We have homebrewer friends, originally from the Midwest, who brew a “clone” beer each winter based on their favorite seasonal from Ohio: Great Lakes Brewing Christmas Ale. I’ve had the chance to taste this year’s homebrew, and while I haven’t (yet) experienced the original, I enjoyed the home version which has nicely subtle notes of ginger and cinnamon. I really liked the homebrew story so I decided to make Christmas Ale today’s Advent pick.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale not only incorporates those spices but also fresh honey, and boasts, “A Yuletide’s worth of holiday spices and sweet honey to keep you a-wassailing all season long.” The honey is locally sourced from the Great Lakes region and helps boost the ABV to 7.5%.

The brewery says:

Spiced holiday ales may be prevalent these days, but in 1992 when our brewers first created a wintry ale with honey, cinnamon, and ginger, it was among the first of its kind. Christmas Ale remains a celebrated brew steeped in warm memories and nostalgia. Each year guests line up around the block to taste the first pints of the season at the brewpub’s annual Christmas Ale First Pour event.

Finally, this is too fun not to share:

Enjoy!

Find Great Lakes Christmas Ale on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook

Top photo credit: Great Lakes’ Facebook page