Now available (in many locations) for the 2006 holiday season :-D :drunk:

 

Already?  Crap I have to order it fom my bar.

 

Thanks for the heads up

For the unannointed...drink with caution.   It's a little stronger than your average american light beer. 

 

Learn from my mistake. :drunk:

All of Great Lakes' beers are stronger than normal. Have you tried Nosferatu?

^Honestly, I didn't care for Nosferatu. I usually love hoppy beers but I guess I'm more of an IPA fan - I'd rather have Commodore Perry than Nosferatu anyday. Speaking of, has anyone ever had the Lake Erie Monster? It's a pub exclusive, and with an ABV of 9% it could be deadly but I've always been curious :)

tops here i come!

MayDay and hopheads- try the Hippie IPA by Buckeye Brewing Co...on a sidenote I heard Buckeye Brewery is going to move to the near west side- Great Lakes and Buckeye within walking distance will call for some serious hangovers. For an incredible IPA you must try the Dreadnaught by Three Floyds, I think it only comes in the 22oz bottles, its really hopped.

Cheers to Christmas Ale!

^I had the Hippie IPA once at Winking Lizard downtown - good stuff! Another good IPA is the Bell's Two Headed IPA, currently at Prosperity in Tremont. Dreadnought, you say... (writes note to self).

 

I had my inaugural Christmas Ale yesterday at South Side in Tremont ($5.50 for 22oz) - it just feels like getting hugged with every sip :)

Barley's in Columbus has a Double Dog Dare IPA (~11% abv).  The bitterness keeps it from tasting like someone dumped a shot of vodka in it though.  That's the hoppiest beer I know of.

 

My favorites are currently Great Lakes Burning River and Columbus Brewing Company IPA (it's got a little citrus kick).  If you like the CBC Pale Ale, give the IPA a shot.  I think they just started brewing it within the last year.

I had my inaugural Chirstmas Ale at GLBC on Saturday in the cellar pub. $4.50 22 oz. pretty decent crowd outside too. Their new room is now (and maybe has been) open.

oh man time for the christmas ale already? nice. i sure wish i could get my hands on some of that.

 

if you like hoppy sierra nevada is a good one that is easy to find and sometimes you can find their more rare styles too. for example celebration is dark and dry-hopped, which is tasty on a cold day. i like the bigfoot barleywine too, although that style will destroy you. otoh, i'm not really a fan of the sierra stout or summerfest tho (holy moses blows that one away).

 

i'm going to a "serious sierra event" tomorrow so its on my mind. it ought to be good i've never had some of these before --check out the brews on tap: Sierra Porter, Sierra Blonde, Sierra Harvest, Sierra Celebration '05 (yeah, that's right), Sierra 20th St. Ale (very super rare), Sierra Ruthless Wheat & Sierra Bigfoot (you might call this a serious beer).

 

"if you like hoppy sierra nevada is a good one that is easy to find"

 

I've had that - it's really waaay too weak on the hops for my taste. I like hoppy beers that give you the sensation of having your tastebuds whacked with a meat tenderizer - in a good way :-D

This whole thread has had me thinking about Xmas ale a lot over the past few days. I tried to order one last night at the OC wine bar (I already ordered one glass of wine). The server gave me the dirtiest look.

"The server gave me the dirtiest look."

 

Obviously someone in need of Christmas Ale (or more fiber in their diet).

^Sounds like you're a Christmas Ale evangelizer. Let me be your apostle.

if you like hoppy sierra nevada is a good one that is easy to find and sometimes you can find their more rare styles too. for example celebration is dark and dry-hopped, which is tasty on a cold day

 

I'm not a hippie

Jegshemash!  I never post, but I always keep up to date with everything going on in Cleveland through this board, and all of you people are awesome.  I have to say that I had my inaugural Christmas Ale last night, and is it just me or does it taste "spicier" than last year?  I tasted more honey, and especially a stronger cinnamon flavor than last year's model.  I think they actually made it better!  Or maybe I'm just blinded by my love for it.

^after months in the desert, even sewer water would taste sweet.

Good point, Peter - it's hard to tell but you might be on to something. I say we should revisit this thread in a month when we've consumed a glass or two (or twenty) more. Then we can compare notes :)

 

Now everyone get to it, and do your homework! :drunk:

"if you like hoppy sierra nevada is a good one that is easy to find"

 

I've had that - it's really waaay too weak on the hops for my taste. I like hoppy beers that give you the sensation of having your tastebuds whacked with a meat tenderizer - in a good way :-D

 

by that i take you mean the common pale ale? true thats kind of a starter spicy/hoppy beer (in fact it and anchor steam are thee original widely available craft beers).

