It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: The Final Nine Beers

I was able to catch up and finish the remaining nine beers in my beer advent calendar before Santa arrived, and most of the rest of the beers were pretty damn good.

Beer #16 was one that has been in at least one previous beer advent calendar, Riverlands Brewing's Hoppy Grinchmas.  It's a winter IPA.  You know how I feel about IPAs.

Name:  Hoppy Grinchmas

Brewery:  Riverlands Brewing Company

Location:  St. Charles, IL

ABV:  6.5%

IBU:  40

Good for drinking if:  You need a bitter beer to complement the bitter feelings you have watching your team play like ass in the first quarter of a football game against its biggest rival.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.5

Beer #17 was no beer at all.  It was a winter cider called Sled Zeppelin, and of course I loved the name.  The cider itself was pretty good as well.  It's an cran-apple cider with cinnamon.  Quite festive.

Name:  Sled Zeppelin

Brewery:  2 Towns Ciderhouse

Location:  Corvallis, OR

ABV:  6.9%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're starting to lose hope that your team is going to beat its rival.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

Next up was a pastry stout, S'Mores Wedda from suburban Alter.  As the name suggests, this was a stout with chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow flavors.  It was sweet and delicious.

Name:  S'Mores Wedda

Brewery:  Alter Brewing Company

Location:  Downers Grove, IL

ABV:  6%

IBU:  27

Good for drinking if:  Your team is at least starting to score, giving you some hope.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

Victory's Golden Monkey is one of my favorite American-made Belgian-style tripels, and Beer #19 was a holiday take on Golden Monkey called Very Merry Monkey.  As a good tripel should be, it was a hefty 9.5%, and they added some cinnamon, molasses, and ginger to give it a nice holiday feel.

Name:  Very Merry Monkey

Brewery:  Victory Brewing Company

Location:  Downingtown, PA

ABV:  9.5%

IBU:  25

Good for drinking if:  You need a strong beer to drink as you watch your team score ten points in the final two minutes of the game, and then beat your rival in OT to put your team in the driver's seat for a division title.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.5

Beer #20 was another good one, from suburban Blind Corner, which I had not heard of until cracking this one open.  John Frank Andy is a Scotch ale, and I love Scotch ales.  This one had notes of roasted chestnuts, raisin bread, and toffee.  I don't know who John, Frank, or Andy are, but I'm glad they came together to make this one.

Name:  John Frank Andy

Brewery:  Blind Corner Brewery

Location:  Naperville, IL

ABV:  7.0%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're watching Sunday Night Football, not feeling great about your chances to advance to your fantasy football finals.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

Beer #21 was from another local brewery with which I was not previously acquainted -- Azadi, which is characterized as a nano brewery.  The beer was Pista, a chocolate pistachio porter.  I love all three of those things separately and when combined.  My only minor gripe is that it wasn't stronger.

Name:  Pista

Brewery:  Azadi Brewing Company

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  5.5%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You have no idea that Christian McCaffrey is about to bring your fantasy football team out of the doldrums and into the finals.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

I drank the last three beers on Christmas Eve, and the first one was a Czech-style pilsner from St. Louis's Urban Chestnut.  I generally enjoy all their beers, and this one was pretty good.  I like pilsners, but I'll say it's tough to have a really good or a really bad one.  This was no exception.  Good, but not great.

Name:  Czech Pilsner

Brewery:  Urban Chestnut Brewing Company

Location:  St. Louis, MO

ABV:  5.3%

IBU:  35

Good for drinking if:  You're in need of a crisp beer while watching a fake fireplace in someone else's home.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

The penultimate beer was a style I haven't seen before:  a black kolsch.  Solemn Oath's Cold Black Night was a slightly maltier version of the light, crisp style Cologne gave the world.  I generally feel the same way about kolsches as I do about pilsners, but if you make any beer darker, I'm all for it.

