We brought you an early peek at this beer, and now the full release details from Anchor Brewing:
Sold only from early November to mid-January, Christmas Ale's recipe is different every year, as is the tree on the label, but the intent with which Anchor offers it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. With a heavily guarded secret recipe, Christmas Ale is a highly anticipated seasonal brew, complex and full in flavor with a velvety texture and alluring, yet subtle spiced aroma.
"This year, we took a less-is-more approach to the Christmas Ale recipe, using fewer ingredients that can really shine through," said Anchor Brewmaster Mark Carpenter. "With fewer secret spices, this year's Christmas Ale is a nod to early Christmas Ale recipes when the malt flavors were more pronounced. As a result, the beer has fruity and roasted malt notes accompanied by a Christmas tree aroma and smooth, chocolate-like texture. The 2015 Christmas is one to remember and we are thrilled to continue to entice beer fans with its ever-changing recipe and label, which we think makes the holidays all the more fun!"
Along with an evolving recipe, Christmas Ale portrays a new label every year. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. The tree depicted on the 2015 Christmas Ale is the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara), better known as the California Christmas Tree. Native of the Himalayas, it takes its name from the ancient Sanskrit devad?ru, meaning timber of the gods. This coniferous evergreen, with its gracefully droopy branches and blue-green needles, has been a San Francisco favorite for over 150 years. The tree on this year's label was hand-drawn by Bay Area artist James Stitt, who has been creating Christmas Ale labels since 1975. His charming illustration of the Deodar Cedar evokes the radiant beauty of Anchor Brewing's arboreal neighbors as well as the spirit of the season.
Christmas Ale is available in 6-packs and impressive gold-foiled magnum bottles, as well as on draught in select bars and restaurants including the Anchor Brewing Taproom and Anchor Beer Garden at The Yard in San Francisco.
For more information on the history of Anchor Christmas Ale, please watch the following video: Anchor Christmas Ale Video. Find a brew near you using the Anchor Beer Finder.
Sounds good...now if they'd just eliminate the spices altogether and make a good, solid traditional winter warmer like they originally did, they'd be on to something.
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