You’ve survived Black Friday and Thanksgiving, and now you just need to get through the rest of the year. Thankfully, beer — especially holiday ales and warming stouts — can help with that.
New Beers
• In November, Taft’s Ale House released their first 16-ounce cans, Liquid Advent Chocolate Brown Porter. The beer, a play on Maverick Chocolate’s spicy Fahrenheit 513 bar, uses chile, cacao nibs, star anise and cinnamon. You can only buy the cans at the taproom ($11.99). Also new? The Pedro Pacas Mexican Lager. The Cheech and Chong movie Up in Smoke inspired the name, but unfortunately no weed was added.
• Rhinegeist and Blue Oven Bakery collaborated on a 22-ounce bomber called Saison Blue. The beer is infused with the bakery’s organic wheat, which was roasted in a wood-fired oven. Now, if only Blue Oven would convert their English muffins into beer form.
• If you didn’t make it to Listermann/Triple Digit for their Black Friday bottle releases, they should still have some on draft: Chai Chickow!, Blackberry Nutcase and Batch 300, aged in triple-smoked whiskey barrels.
• Fifty West just released their Death Valley Shootout Stout. For now, it’s only on draft.
• ’Tis the season to buy beer swag. MadTree is selling gift packs online and at their taproom. For the beer geek, purchase the home-tasting kit ($125): a 40-ounce Hydroflask growler, a flight tray and four MadTree tasting glasses. And while you’re at it, purchase their seasonal eight-pack of beer: four Thundersnows, one Psychopathy, one Happy Amber, one Lift and one Gnarly Brown. shop.madtreebrewing.com.
MadTree keeps the holiday cheer coming on Dec. 3 when they release bourbon barrel-aged Are You Ready For Some Darkness stout in bottles. It supposedly tastes chocolatey and bourbony, with notes of black tea.
Events
• Dec. 5 is Repeal Day (the day Prohibition was repealed), and Braxton Brewing Company is throwing a Braxton Block Party from noon-1 a.m., where they’ll release their first bottled beer in the Heritage Series, Dark Charge, “a massive imperial stout that showcases Kentucky’s heritage: bourbon.” They’ll sell Dark Charge and its variants — Dark Charge Bourbon Barrel-Aged with Starter Coffee, Dark Charge Bourbon Barrel-Aged with Vanilla — in bottles and also have them on tap. Besides the new beers, Braxton will have several local and regional beers on tap, along with food trucks and the band Motherfolk. braxtonbrewing.com.
• Also on Dec. 5, Rhinegeist is throwing an event to honor dads. Dad Day will take place from noon-5 p.m., and you’re encouraged to BYOD (bring your own dad or someone else’s dad) and to wear “Dad plaid.” They’ll have plenty of their holiday ale, Dad, on hand. facebook.com/rhinegeist.
• Hold on, one more event for Dec. 5! You’re gonna be so drunk that this will go down as the greatest Repeal Day since 1933. Growler House in East Walnut Hills celebrates one year in business. From 5 p.m.-midnight, they’ll pour some hard-to-find seasonals and $11.11 growler fills. There will also be birthday cake. facebook.com/thegrowlerhouse.
• Rhinegeist and Taft’s Ale House are both planning NYE festivities. Rhinegiest’s party starts at 8 p.m. and goes into the wee hours. Check their Facebook page for updates. Taft’s is offering a few different packages starting at $35 (and at 7 p.m.).
• West Chester’s DogBerry Brewing throws their first-anniversary party on Jan. 8,. You can only buy tickets at their taproom. For $25, you get two full pours, shuttle service and a gift. They haven’t posted their beer list yet, but expect a few from their Supernova series. twitter.com/dogberrybrewing.
• Barrel-aged beers are all the rage. On Jan. 15 and 16, Jungle Jim’s Barrel-Aged Beer Bash will pour more than 60 of them, including rare and limited brews. Last year they had beers from Brooklyn Brewery, Rhinegeist and Upland. The organizers describe it as “not for the faint of heart,” but if you’re OK with testing fate, purchase tickets for $40. junglejims.com.
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This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2015.