S1P41 - Beer Review - Saint Arnold Christmas Ale

These are the beer notes for the new beer from the S3E15 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast. That episode is a 2019 yearend review but we also managed to add in this new beer for the holiday season. A guy needs a refreshing beverage to get through a grueling podcast. Although we had already made our lists of top five beers of 2019, after trying this brew Dennis and I decided Christmas Ale might have made that list. So for now, consider it in our top six for sure and maybe higher. Give it a try this holiday season. 

The Brewery

• Saint Arnold Brewing Company
• 2000 Lyons Ave., Houston, TX 
• St. Arnold is the patron saint of brewers & hop pickers. 11th century
• The oldest craft brewery in Texas
• Their first keg shipped in June 1994
• Founded by Brock Wagner and Kevin Bartol
• Daily free tours
• Beer Garden & Restaurant
• Sunday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Friday - Saturday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
• Full menu - entrees $20 - $30
• Some other beers
• Fancy Lawnmower - Kolsch
• 5 O’clock Pils
• Santo - Black Kolsch
• Pub Crawl - IPA
• Guten Tag - Bavarian-style lager
• Art Car IPA
• Spring Bock - seasonal
• Summer Pils
• Pumpkinator
• Oktoberfest
• French Press
• They also make hard cider and root beer soda

The Beer

• Christmas Ale
• Available October - December
• Their first seasonal beer. Debut November 1994
• ABV 7.5%
• IBU 24
• Five different malted barleys, two different Northeast Pacific hops
• A rich, copper colored, hearty ale perfect for the holiday season with a malty sweetness and spicy hop character. The generous use of five different malts is responsible for the full flavor and high alcohol level of this beer.
• Best consumed at 45° Fahrenheit
• Recommended pairings: Fruit cake, Christmas pudding, & squash bisque.
• $9 six-pack cans @ Kroger

The Review

Both Old Guys rated Christmas Ale a high three (3) bottle caps out of five (5). This is a solid beer. Not too heavy but robust enough to stand up to any food choice. It's a perfect complement to any of the traditional holiday meals. Give it a try but hurry, it won't be available for long. At least until the 2020 holiday season. Also, be careful. At 7.5% ABV, it's significantly stronger than the normal national brews.


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