It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer: Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Each November, Great Lakes Christmas Ale is released to significant fanfare, particularly in Northeast Ohio, where it flies off the shelves faster than stores can stock it.  Thankfully, the demand here in Chicago isn't quite as insane, so you can usually find Christmas Ale pretty easily.  In my opinion, Great Lakes Christmas Ale is the quintessential winter beer.  It is strong, malty, and full of spices, like ginger, cinnamon, and honey, but it's not overpoweringly spicy (as some winter beers can be), so you can drink a lot of them without feeling like you've just snorted a kilo of nutmeg.  It is so good that some bars save a keg of it for the summer, so they can have Christmas in July.  If you're going to a holiday party and can't figure out what to bring, a sixer of this is always a safe bet.  But beware:  its combination of deliciousness, drinkability, and potency has proven to be dangerous.  One minute, you're enjoying your sixth or seventh Christmas Ale at a holiday party, and the next thing you know, you're waking up the following morning, there's an eight-foot inflatable snowman fully inflated in your bedroom, and you have no idea how either of you got there.  Also, the only thing you're wearing is a dickey.  You don't own a dickey.

Name:  Christmas Ale
Brewery:  Great Lakes Brewing Company
Location:  Cleveland, Ohio
ABV:  7.5%
IBU:  30
Good for drinking if:  you want to time travel, but can't afford a DeLorean.
Rating:  4.5 stars (out of 5)