Name:  Cold Black Night

Brewery:  Solemn Oath Brewery

Location:  Naperville, IL

ABV:  4.8%

IBU:  20

Good for drinking if:  You want something refreshing before eating lasagna.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

Last but not least was a stout inspired by the cherry cordial.  With notes of chocolate, cherry, and vanilla, Old Nation's Frandor Claus was the perfect way to finish off the beer advent calendar.

Name:  Frandor Claus

Brewery:  Old Nation Brewing Company

Location:  Williamston, MI

ABV:  7.0%

IBU:  30

Good for drinking if:  You're watching an old Simpsons episode before you launch into several hours of holiday music videos.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Scorched Earth Doppelbock and Brutalist Old Acquaintance

Beer #14 in the advent calendar was a delightful doppelbock from exurban brewery Scorched Earth.  Appropriately named Doppelbock, this was exactly what a doppelbock should be:  malty, a little sweet, and strong.

Name:  Doppelbock

Brewery:  Scorched Earth Brewing Company

Location:  Algonquin, IL

ABV:  7.7%

IBU:  21

Good for drinking if:  You're watching a football game between two state schools from Alabama that most people probably think are respectively located in ancient Greece and north Florida.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

Chicago nano brewery Brutalist gave us Beer #15, a winter ale called Old Acquaintance.  It's made with cascara, which I had to look up.  It can refer to either a plant known for its laxative properties or an herbal coffee cherry tea.  I sure hope it's the latter.  Either way, it's a good winter ale, and whichever cascara it might be adds a blunt, almost dark chocolate flavor.

Name:  Old Acquaintance

Brewery:  Brutalist Brewing Cooperative

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  5.9%

IBU:  27

Good for drinking if:  You're hoping you don't need to head to the shitter while you figure out how a group of Louisianans with anger management issues will fare against azure gamecocks who just want to fight.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: The Next Four Beers (Again)

I'm still a couple beers behind, but here are the last four advent calendar beers I had.

Beer #10 was from another of my favorite local breweries, More, whose flagship location is in Huntley (which is about 40-45 miles northwest of Chicago).  This one was Praga Nocturne, a Czech-style dark lager.  I love Czech dark lagers, and it's not a style you see much in the States, unfortunately.  This was expectedly good -- malty and crisp at the same time.

Name:  Praga Nocturne

Brewery:  More Brewing Company

Location:  Huntley, IL

ABV:  5.2%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You want to enjoy the warm embrace of kith and kin.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

Number 11 was kind of a mind fuck from Akron's excellent Hoppin' Frog.  Named Chocolate Orange Stocking Stuffer -- with a chocolate orange gracing the label and it's 7% -- I assumed it was going to be a stout.  I was particularly excited about this because Goose Island's Midnight Orange Bourbon County Stout variant from 2018 is one of my favorite beers, so I'm always looking for another great chocolate orange stout.  You can imagine my shock when I poured it into my glass and it looked like a light wheat beer.  I thought maybe it was going to be a white stout (also a mind fuck), but then I read the back of the label and realized it's a shandy!  I have nothing against shandies, especially when they're 7%.  I kid you not, this tasted like Zima.  And I don't say that in a bad way.  I think I might have discovered what flavors when into Zima.  This whole time, it was chocolate and orange.

Name:  Chocolate Orange Stocking Stuffer

Brewery:  Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company

Location:  Akron, OH

ABV:  7.0%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're cousin-in-law is on your diving board, but can't swim.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

The next beer in the advent calendar was a more traditional winter beer, from local brewery Hopewell.  The aptly named Winter Lager was a nice malty, slightly sweet lager with some winter spices.  All in all, a great winter beer.

Name:  Winter Lager

Brewery:  Hopewell Brewing Company

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  6.0%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're decorating a pine tree you temporarily upended your living space to accommodate.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

Beer #14 was from another one of my favorite local breweries, Pipeworks.  Unfortunately, this one was an IPA from their "Vs. Unicorn" series.  Abominable Snowman Vs. Unicorn is at least a hazy IPA, which I like better than traditional IPAs.  This one has Idaho Z Mosate and Cryo Simcoe hops, whatever that means.

