Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale

Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale

All the way across the country, in San Francisco, one of the first microbreweries, Anchor Brewing Co., bottles the most legendary craft beers. Anyone who has spent any time drinking with me knows of Old Foghorn, a seasonally brewed barleywine that demolishes old taste-buds and leaves the tongue thankful and wanting more. It’s tough to get Old Foghorn around these parts, and tougher still to find Anchor’s winter seasonal, Christmas Ale.

A bottle of Anchor Brewing Co. Christmas Ale

**Anchor Brewing Co.**’s *Christmas Ale*. Image courtesy of **Anchor Brewing**

The beer is a celebration and thanks from Anchor to it’s customers. They’ve been making it for 36 years, and it’s brewed differently each time. I found it once, years ago, and couldn’t describe what it tasted like anymore, but this year I found it again at what is fast becoming my favorite beer distributor. The 2010 has a distinct flavor of nobel hops and what I would guess to be cinnamon and allspice. (I’m not huge on cinnamon, but the Christmas Ale doesn’t overdo it.) It’s not a light ale, it pours and tastes like a porter, excellent for the season that it’s offered. Their website shows that the offer it in magnums and on tap. I ask my readers, if you know of a place that serves any Anchor on tap, anywhere, please leave it in the comments. Information like that is meant to be shared.