Chicagoist's 'Beer of the Week:' Great Lake's Christmas Ale

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Dec 21, 2012 7:00PM

We've finally had our first snowfall, and you can't walk into any store across the city without being mobbed by crowds of people. There's no more denying that the holidays are officially upon us, and approaching fast. The only thing we can do now is accept it, keep our heads down, and power through the rest of the season. Luckily, we have just the thing to help you through it.

The Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Co. has long been a holiday staple for many craft beer drinkers. In fact, it's become so popular over the past few years that Great Lakes has to start brewing their first batches of the year in July so they can keep up with demand, and it still seems to go faster and faster every year. The 'Christmas Ale' is brewed with honey, and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon. It's a deep amber in color, and we get a bready malt backbone with a nice caramelization that lays the foundation for those additional ingredients to shine. The ginger and cinnamon are very prevalent on the nose, and they linger on the end palate after the very first sip, while the honey lends a touch of sweetness and a bit of body to the beer. The hop profile is subdued, but there are hints of citrus and spice from the hops used, and they provide a lot of balance against the big, juicy malts. At 7.5 percent alcohol content, Christmas Ale is a solid winter warmer and a beer that a lot of drinkers will enjoy, both novices and connoisseurs alike.

If you're going to drink the Christmas Ale with food, be sure to mind the ginger and cinnamon in the brew. Fortunately, the beer will pair fairly well with most things you'd find on a holiday dinner table. Whether it's turkey, ham, or yams, you're going to be just fine. We'd recommend steering clear of any foods that are too spicy or acidic, as they'll most likely drown out the sweetness of the beer and clash with the cinnamon.

Try the Christmas Ale on tap this weekend at the High Dive in Ukranian Village, or up north at the Bar on Buena. You can also find six-packs all over the place, and we'd like to think that a 12oz bottle would be a perfect stocking stuffer.