Sailing Santa 2015 Coming Monday, November 16
It's that time of year again when we blend our Christmas Ale with Elissa IPA and spices to create Sailing Santa, a beer originally developed by you, our customers. Years ago, people on tours began asking us to blend the two beers. We're not certain who first called this concoction Sailing Santa, but we suspect several of you claim to be the originator. We have now added spices to the beer, changing the mix slightly from year to year.
For the 2015 version, we were able to get our hands on a brand new hop, called Snap, which is actually a blend of hops, spices and botanicals. What exactly is in there? We can't say. How do you blend hops with spices and botanicals? We can't say. We can tell you that the new hop, added at the end of fermentation, adds a ginger snap aroma and a complexity that makes Sailing Santa taste like the holidays.
Sailing Santa will be available in 22 oz bottles beginning Monday, November 16. There will also be some cask tappings around town. In fact, we know about a few already:
Sailing Santa Cask Tapping & Tap Takeover at Whole Foods, Waugh
Saturday, November 21 at 6:00 PM
Sailing Santa Cask Tapping & Tap Takeover at Nobi Public House
Tuesday, November 24 at 5:00 PM
Also featuring Bishop's Barrel No. 2 Brett, Icon Red - American Roggenbier,
Christmas Ale, Elissa IPA and more.
Sailing Santa Cask Tapping & Tap Takeover at Brew Brothers
Thursday, December 3 at 6:00 PM
HOUSTON, November 16, 2015 – With temperatures in the 80s just last week, it may not feel as if the holidays are around the corner, but Saint Arnold's latest release will have you looking for your stocking cap and mittens. Saint Arnold Brewing Co. (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today releases its annual Sailing Santa holiday seasonal – this year featuring a brand new hop, called Snap hops, which is a blend of hops and spices.
Available only in 22-ounce bottles, Sailing Santa is scheduled to begin appearing in stores throughout Texas and select Louisiana markets today. The festive red and green label features the familiar profile of Saint Arnold with anchors adorned with Christmas lights. Saint Arnold produced a single 240 barrel batch, which translates to approximately 3,600 cases of twelve 22-ounce bombers.
Saint Arnold's community of beer lovers inspired the Sailing Santa blend, which was conceived as a fairly simple blend of Saint Arnold Christmas Ale and Saint Arnold Elissa IPA. However, Sailing Santa has evolved during the five years since being introduced. First, spices were added and the mixture of the two beers was tweaked. Now Snap hops were added at the end of fermentation, resulting in a ginger snap aroma.
"While blending beer can achieve flavors and complexity that can't be created in a single style or recipe, today's Sailing Santa is a lot different than simply a blend," said Saint Arnold Founder/Brewer Brock Wagner. "We brew a batch of Christmas Ale, then a batch of Elissa IPA and blend them in the fermenter. At the end of fermentation, we add Snap hops and cinnamon and other spices. This is our fifth year, and each year we change the mix slightly, which is one of the fun aspects of blending."
Specifications:
- Original Gravity: 1.064
- Alcohol Content: 7.2% ABV
- Bitterness: 45 IBUs
Saint Arnold Sailing Santa is the brewery's third winter seasonal release with one more on the way. It started last month with the release of Saint Arnold Pumpkinator and Saint Arnold Christmas Ale. The final winter seasonal, Saint Arnold Winter Stout, is scheduled for release in mid-December as supplies of Saint Arnold Christmas Ale run out.
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