Beer Spotlight!

Our Christmas Beers

You have Christmas (and/or other holidays); we have Christmas beers (that don’t care when they’re enjoyed). It’s a match made in Market St. Wine! Here’s a rundown of this year’s carefully selected holiday brews — a joyous collection of favorites and newcomers (just like how momma used to populate her parties).

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

$14.99 for the 12oz bottle six-pack
Winter Warmer with Honey, Cinnamon, and Ginger

Great Lakes side-steps winter beer tradition by not boarding the expected Spice Train. Instead, they’re gonna tell us what we want, what we really, really want and flavor this winter warmer with honey, cinnamon, and ginger. It’s a subtle mix that gently sits against just a breath of sweetness from the malt and the honey, giving you the winter beer that is special enough for the season without tasting like it fell off your spice rack.

Anchor Christmas Ale 2022

$12.99 for the 12oz bottle six-pack
Winter Warmer

Anchor changes the recipe for this winter warmer every year. So, the question is always, “What’s this year’s Anchor Christmas like?” Short answer? It’s different from many past year’s. Gone are the caramel notes. (Some of us got cinnamon; some of us didn’t.) In their place is a light-bodied beer with a fruit-like malt reminiscent of dry dates. However, unexpectedly, it’s the hops that stand out here. It’s not like it’s an IPA or anything like that, but the hops are a vibrant presence all through the beer and especially on the finish. It’s the most “beer” tasting Anchor Christmas Ale in years.

Val-Dieu Winter Ale

$11.99 for the 750ml bottle
Belgian Blonde Ale with Port

Made by monks for us chumps, the Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu Winter Ale is a quintessential Belgian Christmas Ale. Medium-bodied and sweet, look for caramel and fruit notes of the malt and enjoy the slight notes of added Port around the edges. Serve this beer at your holiday parties only if you want to risk your guests spontaneously using the word “wassail.”

Brouwerij de Halve Maan Straffe Hendrick XMas Blend

$15.99 for the 750ml bottle
Oak barrel-aged Blended Quadrupel

Delightful! Halve Maan has blended their Quadrupel that they have aged in oak barrels with younger, non-barrel-aged versions of itself. Doing thus, they have fattened the flavor and shaved off the fruity edges of the Quad. You’re left with a smooth, rich brew with wintery depth — the perfect beer to sip beside your fire with a blanket, a book, and a pet curled up in your lap.

Hardywood Park Gingerbread Stout

$15.99 for the 16oz can four-pack
Imperial Milk Stout with Honey and Ginger

What need we say? The local classic is still as classic, still as local, and still as good as it ever was. Santa can keep his cookies and milk. We’ll take the Richmond gingerbread cookie that you can pour.