Having trouble feeling your fingertips the last week? Yep, us too. You've likely been sipping on tea, cocoa, and hot cider in a survival-based effort to warm up your extremities. Allow us to suggest another route ... one that warms the hands, the spirit, and the liver all in one fell swoop. That's right, it's time for some seasonal booze warmth.
See also: Beer of the Week: Drake's Abominably Jolly
Beer of the Week: El Segundo Hop Tanker
Beer of the Week: Speakeasy Payback Coffee Porter
Starting on Friday evening, The Trappist will switch over all of its taps to winter warmers and holiday ales. We suggest sampling as many as it takes to make ugly sweaters look pretty, but not enough that you break into full-on caroling.
On Saturday, City Beer Store releases the second batch of The Wanderer, a beer brewed for the shop by The Bruery. Originally released in 2011 for City Beer's 5th anniversary, this blended dark sour ale won a silver medal at the annual Great American Beer Festival. Augmented by additions of blackberries and cherries, this brew is acidic and rich with heavy character of dark fruits and an 8 percent alcohol content to help with the winter chills. Your weekend-long cures for frostbite and doldrums, below:
Trappist Kerstbier Festival
Where: The Trappist, 460 8th St., Oakland
When: Dec. 13 and 14, 5 p.m. to close
Cost: $25 includes a souvenir tasting glass and four beer tokens to get your night started.
What: Now in its sixth year, the Kerstbier Festival is your best bet at tasting many rare holiday beers on tap. 28 taps will be flowing with warming elixirs from the likes of Prairie Artisan Ales, De Struise, Jolly Pumpkin, Upright, Faction, and many more (including numerous Belgian and Danish options).
The Wanderer, Batch 2 Release
Where: City Beer Store, 1168 Folsom (between 7th and 8th)
When: Dec. 14 at noon
Cost: pay per drink/bottle
What: The release of The Wanderer Batch 2 (one case limit per person). The Bruery's Tyler King will be available to discuss the art of creating barrel-aged, blended beers. As if you needed further enticement, there will be a fantastic lineup of Bruery sours available to taste, including:
The Wanderer, Batch 1
Confession - sour blonde ale brewed with Riesling grape juice
Melange #1 - a blend of Oude Tart (Flemish sour red) and Black Tuesday (bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout)
Oude Tart with Sour Cherries
Windowsill - sour ale brewed with rhubarb and raspberries, with grains meant to mimic a wheat crust
Follow @jasonhenrysf