Name:  Abominable Snowman Vs. Unicorn

Brewery:  Pipeworks Brewing Company

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  7.6%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You are glad to be in a structure with central heat, rather than at an outdoor stadium in Pittsburgh.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

Hair Band Friday - 12/12/25

1.  "Eyes of a Stranger" by Queensrÿche

2.  "Feels Like Love" by Danger Danger

3.  "Too Cool For School" by Roxx Gang

4.  "What Keeps Me Loving You" by XYZ

5.  "Autoblast" by Black 'N Blue

6.  "Hard Times" by Tora Tora

7.  "Kamikaze" by Vandenberg

8.  "Stick to Your Guns" by Dokken

9.  "Can't Get Loose" by Sammy Hagar

10.  "Over and Out" by Britny Fox

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Cigar City Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

The next beer in the advent calendar is from what I think of as Florida's premier craft brewery, Cigar City.  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale is pretty much just like it sounds -- a roasty, malty brown ale with notes of raisin, cinnamon, vanilla.  It's a very solid offering, and at only 5.5%, it's not to heavy either.  All in all, a delightful winter beer.

Name:  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale

Brewery:  Cigar City Brewing

Location:  Tampa, FL

ABV:  5.5%

IBU:  25

Good for drinking if:  You want to watch a football game featuring a team from the same city as the brewery of the beer your drinking, and you want your beer to taste like a cookie.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Maplewood Xmas Ale

Beer #8 in the advent calendar was a welcome sight, or taste if you will.  Maplewood is one of my favorite local breweries, this one is their Xmas Ale, which I think was just released this year.  A dark and roasty ale with holiday spices, this is what a winter beer should taste like.

Name:  Xmas Ale

Brewery:  Maplewood Brewing Company

Location:  Elk Grove Village, IL

ABV:  6.5%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You need the perfect winter beer to help you cope with the fact that your oldest spawn is of driving age.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Mikerphone Ode To My Family

I'm still a few behind, but tonight I had Ode To My Family by suburban Mikerphone, which generally does good stuff.  Their Smells Like Bean Spirit coffee stout line is a favorite of mine.  Billed as a "Berliner-style weisse ale with cranberry, cinnamon & orange peel," Ode To My Family is expectedly a little tart.  I'm not a huge fan of Berliner weisses, as I generally don't like sour beers, but this one was pretty good.  I don't mind when the sourness or tartness comes from a flavor that's supposed to be sour or tart, and here, the cranberry flavor doesn't offend me because of that.

Name:  Ode To My Family

Brewery:  Mikerphone Brewing

Location:  Elk Grove Village, IL

ABV:  6.3%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You need a red beer while you're watching your Hoosiers rain down a barrage of threes on Penn State.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: The Next Four Beers

As tends to happen in December, I've got too much shit going on, so I get behind on my beer advent calendar.  I had to return some video tapes last Wednesday and Thursday, so I managed to muscle down three beers Friday night.  Then I had stuff going on Saturday night and last night, so I'm behind again.  But I'll try my damnedest to catch up over the next few nights.  Meanwhile, here are beers 3 to 6.

Beer #3 was from Rockford-area brewery Pig Minds.  It was called Piggy Pudding, and it was billed as a winter amber ale with figs, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  These all sound like things that make for the perfect winter ale, but something was off.  It was a little sweet, but not in a good way -- almost like sometimes when you get a draft beer at a bar and you can tell the lines aren't clean because it has a weird taste to it.  Maybe I had a bad batch.  I'll definitely have to try it again.

