As New Year’s Eve approaches, it is a time to reflect upon the past and a time to look ahead to a bright, shiny 2018 and a few new beers to share with friends as the festivities go on. While there are many options out there to fill the midnight toast on New Year’s Eve, 2017’s end asks to be toasted with the complex flavors that beer can provide along with some of the many food flavors that beer can enhance or play along with. While 2017 may be coming to an end, the flavorful journey into beer is just beginning.
Here are a few new beers to try with the end of 2017:
Terrapin Beer Company’s Moo-tella (8.5% ABV): Athens, Georgia’s Terrapin Beer Company has had a longstanding relationship with Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Company, and this beer illustrates what a beautiful friendship can taste like. Moo-tella blends an imperial stout from Terrapin with hazelnuts and chocolate from the chocolatier to create a decadent treat that “you’ll wish you could eat with a spoon.” This beer is a limited release from the brewery and is only available for a limited time. To get more cheer out of the beer, try it with a decadent aged gouda or with a slice of poundcake.
Chimay Brewery’s Grande Reserve (Blue) (9% ABV): One of the gold standards of Belgian brewing, the monks of Scourmont Abbey make the beers under the Chimay label with the utmost care. Both dark and sweet with layers of compexity, Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) is the dictionary definition of a Belgian Quadruple. This beer uses dark malts for flavors of caramel and sugary sweetness that improves with age and changes as it gets warm. To get more cheer out of this beer, try it with a chunk of Chimay Blue cheese or with some fudge.
Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Celebration Ale (6.8% ABV): This seasonal beer has been Sierra Nevada Brewing’s holiday favorite since 1981, and its recipe is a classic. Using hops at the height of freshness after harvest season, this IPA starts to surface after Halloween and hopefully sticks around into the New Year. With an intense pine and citrus aroma followed by a taste of caramel malt with that pine and citrus, Celebration Ale is a Christmas present to hop lovers with the freshest hops brewed to be bold. To get more cheer out of this beer, try it with roast turkey and dressing or some Manchego cheese.
21st Amendment Brewery’s Fireside Chat (7.9% ABV): A beer full of warmth and spices, 21st Amendment Brewery’s Fireside Chat is a “subtle twist on a traditional seasonal beer.” This deep, ruby brown ale features cocoa nibs and spices to give a beer that should be shared around a warm fire or fireplace. Great for pairing with darker flavors or simply enjoying on its own, Fireside Chat will give all of its goodness in the glass with or without a fire. To get more cheer out of this beer, try it with roasted chestnuts or cheesecake.
New Belgium Brewing’s French Oak Saison (7.5% ABV): New Belgium Brewing loves to dry on the Old World brewing traditions of Belgium, and this oak-aged saison illustrates just that. Drawing from several regions of Belgian brewing tradition, this beer blends a golden ale with a saison and then sours it in French oak wine barrels for 15-18 months, yielding a “rustic, goldenrod yellow saison offering pleasant lemon and white grape aromas and a bright, mouthwatering sourness with a clean, dry finish.” To get more cheer out of this beer, try it with pad thai noodles or fresh mussels.
As 2017 is fading into the sunset, several of these beers are as well. Several of them are seasonal beers, which means that they are here today and gone tomorrow. Take a stroll over to our Beer Finder, and search by brewery for retailers of these fine beers.
This New Year, may your glass be filled with flavorful beer, and may the your table be filled with cheerful friends. From our Team to your family, we wish you a very Happy New Year. Cheers!
