December is the big birthday month. That’s right, Farmer Steve and Fonger both born on the same December day. Happy beer day boys, or in Fonger’s case happy bong day. JT calls them brothers from another mother. I insulted both of them by asking if they were identical twins.
Farmer Steve. Après ski.
Farmer Steve is on a ski trip to Fernie with his sons, the last time he skied was 50 years ago! He exuded confidence when he summed up the upcoming trip in three words, “God help me”. I never knew Farmer Steve as the religious type, other than praying for rain. I suggested for his birthday he tap a keg rather than break a leg. No real need to go skiing at his age, it’s all downhill from here anyway.
So a toast to the two of them for another trip around the sun. You’re not as young as you once were but you’re as young as you’ll ever be. Not sure if that sounds quite as encouraging as I meant it to be. Whatever.
The COM double birthday is also the start of the Christmas beer countdown. You know what’s great about Christmas? That’s right, your surprise that morning when the grandkids open the gifts from you and grandma. But what’s not so great are Christmas themed beers that only come out for a few weeks a year, and with good reason. But I figured if Farmer Steve can toss good sense and caution to the wind, at least I can take the risk involved in sampling a Christmas brew.
Big Rig’s Christmas classic Broken Sled is about a Christmasy as you can get if you aren’t Clark Griswold. Gingerbread stout. I think it was Hilary Clinton who wrote the book “It Takes a Gingerbread Village to Raise a Child”. Maybe Monica Lewinsky should have written the sequel, “What it Takes to Raise a President”.* It appears I have digressed yet again, and in poor taste. Let’s hope this brew is in better taste.
Griswold holiday spirit.
A dark starry night of a blackjack pour with a tan topper star on top of the tree. A cocoa and gingerbread aroma, in equal measure. First taste is lots of cocoa with a ginger spice mix and a dark chocolate flat finish, quite nice. More of a chocolate stout with spices, which works quite nicely. It has a smooth full mouthfeel, substantial. I was a bit worried about the gingerbread, but the extra chocolate makes for just the right mix of cocoa and spices. This could only work in a stout, but it works. Maybe it’s the season for this mix, but not the saison. The gingerbread starts to step up in the last third as it warms a bit.
I wasn’t too keen on a gingerbread brew but Big Rig pulled it off. Both a festive and tasty stout. A great start to our COMDB Christmas brew countdown.
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