Our pick for today comes from beer writer Lisa Morrison, The Beer Goddess, who has her own radio show and writes for a number of national and regional publications, not to mention her Hop Press blog. Lisa brings us an American classic.

The holiday season’s arrival is marked by different things for different people. For some, it’s Black Friday shopping. Others herald in the season each year with a special football game, or a traditional gathering with family and friends. For me, I know the holidays are upon us when I have my first Celebration Ale sighting (and subsequent purchase, of course).

Just the sight of those cheerful white and red labels are enough to send visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. The sugar plums actually look more like hop cones, but that’s just me.

A welcomed hoppy counterpoint to many of the season’s more malty offerings, Celebration Ale is a classic, and tasty, treat for the holidays. And just like the holidays, a part of me always wishes Celebration Ale stuck around a bit longer, but I guess that’s what makes it – and the season – so special.

BeerAdvocate: A-. RateBeer: 3.77/5, 97th percentile.