EVENTS
Dec. 3
12 South Winter Warmer
Nashville, Tennessee
This festival (now in its sixth year) features about 35 local, regional and national breweries, including Kentucky’s Against the Grain Brewery and Tennessee Brew Works. The festival emphasizes beers appropriate to the season, including stouts, porters and barley wines. 12 South will also include educational sessions with brewers such as Brandon Jones from Yazoo Brewing Co. and Derrick Morse of Mantra Artisan Ales. The event benefits the Oasis Bike Workshop, a six-week program that addresses transportation and health problems among Nashville’s youth.
Dec. 10
Beer Conn
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Beer Conn celebrates itself as an event where beer lovers and “casual” beer drinkers can interact with the people behind the brews they love. The $40 admission price gets a Beer Conn goer a souvenir glass and unlimited 2-ounce samples from over 50 participating breweries at any of multiple sessions. Participating breweries include Two Roads Brewing Co., Brewport Brewing Co., Revival Brewing Co. and more.
Dec. 17-18
Kerstbierfestival
Essen, Belgium
About 150 Belgian winter and Christmas ales will populate this festival just north of Antwerp, which drew 2,000 visitors from 25 countries last holiday season. Also available at the festival: glühkriek, an equivalent of mulled wine, but with beer, and served hot.
RELEASES
Sun King Brewery
The Velvet Fog
10.4 % | Belgian-Style Quadrupel
This 2012 World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner in the Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale category has notes of dark fruit, cherries and caramel sweetness that are warmed over by bourbon-barrel aging. Velvet Fog will be available in two-packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft.
Against the Grain Brewery
Pile of Face
6.5 % | American-Style India Pale Ale
A celebration of the “cliché” of American IPAs and laden with tones of citrus and a medium malt backbone, this beer from the Louisville-based brewery makes its debut in cans this winter. The beer will be available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft.
Abnormal Beer Co.
All of the Lights
10.7% | Imperial Milk Porter
Made in collaboration with Mostra Coffee in San Diego and J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami, this imperial milk porter incorporates both coffee and Nutella into a rich and potent brew. All of the Lights will be available in 22-ounce bottles and will be served on draft for specific special events.
Societe Adds “Urchin” Sale to Holiday Food Drive
Each year Societe Brewing Co. in San Diego runs a food drive during the holiday season. For this year’s drive, which runs from Nov. 21 to Dec. 31, Societe will also put on sale its latest “Feral” barrel-aged sour beer, Urchin, for $50. However, those who donate 50 pounds of food to the drive will be able to purchase Urchin for $5. Last year’s food drive collected 5,000 pounds of food, according to the brewery.