Raise a glass to these sinfully seasonal suds

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This article was published 11/12/2021 (1756 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s just two weeks until the big guy in white and red pulls up on his sleigh, big bag of treats in tow.

But you don’t need to wait for Santa to enjoy and explore some bigger, richer beers with plenty of character and warmth — brews to keep you warm through the holiday season.

Here are a half dozen new local craft beers, many with festive holiday themes, to enjoy as you’re wrapping presents or relaxing by a cozy fireplace. Just make sure you save some to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve…

Like the Yule Lads — the 13 mischievous festive creatures who begin appearing tomorrow and wreak havoc through to Christmas Day — the Huldufólk are small, elusive elves of Icelandic folklore. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that the Half Pints Brewing Co. Huldufólk (Winnipeg – $3.95/355ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, select beer vendors), an “Icelandic-style foraged ale” that celebrates these Nordic rascals, is the shortest brew of this crew. Juniper boughs and rosemary and other fun stuff was added to this Icelandic-style foraged ale, which is medium copper in colour and clear, with a white head. Aromatically there’s loads of pine, floral, herbal and resinous notes that come with a subtle malty note; on the light-plus bodied and dry palate those components resonate, with just a hint of bitterness and a not-overpowering seven per cent alcohol. The freshness on the palate here keeps things crisp and lively — perfect for a quick Skál! before tearing open the presents. 4/5

It’s not truly the holiday season until the HUMBUG sign is lit up on the Queen St. apartment block near Madison Square. It’s fitting, then, that a nearby brew pub has immortalized the neon sign on one of their beers. The One Great City HUMBUG Dark Sour (Winnipeg – $4.49/473ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, select beer vendors) is a “fruited dark chocolate sour ale,”— dark brown in colour, with plenty of chocolate aromas that come with cranberry, orange peel, herbal and spice notes. It’s medium-bodied and off-dry, with the chocolate notes countering the slight sourness of the cranberry flavours and ramping up the hint of orange quite nicely. The seven per cent alcohol is subtle, while the bitterness level (25 IBU) isn’t obtrusive either, letting the berry, orange and chocolate notes shine through. Very well done. 4.5/5

Back again this year is the Fort Garry Brewing Co. Jingle Bell Bock (Winnipeg – $3.79/473ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors), a popular seasonal from Fort Garry Brewing Co. that’s a Bavarian-style doppelbock. It’s medium copper in colour, bringing raisin, oatmeal, fresh malt and dried fruit notes on the nose. It’s medium-plus bodied and off-dry, with the raisin/dried fruit flavours showing well, the oatmeal/malty notes adding depth and length, some modest bitterness in there and the intense, 8.5 per cent alcohol bringing a long, warm finish. A good value brew for hearty winter weather. 3.5/5

German brewer Bernhard Wieland is bringing all manner of German-style brews in small batches from the basement of Schnitzelhaus on Charles Street. His Bernhard Wieland Brewing Doppelbock (Winnipeg – $4.50/473ml can, Schnitzelhaus pick up or via Skip the Dishes) is medium copper in colour with a big beige head, and delivers aromas of rich, fresh malt, Black Forest cake, fresh biscuits and a subtle raisiny note on the nose. It’s rich and full-bodied, with great complexity and depth of character — all manner of fresh doughy, malty notes work great with raisin, biscuit and subtle caramel flavours here, while the 7.5 per cent alcohol is quite subtle, as is the 25 IBU. It may not be the flashiest can of this lineup — all the small-batch BWB beers are hand labeled and canned by Wieland — but it’s what’s inside that counts. Dangerously drinkable, with plenty of festive pep. 4.5/5

Back again for the holiday season is the Nonsuch Brewing Co. 2020 Oud Bruin (Winnipeg – $17/750ml bottle, brewery, Liquor Marts, select beer vendors), a Flemish-style sour brown ale featuring “chocolate, citrus, and signature funk notes.” It’s brownish-copper and hazy in appearance, with fresh citrus, bitter chocolate, dark fruit, wild yeast and roasted malt aromas. It’s mainly dry, light-plus bodied but robust, with the orange peel and chocolate flavours avoiding any sweetness but coming with great intensity, the touch of sweetness coming more with the funkier dried fruit component. It’s robust and complex, with a long, warm finish thanks to the 7.6 per cent alcohol. You could age this for 18-24 months, but why would you want to? Drink now with beer- or wine-loving friends. Delicious. 4.5/5

Another returning festive fave is the Trans Canada Brewing Co. 2021 Cranberry Stout (Winnipeg – $10.74/750ml bottle, brewery, Liquor Marts, select beer vendors), made with roasted chocolate malts and infused with cranberries. It’s deep cola brownish-black in appearance with an off-white head, and the cranberry notes show well aromatically with the dark malt and subtle bitter component. Rich, chewy, full-bodied and slightly off-dry, the cranberry flavours shine on the palate, with espresso-ish, dark chocolate and subtle peppery components that resonate before the long, intense finish (it’s seven per cent alcohol). A great value, and a fun stout to share near the tree or around a fire. 4/5

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Twitter: @bensigurdson