December 17th, 2013
Beer Advent Calendar – Day 16: 2xMas presented by Lisa
@stbcbeer
To celebrate the Holiday Season, 2Beerguys.com and Seacoastbeveragelab.com have teamed up with beer bloggers around the country to host the third annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you. 31 Bloggers Blogging – click here for the running list of beers/bloggers.
Let’s see who is spreading holiday cheer today!
Blogger: Lisa Griffin
Blog Name: 2Beerguys.com
Beer: Southern Tier’s 2XMas Ale
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
Beer Details:
- Style: Double Spiced Ale
- ABV: 8%
Commercial Description:
Swedish flags are a fairly common sight in our part of the country. Holiday parties often have warm concoctions of spices and booze at the ready to knock the ice off of toes while raising spirits. We were inspired by a Glogg party, deciding on the spot to brew a beer that pays tribute to this Nordic tradition. 2xMas Ale combines traditional brewing ingredients with figs, orange peels, cardamon, cinnamon, clove and ginger root. Its a holiday addition to the 2X line and another reason to toast to the season, but unlike Glogg, we recommend serving this one chilled.Food Pairings: Particularly tasty when pairted with sausages, korv, fish, pickled herring, rich cheeses, holiday cookies & cake.
Southern Tier 2xMas. Photo taken by two girls one beer
Why I selected Southern Tier’s 2XMas Ale:
I tried this beer for the first time at Stone’s Public House in Ashland, MA. It was first recommended to me by the staff at Commercial Alley Brews in Porstmouth, NH a couple weeks ago. I could have grabbed some then in a bottle, but I like to sample spiced beers for the first time on draft.
The beautiful ruby color will immediately put you in festive state of mind. And, at 8% ABV, it will definitely keep you warm during the winter. I liked that the carbonation was kept light so all the tingling on my tongue came from the spices and the slight bitterness of the hops.
In my opinion, this is the quintessential holiday brew. It has all those spices that you not only appreciate for their nostalgia inducing flavors, but also the aromas that make the holiday season so special. Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove…each is a potent spice on it’s own, yet they appear together in this brew with orange peel and fig (the orange peel I could only detect in the aroma when I was thinking of it; the spices are fully in front) in a wonderful, harmonious marriage that allows the drinker to experience Christmas in a glass. These spices are perfectly balanced, not one overwhelming on it’s own or in conjunction with the others. The malty backbone of this beer gives a sweet (but not too sweet) base for the spice and reminds me of warm, melty caramel. It has a smooth texture and mouth feel that then gets pleasantly dried up by the spices and hops. What you are left with is only what I can describe as the essence of Christmas. Not just the flavor, but the feeling.
This is one I will go back for several more times, but next time I will sit by the fire at Stone’s Public House to sip it with some apple crisp. If I’m going holiday, I’m going all out. Maybe I’ll invite Ol’ Saint Nick to join me.
Happy holidays!
Cheers and Beers,
Lisa The Hefeweizen Hunny
About 2Beerguys.com:
Founded in 2006, 2Beerguys.com has been devoted to spreading their passion of the craft beer world. Originating primarily as craft beer reviewers, they have molded their organization into premier craft beer educators and ambassadors for craft beer industry. Their passion has taken them on the wild ride of home brewing and beer education.
2Beerguys.com believes that you deserve a good beer, visit http://www.2beerguys.com for more information.
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The Craft Beer Education Series was developed to provide a fun, interactive beer tasting experience. CBES combines general beer education, style-specific education, and an introduction to beer tasting, along with eight tasty beer samples to practice your newly honed skills on! http://www.craftbeereducation.com
About Southern Tier Brewing Company:
Southern Tier Brewing Company is committed to providing delicious, accessible and unique products. In doing so, we aim to change the way people drink beer.
Our mission is to provide our customers with consistently fresh, clean, American craft ales and lagers that stand on their own merit.
A close look at our logo reveals a brewers star. It may be just one diminutive graphic, but it plays a huge role in our brewery. The star represents purity in six crucial facets of our work; water, hops, grain, malt, yeast and brewer. We believe that by maintaining the highest quality possible in these areas, we will produce world-class beverages. For additional information, visit http://www.stbcbeer.com/
