12 Beers of Christmas: Sweetwater Festive Ale

Posted by Patrick under 12 Beers of Christmas

Next on the holiday hit parade is Atlanta’s only locally-produced holiday beer: Sweetwater Festive Ale.

I’ve been enjoying this beer annually since 1999, and it never disappoints. Festive Ale is a dark-colored spiced beer, weighing in at 8.6% abv. It has a very viscous mouthfeel higlighted by the roasty flavors of the brew’s dark malts. While not hoppy, this beer has a pronounced and pleasant spiciness from a blend of cinnamon and mace used in the brewing process. It seems that the recipe’s spice mix had changed from year to year in the past, but they may have found a recipe that will stick for a while.

It is a limited edition beer, though. It is brewed one day a year, and tends to be available through January or so. It comes on 6-packs or 1 liter swing-top bottles. I’ve always found the 1 liter bottles great for taking to parties, as they have high presentation value. And, as a home brewer, I clean/de-label them after use and package my own beers in them (great for bringing to dinner parties).