December 10th, 2014
31 Beers of December – Day 10: McMenamin’s Kris Kringle Traditional Yuletide Ale
@Dukester @CaptainNeon
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fourth annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.
During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer bloggers. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.
McMenamins Breweries Kris Kringle Traditional Yuletide Ale
Blogger: Duke “Dukester” Geren
Blog Name: Dukester Brews, http://www.dukesterbrews.com
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @Dukester / https://www.facebook.com/duke.geren / @dukenator
About Duke: Director of Hearts and Minds for Bison Organic Beer, Dad, Craft Beer Lover and of all things motorcycle and vintage Volkswagen.
Beer: McMenamins Breweries Kris Kringle Traditional Yuletide Ale
Brewery: McMenamins Breweries Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.mcmenamins.com
Twitter: @CaptainNeon
Beer Details:
-Style: Winter Warmer
-ABV: 6.8%
-IBU: 77
-SRM: 15
-Malts: Pale Ale, Munich, Wheat, 15L & 120L Crystal, Chocolate
-Hops: Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, Perle, Sterling
Commercial Description
Just in time for the holidays, the busy-as-elves McMenamins brewers have created another wonderful gift for your taste buds this holiday season. The 2014 version of Kris Kringle is a hearty and robust ale with a big and bold malt complexity as well as an intense and flavorful hop profile. This “winter warmer” highlights the rich, toasty, aromatic and chocolaty malt flavors as its very sturdy foundation. Generous amounts of five different hop varieties were added in five different additions, which delivers a magnificent and massive hop assault. McMenamins brewers hope you enjoy this years’ version of our old Holiday favorite, Kris Kringle. Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!
Why I selected McMenamins Breweries Kris Kringle Traditional Yuletide Ale
When I first moved to the Northwest many years ago, the McMenamins family of breweries and properties were one of the first that I stumbled upon in what was then Portland’s growing craft beer scene. McMenamins is known for taking over historic and distressed properties and turning them into community gathering places around beer, food, and entertainment as well as cozy and quaint hotels. Their warm and welcoming establishments bring people in year round and offer a wonderful, family friendly environment that makes you want to enjoy some good beer, good food and good company. If you’ve had the opportunity to visit a McMenamins property then you know exactly what I mean.
There are a only a few winter seasonal beers that I look forward to this time of year, and Kris Kringle is definitely one of them. Winter is my favorite time of the year and I look forward to the dark, malty beers that comes with it. Kris Kringle never fails to disappoint with a solid body, full mouthfeel and notes of caramel, chocolate, and some light toffee. The five varieties of hops contribute notes of spice, pine, resin, and some light citrus notes. If there was ever a beer to enjoy while sitting by the fire with good company, then this is definitely one of them. And if you’ve every had a chance to quaff a pint of this great example of a winter warmer by the fire with friends in The Little Red Shed at their Edgefield property, then you will know exactly where I am coming from. Few beers speak to me of the best parts of the winter season like this one does.
About Dukester
I am an unabashed craft beer geek and lover as well as an avid foodie and cook. Over the years I have had the opportunity, living in the Portland area to get deep into our wonder craft beer culture and I am fortunate enough to call many people in industry and community at large, friends. There are some that will say craft beer saved their lives, and I can honestly say that I was fortunate enough to be able to walk away from a job that I lost my love for and find the most amazing community and extended family in the craft beer world.
I am currently employed as the Director of Hearts and Minds for Bison Organic Beer based out of Berkeley, California and work hard to spread the love of organic and sustainable craft beer in the Pacific Northwest. My new and sometimes neglected blog, www.dukesterbrews.com is where I share my thoughts and experiences as I travel this wonderful path and adventure that I wish I would have found much earlier on in life but am thankful that I found all the same.
About McMenamins Breweries
Sure, brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin may have started out with one humble pub back in 1974, but that’s not all we do. Along with brewing beer, distilling spirits, opening hotels and vinting wine, our focus has expanded through the years to include a little bit about this, that and the other. Because why not?
McMenamins has been a neighborhood gathering spot throughout Oregon and Washington since 1983. We handcraft our own beer, wine, cider, spirits and coffee. We offer an eclectic mix of pubs, historic hotels, movie theaters, concert venues, spas, events and just pure fun—join in! For more information about McMenamins check out