You didn’t think I could compile a list like this, and not include a Laughing Ass offering, did you?

Here’s my winter warmer for 2004. The inspiration for this beer was as a reprise of my first holiday beer, brewed in 1994. For my 10th aniversary beer, I was trying for a beer that has enough maltiness to support a 7% abv, and still leave enough room for the spices of the season to shine through.

The spice bill in this beer is a variation of my regular beer spices: ginger (both crystallized and ground), cinnamon sticks, coriander (of course!) and brown sugar. As of now, the ginger and cinnamon are the most prominent aromas, but the coriander always adds a subtle almost imperceptible complexity to any beer it’s in. The molasses in the dark brown sugar adds some more depth to the beer’s amber malt flavors.

The reviews so far are good. One taster drank his bottle warm (10 demerits for doing that), but said the beer’s complexity was good even at room tempterature. He even said his non-beer-drinking wife liked it. Another taster called it “another crowd pleaser” and asked for more. I’ll be serving it on tap through New Year’s Day (unless it disappears more quickly), for those of you who know where to find me.

I hope you’ve been inspired to try tried one or more of these 12 fine beers. Feel free to let me know what you thought of them!

One of my favorite Trappist beers is also a good one for holiday celebrations — Westmalle Dubbel.

I remember this beer fondly from my travels in Belgium. During my first trip there, I attempted to try all of the Trappist beers I could find. Some (Westvleteren primarily) are scarce, but this one was almost everywhere. Since most restaurants served it, I had many first-hand chances to try it.

This is a great example of a food-friendly beer. It has a number of interesting flavors in it that play well with food: carmelized sugars, dark fruit, roasted malts and citrusy/vinegary aromas to name a few. I’ve had it with beef stew (commonplace in Belgium), bleu cheese covered burgers and London broil — this beer is exceptional with almost anything with beef in it. The abundance of flavors that unfold with each passing taste also makes it a great sipping beer.

You like your beers strong and spicy? You might consider giving this one a taste.

I first discovered this beer on one of my trips to western Belgium, back in 1998. Tasting it in a small pub in Bruges, I remember it being a torrent of maltiness and dark fruit. Complex. Spicy. Juicy. Yummy.

Fast-forward to 2004, when I can pick up a 750ml bottle from my local bottle shop for around $10. Popping one open with a friend last night after running some elfin errands, we discussed our impressions.

We poured them into red wine glasses, and a tan mousse-like head sat atop this 10% abv butt kicker of a brew. It dissipated quickly, giving way to an aggressive aroma. I noticed the alcohol before the rest of the clove and cinnamon spiciness, but was not scared off by this warning flare. The body was drier than I remembered, but still had a distinctive dark fruit character. Plums? Yes. Raisins? Definitely. Figs? Perhaps.

This one will stand up to the average holiday buffet of noshables and makes a dandy sipping beer as well. With its screen-printed and corked presentation, the 750ml bottle also makes a nice gift option.

Until now I’ve been presenting beers on their own merits. Today’s selection is a suggestion for pairing with an upcoming holday meal.

Hennepin Ale is brewed by Brewery Ommegang in upstate New York. It is a farmhouse style ale in the saison tradition. Saisons are brewed primarily in the rural regions of southern Belgium and northern France and are known for their spicy, earthy chracteristics. It is exactly these characteristics that make it able partner for almost any meal.

When poured, Hennepin is a deep gold colored ale with a pillowy white head. The aroma is quite spicy — white pepper, coriander and ginger come to mind — and inviting. The first sip is an explosion of spicy hoppiness, malty body and spritzy carbonation. The 7.5% abv is not readily apparent, but provides the backbone necessary to work its food-pairing magic. As you work through the rest of the glass, it continues to ride the delicate balance of complementing the meal and refreshing the palette.

It is indeed a versatile brew: strong enough for a rich meal, yet refreshing enough to sip on your deck during summer. It’s also one of my favorites for introducing my wine-drinking friends to the world of quality beers. And at $5.50 per 750ml bottle, it is also a great value.

If you see a screen-printed 22-ounce bottle in your package store, chances are it is a Rogue beer. With Santa hoisting a frothy beer mug, this one jumps right off the shelf at you: Santa’s Private Reserve (SPR).

This is Rogue’s annual holiday beer, and is a variation of their Saint Rogue Red. It is said to have double the hops, including chinook and centennial (which explains the sprucey nose and finish in this beer). Other ingredients include Munich, Hugh Baird, carastan, and crystal malts. The malt backbone for this beer leans to the sweet side (caramel and some toffee flavors) and provides a springboard for the aforementioned evergreen hop presence. Rogue claims this beer has 60 IBUs, and I thought you could taste almost every one of them.

SPR finishes with a lingering hop flavor, and would be great with spicy foods, like General Tso’s chicken or a dry-rubbed pork roast.