The 12 Beers of Christmas

1. Bitter Sisters Brewery is a family owned craft brewery located in Addison, Texas. Bitter Sisters Brewery features the Barrel Aged Knock Out Irish Red–a traditional punched-up ale with a perfect balance of bready, toffee-like flavors of malt, mixed with a bitterness of English hops and that pairs nicely with a rich chocolate cake or bread pudding.
2. With its enticing bold flavors from Lakewood Brewing Co. Seduction Series, The Temptress is complete seduction in a glass. Curvy in all the right places, this Imperial Milk Stout pours a thick, milk chocolate head. Chocolate and caramel malt give this lager a rich and complex body. Sweet, savory pairings with The Temptress beer consists of robust bleu cheese, dark chocolate, and pecan pie.
3 & 4. Located in Southside Fort Worth, Hopfusion Ale Works’ Cocoa Anejo is an Imperial Milk Stout with hints of roasted hazelnut, dark chocolate toffee and roasted coconut. Their Feisty Blonde – Honey Vanilla Blonde is a golden ale combined with deeply aromatic orange blossom honey with a touch of Mexican vanilla and brown sugar to round out the smooth finish.
5 & 6. Aiming to change the status quo and determined to create something uncommon, 3 Nations Brewing Co. uses unique blends of spicy hops, malt, water and yeast. The term “3 Nations” pays homage to the greatest beer countries in the world: Germany, England and Belgium. The piercing aroma is the focal point of the brewery. 3 Nations bestselling taproom beer, the Royal Blood, is a refreshing unique flavor with a big orange aroma and sweet finish. In addition, the Texas Xmas Ale is a sweet blend of Mexican Chocolate Imperial Milk Stout pairing perfectly with two scoops of chocolate ice cream with a shot of espresso poured to top it off.
7. The Wonderland of Milk and Honey is a stout set free from the restraint of traditional style guidelines. It is a local honey stout brewed with roasted malt and lactose for smoothness. The base of this beer is made with local honey from Crouse Honey, a North Texas source for premium raw honey. The local honey from Crouse Honey gives the stout a light crispness with a hint of sweetness pairing keenly with a smoked turkey or hot cocoa.
8. Just seven years ago, Buffalo Bayou Brewery was a neglected warehouse when founder and owner Rassul Zarinfar started the brewery. Now, the distillery will be opening a 3-story, 28,000 square foot brewery capable of brewing 10 times faster. Buffalo Bayou’s very own Secessionist Series features their Ginger Stout, which is brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, noted with clove and ginger as an ode to gingerbread cookies.
9. The Territorial Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout spends more than three months in bourbon barrels aging to maturity at Coop Ale Works Brewery in Oklahoma City. With the sweet flavor of oak and whiskey as well as the bold flavors of dark chocolate and caramel, this stout is brewed with nine malt varieties. A decadent dessert of tart fresh mixed berries would bring out some of the subtler notes in this beer.
10. Located on the Northwest Corridor of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Justin, Texas, Rabbit Hole Brewing is a craft brewery focused on bringing underrepresented classic beer styles to North Texas. Rabbit Hole Brewing features Hole Lang Syne, a Belgian Golden Strong Ale brewed with raspberries and blackberries best paired to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the one you love. This golden ale is characterized by a delicate malt flavor, noble hops and a complex combination of fruit esters and spicy phenolic derived from an historic Belgian yeast strain.
11 & 12. In the backyards of Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Brewing Company shares the spirit of Texas with the occasional domestic imports, combining packed flavors of Mexican lagers. The Tejas Negras is a Mexican-style Amber Lager with bold caramel-like malt flavors. This seasonal lager has delicate aromas of spicy hops pairing naturally with burgers, pub food and Texas chili. Big Bend Brewing Company’s own National Park Hefeweizen won the World Beer Cup Gold Medal in 2018. The Hefeweizen embodies a gold medal spritzy wheat flavor that challenges taste buds with notes of banana and clove.