BC craft brewers pour it on for Christmas

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While a province-wide roadtrip is off the table this December, you can still taste your way along the BC Ale Trail – Christmas edition!

Each December, British Columbia’s craft breweries release special, holiday season beers – often a little darker and stronger, with seasonal spices and ingredients giving a nod to holiday nostalgia. So from Vancouver Island to Northern BC, enjoy this tasteful holiday trip!

Winter CAMP – Camp Beer Co., Langley, 6% ABV: This ginger snap cookie-style ale is perfect for the holiday season. Other delicious possibilities include Camp’s Barrel-Aged Flannel Pyjamas (10% ABV), a Wee Heavy Scottish Ale aged in Jack Daniels bourbon barrels, and Hopsecco Brut Pale Ale, a collaboration with Old Abbey Ales coming Dec. 17. Bone dry and effervescent with notes of white wine grapes, raise a glass to toast to 2021! Found on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail, find it at liquor stores and at the brewery.
Ginger Snap Brown Ale – Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers, North Vancouver, 5.7% ABV: Fresh ginger, molasses, cinnamon and cloves evoke the holiday season in this smooth and creamy beer. Available at liquor stores and at the brewery, found on Vancouver’s North Shore Ale Trail.
Chai Hard – Dog Mountain Brewing, Port Alberni, 5.1% ABV: This chai-spiced brown ale pays homage to a certain Christmas-themed action movie. Including lactose and reminiscent of a sweet, carbonated, cold chai latté, pick it up at liquor stores and the brewery. Found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 2.
Holiday Jam Cranberry Sour – Electric Bicycle Brewing, Vancouver, 5% ABV | 12 IBU*: From theVancouver Ale Trail, and boasting a fun, festive label this beer brewed with cranberry purée is the ideal gift for a beer lover’s Christmas tree. Find it on its own or in a Holiday Mix Pack, complete with a code to see a special video featuring a virtual brewery tour and tasting by Santa Claus and his elves. Available at the brewery and through local delivery.
From the Vancouver Ale Trail, Electric Bicycle Brewing’s Holiday Jam Cranberry Sour is an ideal gift for a beer lover’s Christmas tree.
Cherry Me Home – New Tradition Brewing, Comox, 5% ABV | 29 IBU: This medium-bodied stout inspired by Oma’s Black forest chocolate cake features dark chocolate, cherries and Mandarina Bavaria hops. Found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part 2, pick it up at the brewery.
Wobbly Toboggan IPA – North Point Brewing, North Vancouver, 9.5% ABV | 65 IBU: Available at the brewery, along Vancouver’s North Shore Ale Trail, this white IPA is abundantly hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Azacca, presenting notes of gooseberry, tropical fruit, spice and bitterness.
SPECTAACULOUS ‘Spice Cookie’ Stout – Parkside Brewery, Port Moody, 7.2% ABV | 25 IBU: A robust stout inspired by the European speculaas spice cookie, also known as the Windmill Cookie, enjoy warming flavours of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cardamom. Found on the Port Moody Ale Trail, find it at liquor stores and the brewery.
Silent Night – Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse, Terrace, 7.25% ABV | 18 IBU: The recipe for this spiced Belgian ale was created by owner Darryl Tucker and a visiting Belgian brewer back in 2014 before the brewery even opened. The Northern BC Ale Trail’s Sherwood Mountain releases it every Christmas, and hopes to present it at a Winter Beer Festival in Belgium one day. Available at the brewery.
“A Great Big Sled” Gingerbread Scottish Ale – Silver Valley Brewing, Maple Ridge, 5.5% ABV | 20 IBU: This festive take on a Scottish Ale features caramel, toffee and toasty biscuit flavours, along with a healthy dose of gingerbread spices. Available at the brewery, along the Maple Ridge Ale Trail.
Elf Juice – Mandarin Hazy IPA – Yellow Dog Brewing, Port Moody, 7% ABV | 30 IBU: The fifth annual holiday beer released in conjunction with CFOX Radio to support charity, this juicy IPA was brewed with a hint of Mandarin orange for a festive holiday hop potion. Find it at liquor stores and the brewery, along the Port Moody Ale Trail.

Thirsty for more? Visit the BC Ale Trail blog or take home a flavourful mix with a holiday gift pack.

A partnership of Destination British Columbia and the BC Craft Brewers Guild, the BC Ale Trail is a series of self-guided tours highlighting local craft brewery destinations and the super, natural landscapes that surround them. Explore over 150 breweries across 18 Ale Trails in 60 communities around the province.