Beer for the Christmas Table

[Wittenden]

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so a fruity red will be drunk, but beer will be available at all times for all comers.At the moment, my personal stash includes Westerham Viceroy IPA and Old Dairy Black Bull Porter,with Old Dairy Tsar Top reserved for Christmas Eve. i'm also contemplating Hepworth Prospect Pale Ale, to go with the cold cuts on Boxing Day.
Oh yes, I used Old Brewery Dark Side of the Moo in the Christmas Pud.
What are fellow scribes' plans?

[PaulOfHorsham]

Well, I'm collecting 17 pints of Hophead on Saturday - it's a Christmas tradition you know (in this house at least)!

[gillhalfpint]

We will be sampling Belgian beers where you get different beers with each course, and Christmas dinner will be in a brewery over the border in Holland. Plus one or 2 beer cafe's in Brugges and around the locality of course.

Happy Christmas!!

[Thuck Phat]

Great thread.
Marble Lagonda IPA to keep the chef's thirst at bay.
Same as Mr Wittenden, fat red with main.
Titanic Plum Porter with Christmas pudding.
Hart 1833 IPA with cheese.
And as an added extra, I've discovered that Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla Stout makes a superb mulled ale when gently warmed with a slug of brandy, a generous teaspoon of honey, a couple of cloves and a grating of nutmeg. Really Christmasy and seems to be something of a hit with Mrs TP and chums.

[gillhalfpint]

Great thread.
Marble Lagonda IPA to keep the chef's thirst at bay.
Same as Mr Wittenden, fat red with main.
Titanic Plum Porter with Christmas pudding.
Hart 1833 IPA with cheese.
And as an added extra, I've discovered that Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla Stout makes a superb mulled ale when gently warmed with a slug of brandy, a generous teaspoon of honey, a couple of cloves and a grating of nutmeg. Really Christmasy and seems to be something of a hit with Mrs TP and chums.

Drooling .. .. .. .. !!

[Farway]

Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer would be my choice, but I will be over my daughter's house, so reliant on son in laws choice

[Aqualung]

Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer would be my choice, but I will be over my daughter's house, so reliant on son in laws choice

Have you tried the Ginger Grouse brewed by the makers of Grouse Whisky? They were knocking it out for £1.50 in Morrisons so I tried a couple. It's golden in colour and although it's on the sweet side not oppressively so. It has a hint of whisky in the background. It was around a month ago I saw them so I don't know if they will still be available.

[Al 10000]

40 pints of Nottingham Rock Bitter collected from the brewery on Tuesday is cooling down in my cellar,should have about 60 pints of home brewed mild ready for Christmas day,but a bit dissapointed that i could not do any beer in barrels this year,too hard to carry when i needed to.

I have decent amount of single malts down the cellar,i will no doubt have a Balvenie Double Wood,plus try one of my older malts,St Magdalen bottled 1983,i have had this since 1984.

I dont drink wine,but the wife will drink loads of it along with my home brewed mild.

[oldboots]

I have around 50 bottles of Belgian, German, American and British beers lurking under the stairs and chilling in my garage, not sure what will be drunk on Christmas Day itself depends on what's left by then. I suspect I will try some of that beer & food matching and have a Saltaire Triplechocoholic with the pudding, now what does Orval go with?

[ETA]

... not sure what will be drunk on Christmas Day...

I intend to be!

[aleandhearty]

Paul of Horsham did a similar thread to this back in 2010. On it 'oldboots' mentioned that a blogger rated Chimay Blue with turkey. I was actually quite sceptical at the time, but tried it as a chaser with some big hitting red wines. Have to say it really held its own. Will be doing the same again this year.

[london calling]

I will be drinking local beers from Nottinghill and Weird Beard .Got them in a local cheese shop but at 4 x 500ml for £12.20 they will be a one off Christmas treat.

