Merry Christmas! I hope everyone’s holiday yesterday was safe and happy, and you got to enjoy great food, drink, and family. It was of course a day of good beer and cider here, and I wanted to share a few on the ones we enjoyed yesterday.

I have a tradition that links to my birthday (which takes place just before Christmas) in which I receive Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale for the current season and I squirrel a bottle away to age for a year, which I open on Christmas Day—hence the 2021 vintage bottle.

It was a good start to the day, and one I always enjoy—kept properly, it ages well and drinks great.

You can read more about Santa’s Sauce from Portland Cider Company here, but the short version is that it’s a semi-sweet cider spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and a touch of cayenne pepper. It was quite good although if you’re sensitive to chili-type spices, you’ll definitely feel the heat from the cayenne on this one.

This year’s edition of Santa’s Private Reserve from Rogue Ales is, for all intents and purposes, a stout inspired by chocolate orange candy—and it tastes just like it too! Rogue worked with Honey Mama’s from Portland to come up with the flavors for this year’s beer, and it works.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale! In a can! Honestly it’s hard to do much better than that. Terrific as always.

There’s more beer to be had, of course, but in the meantime, cheers to all and I hope you’re having a fantastic holiday season!