Each year during the holiday season, the WILK Friday BeerBuzz team creates a very special holiday gift. Since nothing says Christmas like over-extending yourself, each year we dive in to a 1-hour 4-segment holiday spectacular and each year we present this special program on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
Since this is our third annual holiday spectacular we decided to go big with multiple beers, multiple guests, food, video and even the triumphant return of our patented beer-cam. For this years show we invited Chef Kate Gabriel from the Rustic Kitchen at the Mohegan Sun casino, we invited Jaime Jurado & Fred Maier from Susquehanna Brewing to premier a new beer and to round that all out we added in admitted beer-pragmatist WNEP weatherman Joe Snedeker. Of course we insist everyone stays for all four segments and helps us sample each beer so be sure to tune in to the video and see how this all works out. 
For segment # 1 we chose to feature Corsendonk Christmas Ale. This classic Belgian brew was the perfect way to not only sample a great holiday ale, but also pair it with food prepared in the studio by Chef Kate Gabriel. Kate created an amazing Porcini Mushroom Risotto and what's even more amazing is that she did it in the WILK break room. Needless to say the combination of mushrooms, parmesan, spices and herbs was the perfect compliment to the Corsendonk Christmas Ale and Kate was even nice enough to tell us the recipe. It was a lot of fun talking beer & food pairing with Kate and we’ll certainly invite her back again to talk beer and food. Be sure to check out Chef Kate’s website where she offers cooking lessons…she shops, she teaches you how to prepare the menu in your own home and cooks it with you, she cleans up and you eat. Not a bad deal and a wonderful gift too! 
Kate is also working on the military cookbook project…a great project where she is collecting the stories and recipes that our military members miss most from home. Check out the website and submit your stories & recipes to this great project.
Segment # 2 featured a perennial favorite Christmas Ale called Delirium Noel. Coming to us from Brewery Huyghe in Melle Belgium, this classic brew celebrates the season with a robust Belgian dark ale. Delirium features the pink elephant which according to them is one of their “states of mind” of Delirium and after seeing the alligator, dragon, and Hitchcock birds…I’ll take the Elephant. Delirium Noel is 10% ABV and is a holiday beer you must try for yourself. Dating back to 1650 and recently celebrating their 350th Anniversary, Brewery Huyghe makes some amazing beers, and if you’re ever in Brussels, be sure to check out the HUGE selection of beers at the Delirium Café. 
For segment # 3 I selfishly chose to feature one of my all-time favorite holiday beers…Brasserie Dupont Avec les bons Voueux. This specialty seasonal Saison starts with a classic Saison style and bumps it up to make a very special 9.5% ABV holiday Saison. Dupont is know for making one of the best Saisons in the world, so it is no surprise that their holiday beer is extra special. Avec les bons Voueux translates to “With best wishes” as this beer was originally a specialty brew given to clients, customers and family members at the brewery. With increasing demand, Dupont decided to make it available to the world and we’re thankful they did. Known for having an amazing and secretive yeast strain, Dupont is believed to use several strains of yeast for primary & secondary fermentation as well as a 3rd strain for their bottle-conditioning. Try this beer and see for yourself why Dupont makes some of the best beers in the world. 
For segment 4, Jaime Jurado and Fred Maier from Susquehanna Brewing Co joined us to sample three different SBC beers. We all enjoyed their Pils Noir, regarded as the world’s only jet black pilsner-style beer. This beer is infinitely drinkable and the play of beer color and beer style will leave you wanting to try more and more. Next up Jaime was nice enough to bring us some of SBC’s fresh-hop beer called Centennial Helles. This beer uses Centennial Hops in the brewery’s hopjack to impart a wonderful hoppy flavor into this traditional Helles-style beer. I really liked this harvest beer and I look forward to trying it again. As a special surprise, Jaime and Fred were nice enough to share with us a new beer with the premier of Susquehanna Brewing Co Hopfive IPA. Keep in mind this program was recorded in early December, and while Hopfive is available now, we were lucky enough to try a pre-release sample on the show. Coming in at 6% ABV and using 5 hop varieties, this is a tasty IPA and one I think will become an SBC best-seller.
To add to the fun, we invited in our pal and WNEP weather-dude Joe Snedeker. Joe will admit that beer is just beer to him and a means to an end more than anything, so we had our hands full trying to convince him beer can be something more. Joe was a really good sport as he sampled all of our beers, kept an open mind and gave us his honest opinions as we sampled each. In the end I’m not sure we won him over as a craft beer convert, but rest assured we’ll certainly keep trying. 
Thank you to Mrs. BeerBuzz, Karel Zubris, Jaime Jurado, Fred Maier, Chef Kate Gabriel, Joe Snedeker, Jacob, Nancy, & John for an amazing holiday show experience
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The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.
As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE. 
As a bonus, here’s a peek t the studio at the end of our hour-long show. You do the math…9 people, 6 beers, food and glassware….whew!
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