Christmas beer… from a can. In all the years I’ve been doing this Beer Advent Calendar I believe this is the first canned holiday beer I’ve encountered, and frankly, it’s a pretty attractive package: Upslope Brewing’s Christmas Ale, an 8.2% abv spiced Belgian-style Dubbel available in 16-ounce “pounders” (Upslope’s regular beer line-up are in 12-ounce cans).

“The recipe for this beer is based upon an old homebrew recipe of mine that I use to take to Christmas parties,” says Matt Cutter, Upslope’s Founder. “In 2009, the brewery adopted this as our Christmas Ale. It was always a spiced holiday ale but last year Alex Violette, Upslope’s Head Brewer, decided to Belgianize this beer by fermenting it with Abbey Ale yeast.”

This beer pours ruby red with a thick off-white headstand that laces the glass with every sip. The aroma of the Upslope blend of holiday spices compelements the dark fruit and spicy notes from the Abbey Ale yeast. These notes then carry through to the flavor of this medium bodied ale. The distinctive holiday aroma, ruby red color and rich malt flavor make this ale perfect for spreading Christmas cheer.

I’ve long extolled the virtues of canned (craft) beer, and I would love to see more holiday beers packaged this way; Upslope’s candy cane ribbon-themed design lends itself really well to gift baskets, bows, and sitting under the tree—it already looks like a wrapped present!

Untappd. Facebook. BeerAdvocate: 82/100. RateBeer: 2.97/5, 44th percentile.