 

instead, look for the sierra harvest or celebration next time. much more hops! beer advocate says the harder to find 20th st ale is also very hoppy, i dk it so i'm looking forward to trying that one tonight at the sierra event, so we'll see.

 

i think sierra sells mixed six packs, those are always nice ways to try a range of new stuff from one brewery. now if only i could get me a 'lil mixed sixpack from great lakes out here....they keep promising me they are getting beer to nyc but they lie!!!! awgh.

 

 

if you like hoppy sierra nevada is a good one that is easy to find and sometimes you can find their more rare styles too. for example celebration is dark and dry-hopped, which is tasty on a cold day

 

I'm not a hippie

 

west coast beers in general are well known for being super hoppy. if you like that style you cant avoid them all forever!

 

in the harry buffalo before cavs game last night, there was some good news.

 

1.  all dortmunder drafts are 2.50 until sold out.

2.  christmas ale is replacing dortmunder on draft, and there are FREE drafts on thursday from 5-7p.  i don't know if it will be a free for all or a sort of thing where you can get 1 ticket, good for one free christmas ale.  could make a nice stop after work downtown though.

MayDay, I will be doing my homework on Christmas Ale from now until February so we will definitely have a lot of notes to compare.  Also, since you're a hophead, I would recommend you come to Berea and try the Cornerstone Brewing Company's "7".  It's a VERY hoppy IPA and most people don't like it because the hops are so strong.  It's not quite as smoothe as the Lake Erie Monster, but ti knocks you on your ass just as quickly.  The Cornerstone has great beer in general, and Berea is an inner ring suburb right?  So, it wouldn't be too bad to pay the place a visit.  :)

^You're not the first to recommend Cornerstone, and while I like my beer dollars to go to the city proper, I'm willing to try the new spots. :)

They may have good beer, but I'm not going out to Berea anytime soon.

i don't even know where berea is.

 

but you can't spell "a beer" without "berea"

 

I should work for the DDA

^ sweet. you could write hip-hop jams too.

will you be my agent?

sure thing, me & diddy arelikethis.

sure thing, me & diddy arelikethis.

 

ummm...so you put the hit out on Fabolous   LOL  :shoot:

Out of all the local Cleveland Brews, I would say that the Crooked River Yuletide Ale is one of the best.

 

Edit: I see that this is currently being brewed in Maryland?

 

What is up with that?

I swear Berea isn't that bad...I'm stuck here because of school otherwise I'd be living in the city I swear...please don't ostricize...I swear I can walk and bike everywhere and The Shoppe is pretty kick ass.  I'm a music major so I can help write the music for the hip-hop jams, it might be overly pretentious and end up sounding like Sujan Stevens or Zappa minus the creativity and smug sense of self satisfaction.  Oh, I forgot to say I swear again.

I love Sufjan! 

 

Peter,

 

You are either a solution to the problem or are part of the problem. Leave your suburban roots and join the glorious revolution! ;)  But seriously though, you will be judged at the pearly gates based on your domicile.

I'm not too fond of beer.  The only kind I can stand is Heineken (for some reason, I may never know why).  But whille in Hawaii, I fell for the Lilikoi Wheat Ale from Kona Brewing Company!

Haha, and yes Sufjan is awesome.  I don't feel as guilty living in Berea as I would in most other suburbs.  If you think about it, I'm only 2 miles outside of the Cleveland border, and the only city service Berea uses is the RTA...we have metroparks too, but everything else is autonomous including the water.  Plus, you don't need to own a car here, and all of the houses were built in the mid 19th century.  Don't hate me because of where I live, all I've ever wanted was to be accepted by everyone, to get into heaven, and to one day live in a society where we can all divirce our wives by walking backwards around a table (god, I hope someone gets that reference).  Anyway, Christmas Ale is awesome...I actually have a friend whose uncle used to send him care oackages of various microbrewed holiday ales, and my buddy sent his uncle a Christmas Ale.  The next care package he got back from his uncle was a note reading "That was the best Christmas Ale I've ever had".  Yet another reason why Cleveland rocks.

"The only kind I can stand is Heineken (for some reason, I may never know why)."

 

By chance do you enjoy drinking carbonated water?

 

I used to be a strictly vodka drinker and one day a friend took me to Great Lakes Brewing and she said - "try this beer with this food" - and I got it. Thankfully I no longer need a brat platter to drink beer, but you get the idea. I like hoppy floral beers that strip your palette (like vodka). If you like fruity cocktails, try Holy Moses. I truly believe that if I can be converted, anyone can - beer wise that is.

