It's Christmastime once again, and thanks to beer's quick brewing schedule, Vancouver is home to a bevvy of seasonal ales and lagers (well, mostly ales).
The city already has dozens and dozens of quality beers to try, but these ones are all short-term offerings, with festive themes, styles or (at minimum) names.
From cranberry sours to flavoured stouts to unusual styles, here's what's on tap and in cans around the city that you might just want to leave out for Santa on Dec. 24.
The Sours
Sours are probably the biggest trend in craft beer right now, and whether they stick around or fade away is yet to be seen. However, there's a berry that's part of many traditional Christmas dinners that matches well a sour's juiciness.
Welcome to cran-city.
BC Cranberry Sour by 33 Acres Brewing
One of the most well-respected brewers in Vancouver is bringing back their classic seasonal brew. It's a carefully crafted sour brewed with barley, wheat, and spelt. In the past, it's only been in bottles, but this year they're releasing it Wednesday, Dec. 21 in four packs of 473 ml cans.
Rock the Bells by Parallel 49
The East Vancouver mainstay has lots of Christmas-styled brews to choose from, but if you're sticking with sours, this is the only one. Described as clean and crushable, it's available in cans as part of their holiday mix pack.
Porters and Stouts
Dark beers with warm, smooth flavours are a classic during the long, cold, dark nights of winter. Often sweeter, with vanilla or chocolate notes, these are as close as beer gets to 'cuddly.'
Hedgehog Hazelnut Milk Porter by Bomber Brewing
Hedgehogs are a classic holiday treat, but what if it were beer? That was the question at Bomber Brewing and they created this milk porter with hazelnuts and a touch of chocolate flavour with a little lactose to bump up the sweetness and creaminess.
Salted Chocolate Porter by Steamworks Brewery
It's been around for a couple of months, but this really is a wintry beer. Now in 473 ml cans, Steamworks is suggesting people mix it with a sour to create a 'Black Forest Cake' beer.
Cookies & Cream Stout by Superflux Brewing & Brassneck Brewery
The collaboration from two top breweries in East Van is back. This year Superflux estimates they used 6,000 Oreos to get the flavour just right. Oh, and just a warning, it's an 11.8% ABV, so maybe just take it easy.
All the rest
Some brewers like to experiment with new, or old, ideas. Others are bringing back past winter beers that hit just right.
241 Minzeweizen by Faculty Brewing
One flavour you don't see in brews too often is mint, but Faculty has brought back the Minzeweizen, a hefeweizen (often a summer style) with mint. And this year they're in 473 ml cans!
Krampus by Strange Fellows Brewing
This maybe could have gone with the stouts and porters; the Krampus is a spicy, malty dubbel (a Belgian beer that's often dark and sweet). Strange Fellows went to the source, using Belgian candy sugar to get some of that sweetness.
Auld Nick by R&B
A proper winter ale, Auld Nick is an old beer, for Vancouver. First brewed by R&B back in 1998, it's a classic using old-world hops and a bit of Demerara sugar.
Gingerbread ESB from Storm
Storm has a huge list of Christmas and winter beers to choose from right now, including an Eggnog Latte Stout and something called the Christmas Pickle IPA, but the nature of extra special bitters (which aren't actually that bitter of a beer) and a nicely spiced gingerbread is mouthwatering.
Treacherous Weather DIPA by Main and Neighbourhood
It's Vancouver, there are going to be IPAs. And Main Street and Neighbourhood collaborating on a new double IPA is the Christmas gift fans of hop-heavy might just be looking for, especially since Main Street has pulled in a couple awards this past year for their IPAs.
Sahti Claus by Parallel 49
Like the Sasquatch on its label, neither this beer or style are seen often. A Finnish beer, sahtis are a farmhouse-style ale; in this case Parallel 49 is calling it a Canadian sahti, with notes of evergreen and pine. Tree-licious!