Name:  Piggy Pudding

Brewery:  Pig Minds Brewing Company

Location:  Machesney Park, IL

ABV:  5.8%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're sitting on your couch watching a college football championship game between two teams for which you have no rooting interest, other than the possibility that one of them winning may mean that Notre Dame doesn't make the College Football Playoff.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

I followed Piggy Pudding up with Ski House from Allagash, which is the first non-Illinois beer in the advent calendar.  Allagash is one of those breweries that can do no wrong in my book.  Obviously, Allagash White has carved itself out as the premier white ale made in America.  Ski House is a slightly stronger white ale (at a solid 7.5%, as opposed to 5.2% for their standard White), with some ginger and citrus to give it a wintery feel.  It was pretty enjoyable.

Name:  Ski House

Brewery:  Allagash Brewing Company

Location:  Portland, ME

ABV:  7.5%

IBU:  15

Good for drinking if:  You're sitting on your couch watching a college football championship game between two teams for which you have no rooting interest, especially since there was not the possibility of either team knocking Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

Beer #5 was from one of my favorite local breweries, Dovetail.  They specialize in European-style beers, and their selection was their Winter Hopfenlager.  Their standard Hopfenlager is a more-hoppier-than-normal German-style lager.  For the winter version, they added some malt.  It still had three "C" hops -- Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook -- so I wasn't a huge fan, but I liked it better than the regular Hofpenlager.

Name:  Winter Hopfenlager

Brewery:  Dovetail Brewery

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  5.1%

IBU:  N/A

Good for drinking if:  You're sitting on your couch watching a college football championship game between two teams for which you have no rooting interest, since whoever wins is all but guaranteed to make the College Football Playoff.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  3.75

Thankfully, Beer #6 was more along the lines of a traditional winter beer, but with a twist.  I happened to be at Midwest Coast yesterday, but I didn't have this one.  Winter Garden is described as a "chocolate rye porter."  Porter is probably my favorite style of beer.  This one was interesting.  The rye gives it a bitterness to offset the chocolate malt.  It's not sweet at all, and I'd probably describe it as "blunt," if that makes any sense -- certainly more on the side of a robust porter than a sweet porter.

Name:  Winter Garden

Brewery:  Midwest Coast Brewing Company

Location:  Chicago, IL

ABV:  7.8%

IBU:  50

Good for drinking if:  You're still celebrating the fact that your alma mater -- which, prior to the beginning of the season, was the losingest program in Division 1 football history -- beat a team they hadn't beaten in 37 years, beat the #1-ranked team for the first time in program history, clinched their first Big Ten title since LBJ was president, clinched their first outright Big Ten title since Truman was president, and are now ranked #1 for the first time ever.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4

Hair Band Friday - 12/5/25

1.  "Body Talk" by Kix

2.  "Sometimes at Night" by Gorky Park

3.  "Piece of the Rock" by King Kobra

4.  "Get in Touch" by FireHouse

5.  "The Bottom Line" by David Lee Roth

6.  "Price You Gotta Pay" by Mr. Big

7.  "Eyes of a Stranger" by Y&T

8.  "Rock An' Roll Angels" by Whitesnake

9.  "Stick to Your Guns" by Bon Jovi

10.  "Baby's On Fire" by Sammy Hagar

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Church Street Rudolph's Red

Beer #2 is from suburban Itasca's Church Street, and it was brewed in collaboration with the proprietor of this lovely advent calendar, Beer on the Wall.  I assume that means it was made especially for the advent calendar, particularly because I was only the 8th person on Untappd to ever check it in.  Anywho, this one's a red ale called Rudolph's Red, and it's pretty damn good -- malty, caramelly, and not too heavy at 5.3%.  Not enough breweries make red ales anymore, which is too bad because it's really a great style of beer.  Hopefully Church Street keeps making it.

Name:  Rudolph's Red

Brewery:  Church Street Brewing Company

Location:  Itasca, IL

ABV:  5.3%

IBU:  37

Good for drinking if:  You need a nice malty beer after once again shuttling children to and from sports practices.

Rating (out of five stars, by quarter star increments):  4.25