Christmas Ale? 🍻

[SaraHoliday]

Has anyone seen any Christmas Ale in store yet?

I don't want to buy online as I need a range of different ones for the men in my life! 😄

I'm hoping to buy some with festive names similar to previous years:

Rosey Nosey
Lump of Coal
Blitzen

But I need quite a few different ones!

Also, about 5 years ago (I know!) there was an ale in a heavy clay bottle - any ideas?

I can travel to virtually any supermarket.

🍻

Winter ale (and cider) is in ocado. Are you near any breweries? I love going direct to source.
Id guess the clay bottle is perhaps a Belgian dubbel of some sort?

I am near to a few breweries but they don't sell mixed cases of Christmas ales.

I'll try a farm shop at the weekend as I'm sure they had a few unusual ones a few years back.

I might just be 'too early' this year!

I'll have a look at a 'Belgian dubbel'; this might as well be a foreign language to me! 😄

I suspect you are a smidge early as haven’t yet seen many around and about. Could you maybe mix and match your own case for someone?
btw do the recipients like winter ales? I love stouts, porters and red ales (usually favoured at Xmas) but DH would much prefer IPAs and lagers…

Yes that's what I try to do. 🤞

This year I have Christmas beer bottle holders to fill. Ideally, I wanted to make a 'Beer Advent Calendar' but it's proving problematic.

So!

4 holders. 6 bottles per holder.

I'm going to 'attempt' to find all different 'festive' ones but if I have to duplicate a couple, I'm ok with that.

I did look at making a personalised 'beer advent calendar' but I can't find anything the correct size for a bottle to lay flat. I was thinking of a wooden or plastic container that could be stood upright like a traditional advent calendar, then thick paper to cover the front to be pushed through to retrieve the bottle.

I probably haven't explained that very well!

Sounds good!
I get what you mean but I think beers are best stored upright. Take a normal box and add a little panel / cover over the top?

This sort of thing but I suppose I could try to section a box the other way actually? 🤔

The problem is it being sturdy enough for so many bottles.

You could try checking Trembling Madness online. It has a good range once they start appearing but I suspect you may be a little early yet, it is likely Oktoberfest beers right now.

They do nationwide delivery and glassware too if you wanted to add one to your calendars.

Just saw you said you didn't want to buy online but still worth a look as lots will come up.

https://adnams.co.uk/products/12x440ml-adnams-yuletide4-5

From near me and very nice

I happen to know one of my local breweries is brewing now for Christmas because they posted about it. They bottle in house so doubt they have any ready yet

Are you going to put 24 or 25 beers in the calendar? Lots of ideas online with people stacking tubes horizontally in the shape of a tree. It looks pretty cool. You can put snacks or a glass in some sections if you run out of beers.

I might be a bit overly invested as I love a good beer advent calendar 😁

That's a good idea! So parcel tubes glued together?

Yes I was thinking 24 bottles.

I wouldn't have to cover them either as I could just decorate the lids with numbers then embellish the sides of the tubes that show.

Genius! Thank you x. ☺️🎄

You're very welcome @SaraHoliday, will you come back and show us your efforts? 😁🍻

I will show you my 'attempt' yes! 😂🍻

@SaraHoliday I look forward to it! 🍻

Still looking for Christmas Ales if anyone spots any!

Anyway, I hit a snag! Parcel tubes vary in diameter and some bottles either don't fit or the tubes are far too long.

BUT

Pringles crisps tubes are perfect 😂

I worked out I needed to eat over 3 tubes a week though from now until the end of November just to make 1 advent! 😂 ....so unfortunately that's not possible!

So the '24-day advent' is now 'The 12 Days of Christmas' advent!

Pringles tubes have been purchased and my work colleagues are enjoying their 'task' 🎄

Brew York always do a few festive beers and they are really good. Cans not bottles but nice artwork and often the names are good puns.

12 days of Christmas is a good shout, I got DH a full beer advent calendar one year and he was still drinking it into February!

Supermarkets will have a selection but somewhere online (like House of Trembling Madness already mentioned) will have much better quality beers. Look out for something 12% abv and chocolatey and dessert sounding for Christmas Eve - my favourite!

Still on the look out for Christmas ales in any supermarkets! Let me know if any are spotted. 🍻

Thanks for the reminder, I'll keep an eye out as I want a few myself 😁

You must be very 'pop'ular with your colleagues at the moment...

I see what you did there! 🤭😉

"Once you pop, you just can't stop!"

Sorry, it was terrible 😩

Made me laugh! My type of humour 😂