from the Portland pack of breweries and keeps things unique with Brrr. Come on, let’s face it—if you want to make a seasonal ale, you make it sweet, you try to throw in some chocolate flavor and bam, you got your seasonal brew. But Widmer manages to brew a very nice seasonal without looking like everyone else. Brrr is a red ale that carries with it the citrus notes that have helped make the company so popular with its Hefeweizen. The beer is strong and dominating and won’t let you ignore it. This is the life and joy of the holiday party, and I wish they would brew it all year round.

Sleigh’r

I admit, I was more attracted to this beer by its marketing than the by brew itself. Sleigh’r bares a label with Santa flying some horns in true Heavy Metal spirit. Ninkasi Brewing Company out of Eugene delivers this beer with a nod to the German-style altbiers—dark and smooth. It is difficult to deny how sweet this beer is. It is certainly a beer for the winter sweet tooth.

Ebenezer Ale

I had trouble finding this brew from Portland’s Bridgeport Brewery at my local stores this year—I don’t know if they just didn’t get as many cases out or if everyone else in the city just got them before I had the chance. Ebenezer Ale is a beer I keep coming back to every year around the holidays. Being a rather large Scrooge myself this time of year, Ebenezer is usually able to put a smile on my face. It is very sweet with a mild hoppy bite to it. Beer nerds might go off on how complex the taste is…blah blah blah. There are a lot of flavors going on in this bottle—drinkers will find something new in every sip. I still discover new angles of taste every year. ?