I am very excited that I happened on Great Lakes Burning River at my little neighborhood bodega tonight.  They don't have a very big selection of distinctive regional beer at all, so I was shocked to see it.  GLBC varieties are pretty easy to find here in Chicago at the larger stores and some bars on tap that specialize in good beer...but it really must be becoming a pretty big name if I can find it at this dumpy store by my house.  Of course I'll have to get to a liquor superstore to get the seasonal one and try it...which I need to do after reading this thread!

MayDay and hopheads- try the Hippie IPA by Buckeye Brewing Co...on a sidenote I heard Buckeye Brewery is going to move to the near west side- Great Lakes and Buckeye within walking distance will call for some serious hangovers. For an incredible IPA you must try the Dreadnaught by Three Floyds, I think it only comes in the 22oz bottles, its really hopped.

Cheers to Christmas Ale!

 

WHAAAAAAAA? Buckeye on the near west side?? If you are toying with me I will find out who you are and hunt you down and...

 

I loved the place in Bedford when I lived on the east side...but even from the east side it was too far to drive and have more than a beer or so. And I never think the takeaway bottles are as good as tap.  I loved their Martzen (SP). That place was a lot of fun, loads of character .  I had heard it sold but was going to move way south or west, out of the Peabody Zone. Near West Side you say...let me clarify, you mean Cleveland right? please mean Cleveland

P.S Christmas Ales at GLBC rocks. A lot of their beers are not my favorite in their category, but no one tops the XMAS ale.

P.P.S. Hippy IPA is really hoppy, more like nostferostu (yeah I know I butchered the spelling) than burning River IMO. I don't like any of them. Not a hop head.

This whole thread has had me thinking about Xmas ale a lot over the past few days. I tried to order one last night at the OC wine bar (I already ordered one glass of wine). The server gave me the dirtiest look.

could it be b/c the market square giant GLBC is taking over the lease once it ends and the wine bar is no more? I am not one to gossip but that is what I heard...

 

By chance do you enjoy drinking carbonated water?

 

 

 

Honestly, I do (that Club Soda stuff)!!! :)

MayDay and hopheads- try the Hippie IPA by Buckeye Brewing Co...on a sidenote I heard Buckeye Brewery is going to move to the near west side- Great Lakes and Buckeye within walking distance will call for some serious hangovers.

 

Ok- so this place is not on the near west side...but on Madison Ave in Lakewood. Its the Beer Engine! And OMG its amazing- the Buckeye Spirit of 76 is on cask!! Also, a pretty large amount of non-Buckeye brews on draft.

TCjoe I was reading your foot note, Heismann invented the forward pass and was born on Bridge Avenue in Ohio City (CLE).  Did he go to school in the Firelands? 

I'm not too fond of beer.  The only kind I can stand is Heineken (for some reason, I may never know why).  But whille in Hawaii, I fell for the Lilikoi Wheat Ale from Kona Brewing Company!

 

I call that "situational" good beer. I mean every beer tastes good in Kona.  I was just there in Jan (at the brewing co) I really tried to ask myself if the beer was really that good or I was it that I was in HI drinking it. I personally concluded I was in HI... If you think you like wheat beers you can get some local Cleveland made wheats that are even better, albiet in less balmy settings!

MayDay and hopheads- try the Hippie IPA by Buckeye Brewing Co...on a sidenote I heard Buckeye Brewery is going to move to the near west side- Great Lakes and Buckeye within walking distance will call for some serious hangovers.

 

Ok- so this place is not on the near west side...but on Madison Ave in Lakewood. Its the Beer Engine! And OMG its amazing- the Buckeye Spirit of 76 is on cask!! Also, a pretty large amount of non-Buckeye brews on draft.

I am disgustingly jealous of Lakewood right now...at one time the  brumor mill was spinning that this would be in OC..stupid inner ring suburb! (say that part in homer simpson voice)

Ummm...I resurrected this thread because as of Saturday...The Christmas Ale has landed...ellipses...

How is this years batch? Some years it is intoxicating and beguiling, others like aunties fruit cake and gives you a headache and stomache

I just took my first sip, and I must say that it has a very different character than last year.  I feel like the brewing in 2008 has gotten BETTER at Great Lakes, and this is no exception.  All of the different flavors are much more pronounced, especially the honey and cinnamon.  Very similar to what I had in 2005.  This is great stuff indeed!

Heaven on Earth.

Sounds great.  Great Lakes.  The Octoberfest they made this year was the best beer I've ever had from them, and one of my new all time favorites.

^Agreed, the GL Oktoberfest this year was much better than last years.

 

I drank 3 Xmas Ales on saturday night (along with a Dort and a few Stellas at Beir Markt) and I slept until 2pm the next morning, fully clothed from the night before.  That Christmas Ale is trouble this year.  I still don't feel right.