[Farway]

Have you tried the Ginger Grouse brewed by the makers of Grouse Whisky? They were knocking it out for £1.50 in Morrisons so I tried a couple. It's golden in colour and although it's on the sweet side not oppressively so. It has a hint of whisky in the background. It was around a month ago I saw them so I don't know if they will still be available.


Thanks, I will have a look for availability before Christmas

[Mobyduck]

A couple of bottles of Sheps Bishops Finger went down nicely with dinner.

[london calling]

As I drank a couple of my beers before the off I picked up a couple from Sainsburys. Old Tom not a beer I would normally pick as its not my preferred style.Wow what a top beer.Robinsons who are on my shit list of breweries have just move up a few places.

[Wittenden]

As I drank a couple of my beers before the off I picked up a couple from Sainsburys. Old Tom not a beer I would normally pick as its not my preferred style.Wow what a top beer.Robinsons who are on my shit list of breweries have just move up a few places.

Had draught OT a few years' back, and saw the bottled form in my local vineyard, but resisted temptation:will have to go back and try it!

[Aqualung]

As I drank a couple of my beers before the off I picked up a couple from Sainsburys. Old Tom not a beer I would normally pick as its not my preferred style.Wow what a top beer.Robinsons who are on my shit list of breweries have just move up a few places.

I've been drinking Old Tom when I can find it for the best part of forty years. In my opinion it hasn't changed one bit other than I've not seen a barrel of it perched on a bar for decades, and the draught quality is all the better for it. I have to applaud Robinson's for not knocking the ABV down to 7.5% to avoid the ridiculous "Park Bench" duty hike.

Despite the duty hike my local ASDA has been doing four 330cl bottles for a fiver, although this year I have been tempted away by the Fuller's Wild River.
I still rate Robbie's Best (now Unicorn Bitter) as a great beer but I was dismayed to see their Double Hop (formerly Frederic's) being watered down to 4.8%. Their seasonal beers used to be rubbish, but one I tried last Spring called Hoptimus was superb.

[Al 10000]

Ive been in over 300 Robinsons tied houses,so that say what i think of the brewery,i have always enjoyed drinking Robinsons bitter.

Old Tom is a cracking barley wine that me and the wife drink in bottle form quite a bit,the barelled version is even better,the Sycamore at Parwich usually has it perched on the bar,i have even seen it here in late April,but still just has good.

[ETA]

Belated reply - as we were in Germany for Christmas, it has been a real fest of Paderborner Alt (from the local brewery), Hefeweizen and various biers 'vom Faß'. Wishing evryone a very Beery Chrstmas, and see you in the New Beer.

[gillhalfpint]

Back in UK after a wonderful beery Christmas break.
22 Dec on route to Chelmsford - Cambridge brewery - Evolution - Rother Valley - Crafty beers - Dropping Well.

23 Dec - Dupont - Cazeau - Val Dieu - Van Den Bossche - 6 from De Leite brewery - 3 from Fort Lapin brewery - Halve Maan.

24 Dec - 2 from Dilewens brewery - Bosteels - Dupont.

25 Dec - 6 from Emelisse brewery - Van Steenberge - Achouffe.

26 Dec - 1 from Strubbe brewery - Sint Bernard - Lefebvre - Boerinneken - Haacht - Van Den Bossch - Papegaei - Kasseileggersbier - Henricus Paljus - Proef Basilius - Bryggia.

27 Dec - 1 from Toye brewery - Rochefort - Van Honsebrouck - Deugneit - Zwijntje - Slaapmutske Christmas - Leroy Christmas.

Lot of fun finding new beers to try from these various breweries. Names down for next year!!

[Aqualung]

Ive been in over 300 Robinsons tied houses.

That's getting close to the full set! I bet the gaps are mostly in North Wales.

[Al 10000]

That's getting close to the full set! I bet the gaps are mostly in North Wales.

Yes you are spot on,they have quite a few pubs on Anglesey,i have only done one Robinson house in Wales and that one closed years ago.