12 Beers of Christmas: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Posted at 8:37 am by Patrick under 12 Beers of Christmas

This marks the first holiday in Georgia where we can legally enjoy strong beers. In the spirit of the holidays, it seems appropriate to craft a list of 12 beers that are new to the Georgia market and are great for holiday celebrating. I’ll post a beer for each of the next 12 days, and I hope you enjoy trying some or all of them this winter.

With no further ado, the first of my 12 Beers of Christmas: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

This beer is one of the original winter warmers. An India Pale Ale by style, this 6.8% abv bottle delivers a hoppy punch that is well supported by a malty backbone — could be the dextrin malt they add to the grist that gives it some residual sweetness. Since it’s dry-hopped with a blend of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops, you can bet it will have notes of pine tar, grapefruit and some spiciness.

With it’s massive hop character, this beer won’t be at the top of the list for converting a Bud/Miller/Coors drinker to craft beers. But it has the ability to make a tedious holiday party more tolerable. Foodwise, this beer would make an interesting match for a spicy thai curry dish or a grilled chicken salad garnished with orange and walnuts.

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