Beer Spotlight! 11/27/23

With 2023’s Thanksgiving now the thing of leftovers, we feel comfortable talking about our collection of holiday brews. We start with an old favorite and a true harbinger of the season!

Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA

$11.99 for the 12oz six-pack cans
West Coast-Style Fresh Hop IPA

The yearly hop harvest brings a collection of fresh hop and wet hop IPAs from craft breweries. Such beers have been a phenomenon that Sierra Nevada has long embraced, and this winter release may be the oldest incident of that tradition.

Originally released in 1981, before most current brewmasters were legally able to drink it, the Sierra Nevada Celebration pioneered the IPA made from hops pulled from the trucks, still fresh after having been picked no more than 24 hours before — the idea being that such hops retain precious oils and acids that are lost when they are processed for storage and shipping.

So, yes, the Celebration is about a vibrant hop flavor. Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade are in full effect. However, we think it’s the strength of this beer’s malt character that makes it a recurring holiday favorite. A little touch of candy caramel in the malt rounds out and balances the hops, leaving a bright citrus zest on the edges that builds on the finish.

Don’t be afraid to celebrate the hop harvest and the holiday season now while this beer is fresh. When you’re done, we’ll have more holiday ales that you can use to fill its space in your fridge.

Remember!

You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!