My final article of 2023 for The Bulletin came out just before Christmas, and in it I profiled a new holiday beer from Wild Ride Brewing—Jingle Hop Winter Red Ale.

Released at the beginning of the month, Jingle Hop was brewed at Wild Ride’s Prineville brewery by Prineville brewer Matt Katakura. It’s a strong and malty red ale brewed with ginger and nutmeg, with 7.8% alcohol by volume and 60 IBUs.

Strong spiced ales are a staple of the Christmas beer genre, harking back to the traditional wassail and winter warmers of England and the spiced bières de Noël of Belgium. Breweries crafted these beers for the holidays as a special treat for their regular customers, a way of saying “thank you” for their loyalty.

These days, a wide range of seasonal styles are available from craft brewers, ranging from IPAs to imperial stouts, with less emphasis on spice additions; personally I do appreciate when holiday spices are incorporated.

Details and my review notes are at the link. I really enjoyed Jingle Hop and thought it was a great festive beer to profile for the end the year. Of course, you can still enjoy it as we kick off 2024 as well!