American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
It’s time again for the holidays to hijack our lives and hold our normal routine ransom until we spend copious amounts of money and gorge ourselves with food. It seems like I just pulled out that Potty Putter that I got from last year’s gift exchange to put to good use and now we’re in the middle of the holidays!
A small part of me cringes over the thought of taking out the Christmas lights and decorations because I have to actually do the work of putting them up. I feel like my neighbors laugh at me because all they have to do is flip the switch on the lights that are still up on their houses from last year.
But if you’re like me and you’re not ready to go through the same holiday schedule, then try spicing things up a bit with, you guessed it, craft beer!
Trick or Drink
If you live in an apartment building of mostly adults and the kids go out to neighborhoods to trick or treat on Halloween, that’s when the remaining adults Trick or Drink! Have each resident serve their favorite craft beer, dress up in your favorite beer-drinking costume, grab your favorite stein, and take turns going door to door to sample the spread.
The same idea can work for a Spanish Posada where everyone dresses up as Mary or Joseph and instead of getting different food items at each house that represents the different places that rejected the young couple prior to giving birth to the Christ child, you get craft beer.
IPA Turkey Brine
Do you think those floral hops in your favorite IPA taste amazing while you’re sipping on that pint? Try imagining those same hops infused into your Thanksgiving turkey with sage, rosemary, and thyme. Follow this brine recipe to not only impress your beer nerd friends, but to also put a smile on the face of “overly-critical-of-how-dry-the-turkey-is” Aunt Doris.
In a large saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds and coriander seeds, 6 bay leaves, 1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar, and 32 ozs of your favorite floral or Citra hopped IPAs. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Transfer the mixture to a brining bag or a clean cooler with 7 quarts cold water. Add the turkey, breast side down, in the bag or cooler. Place the brining bag in the refrigerator or seal the cooler for at least 8 hours or overnight. We recommend using El Segundo Brewing Citra IPA, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA, Golden Road Burning Bush Smoked IPA, or Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA.
The Family Dinner Drinking Game
Do you cringe at the thought of having all your relatives in one place to share a meal while they constantly fight and ask you about your personal life, which cascades to an all-out cacophony of madness? Do you dread the holidays because you don’t want to go to one of these holiday dinners? Try to ease the hysteria by drinking craft beer (lots of craft beer) with The Family Dinner Drinking Game!
Drink when:
- Grandma says something racist
- A child ruins something
- The host/food preparer is anal about anything
- A teenager does not want to be part of the festivities
- Anyone is on their phone
- Someone asks you about your sex life or when you’re going to have children
- Anyone gives fake/canned praise on how good the food tastes
- Someone brings up an embarrassing moment from anyone else’s past (drink 2 if it’s your past)
- An older family member shares a long “military story” (drink for the duration of the story)
- Anyone cries or breaks wind out loud (finish your beer, and go get another one)
Craft Beer Advent Calendar
Do you remember those calendars for each day in December that had you count down to Christmas by opening a little door that had a little piece of chocolate in it? I do, except for the doors in mine had no chocolate in them because my parents would reuse the same calendar each year. Now you can make your own calendar that satisfies your adult beverage cravings instead of accelerating your type 2 diabetes by using your favorite craft beers.
Start by purchasing two twelve cube hanging wall shelves at Target or Ikea and position them side-by-side on your wall. Fasten poster board to the front of the shelves and cut 24 doors into the poster board in line with each cube. Place your favorite brews in each cube, or have a friend with your same tastes in beer do it for you so you have a surprise each day. Mark the dates in order counting down to Christmas. Now you can enjoy your countdown to Christmas by having a different craft beer each day. Be sure to open your doors each day in the morning, so you can put your beer in the fridge to be enjoyed chilled later. Are you wondering why there isn’t a cube for Christmas? Well you’ll probably do enough drinking on that day that a designated “Christmas Beer” would be redundant (see “The Family Dinner Drinking Game” above).
Craft Beer Bottle Advent Wreath
The next time your crafty Martha Stewart wannabe friend comes over for a Christmas party displaying a neck shawl that was made from recycled cat hair, you can boast your creative side with your craft beer bottle advent wreath. The traditional advent wreath has four candles that are lit for the four Sundays prior to Christmas with a candle in the middle that is lit on Christmas. Pick your five favorite winter seasonal craft bottles, place candles in each bottle, and arrange some pine trimmings around the bottles. This fun project can also be used for Menorahs and Kinaras as well. It’s a good thing.
Have your Office Christmas Party at a Brewery
If you’re trying to get promoted at your job or just want to impress that hot girl or guy from accounting with your great ideas, then there is no better way than being the person who came up with the hip place for your Christmas party. Company holiday parties are taking place earlier and earlier in December so companies can get a higher attendance because they don’t want to compete with other Christmas parties. My day job’s Christmas party is in mid-November to make sure they can beat the rush in booking a venue.
Instead of partaking in this lameness, try having your holiday party at your favorite craft brewery! I’m sure the brewery would welcome the money designated in your party budget to rent out the place and you’ll be guaranteed to never run out of amazing beer, which will be sure to impress Jenny from accounting.
