Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Ho-Ho Hops: A special holiday brew in every stocking.

Screenshot 2015-11-23 16.23.28There was a time (not long ago) when a “holiday beer” meant drinking the same old Bud or Coors, but on Christmas day.

Not any more.

Today, nearly every brewer releases a special seasonal brew or two, and December is the high point for releasing—and sampling—these inventive quaffs. Couple that with the explosion of craft breweries in central Pennsylvania, and you have the makings of a very happy holiday.

So, sit back, pour yourself a cold (or not-so-cold) one, and enjoy these seasonal gifts from a few of our local breweries, all within about 30 minutes of Harrisburg, where a visit this month means something special in your glass.

 
Zeroday Brewing Company

Since opening in April, Harrisburg’s Zeroday Brewing Co. has featured numerous limited releases, and now comes its first winter seasonal beer, the small-batch Grievance holiday ale.

Grievance takes on notes of cherry and toasted coconut from months of conditioning in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels. This spiced winter warmer is flavored with cinnamon and split Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans and decks the halls at about 9-percent ABV.

“Boozy and warm, like the holidays in a bottle,” said Brandalynn Armstrong, who runs Zeroday with husband Theo.

Grievance is available in 750-milliliter corked and caged bottles as a limited release. It will also be on draft at the brewery throughout the month of December. Take a growler or crowler (can + growler = crowler) of Grievance to this year’s Festivus party, and you’ll be uniquely prepared for the inevitable “airing of grievances.”

Zeroday Brewing Co., 250 Reily Street, Harrisburg; 717-745-6218; www.zerodaybrewing.com

 
 
Tröegs Independent Brewing

When it comes to sheer variety, Tröegs sets the standard in our region for holiday beer. And, this year, the Hershey-based brewer has something even more special for those folks who wait all year for December to arrive.

“We’re actually giving our Anthology packaging a complete overhaul beginning with Anthology Winter this season,” said Jeff Herb, the marketing communications coordinator, who explained that the packaging now reflects the brewery’s new, artistic beer labels and logos.

Some of the product inside also has changed.

The Anthology Winter Sampler now includes the flagship, year-round Perpetual IPA, as well as the Tröegenator Double Bock, the winter Hop Cycle seasonal Blizzard of Hops and, for the first time outside of the brewery, the small-batch Chocolate Stout from the Scratch Beer Series.

At 7.5-percent ABV, the flavorings in the pale gold Perpetual IPA are bold and throw punches of citrus, pine and tropical fruit. As a nice contrast, the 8.2-percent ABV Tröegenator Double Bock is bronze in color and has intense notes of caramel, chocolate and dried stone fruit.

Available between November and January each year, the Blizzard of Hops Winter IPA is brewed to celebrate the year’s hop harvest. It’s a deep golden pale ale at 6.4-percent ABV with bright hoppy citrus and pine notes. And, for the first time, Tröegs will be packaging it in 12-ounce cans.

Also included in the sampler is the Chocolate Stout from the Scratch Beer Series at 7.1-percent ABV. The stout is a nice caramel, chocolate and vanilla-flavored alternative to all the hop action in some of the other beers.

Of course, we can’t forget about Mad Elf. At 11-percent ABV, the ruby-red Belgian ale is flavored with cherries, honey and cocoa with notes of cinnamon, clove and allspice. This guy isn’t part of the sampler. He stands alone.

Tröegs Independent Brewing, 200 E. Hersheypark Dr., Hershey; 717-534-1297; www.troegs.com

 
Market Cross Pub & Brewery

Two winter seasonal brews are on tap at the Market Cross Pub in downtown Carlisle this year. And one of these is offered in three different versions.

“Try all three, but not in the same sitting, unless you’ve got a few hours to kill,” said the pub’s General Manager Ashleigh Corby.

This brew is called the Excalibur Imperial Stout and clocks in at about 9-percent ABV. Corby said the differences between the three versions are striking, even though they’ve all been brewed with the exact same ingredients.

One version has been aged for a year in an oak bourbon barrel, while another has been aged for a year in a non-oak cask. Finally, a young, non-aged version of this honey oatmeal imperial stout is on tap at the pub.

The second holiday beer on tap is the Pub Porter at 5.5-percent ABV. This mild porter is dark brown with a ruby glow and flavored with hints of chocolate and caramel. Here, you can try it tapped on nitrogen or “nitro” for a smoother, creamier experience.

Market Cross Pub & Brewery, 113 North Hanover St., Carlisle; 717-258-1234; www.marketcrosspub.com

 
Brewery at Hershey

This year, the Brewery at Hershey is celebrating with two holiday beers.

First up is the Naughty & Spiced holiday Scottish ale, a hefty winter warmer fortified with seasonal spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and orange zest. Released early last month, this one clocks in at 8.4-percent ABV.

“I brew this every year, and it’s definitely one of my favorites,” said brewmaster Ryan DeLutis.

Also up for grabs is the Bourbon Mean Cup o’Stout, the brewery’s first-ever bottle release. This coffee oatmeal stout was brewed with an exclusive coffee blend from Mean Cup in Lancaster. The collaborative batch was aged in West Virginia Smooth Ambler bourbon barrels for five months and comes in at a milder 5.8-percent ABV. It was released at the farm in 22-ounce bombers on Black Friday and has a limited run of 1,200 bottles.

DeLutis said he usually brews this stout in December for release in January but got hold of the barrels and changed plans. It’s a good thing for us, because everything about this beer sounds amazing.

This holiday season, the Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey will feature its holiday beers and wines each weekend with live music and festive decorations, along with special deals and discounts for bringing in Toys for Tots donations.

Brewery at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Rd., Middletown; 717-944-1569; www.vineyardathershey.com

 

Moo-Duck Brewery 

In central Pennsylvania, Moo-Duck Brewery is rarity indeed—a place you can visit from downtown Harrisburg without a car (and hence no designated driver), as it’s located directly across the street from the Elizabethtown train station.

The brewery is offering up two holiday beers from its experimental Off the Rail series for December. First on deck is the Candy Cane Stout at 6.5-percent ABV. Dark and minty, this all-grain American stout is flavored with chocolate, caramel and peppermint.

Up next is the winter warmer, Better Than A Lottery Ticket Holiday Ale. It’s an imperial brown ale flavored with orange peel and holiday spices and comes in at 7.5-percent ABV.

Husband-and-wife team Mike and Kristen Brubaker, who just celebrated their brewery’s first anniversary, always offer six to eight unfiltered, all-natural and unpasteurized beers. Be sure to ask about their rotating “charity brew,” from which 50 cents goes to a charitable organization. Yet another reason to raise a glass this holiday season.

Moo-Duck Brewery, 79 S. Wilson Ave., Elizabethtown; www.mooduckbrewery.com

 

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