'This red ale sleighs:' 20 plus Columbus beers to try this holiday season

With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror the year-end holiday season is in full swing.

It's a wonderful time of year for beer drinkers, as breweries roll out seasonal concoctions both new and old.

By no means a comprehensive list, here are 20 holiday beers that Columbus breweries are currently serving.

Most, if not all are currently on draft in the respective taprooms of each brewery, and some are available in four-packs or six-packs at your local grocery store.

Barley's Brewing Co.

The brewery's annual Christmas Ale has its roots in 1993, when then-Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka tapped the first batch in celebration of Barley's first anniversary. Brewed with British Pale and Crystal malt, the ale has a rich, caramel flavor. Local honey, fresh orange zest, freshly chopped ginger, and sticks of cinnamon are also added to the mix. The 6.6% alcohol by volume (ABV) ale is somewhat reminiscent of gingerbread, said brewmaster Angelo V. Signorino Jr.

To celebrate three decades of business, Barley recently introduced Thirtyyearslator, its first Doppelbock. Strong, rich, malty and balanced, this toasty brown lager with an 8% ABV has hints of dark fruit and subtle warming alcohol.

"Brewed with German Pilsner malt and three different kinds of Munich, we lagered Thirtyyearslator for six weeks to hatch this liquid bread," Signorino said.

Columbus Brewing Co.

Madelyn Nelson, Columbus Brewing Co. marketing and communications coordinator, describes the brewer's Citra Noel as a hoppy holiday ale that pours a rich, mahogany hue with a smooth, malty character. Brewed with Crystal malts, Citra, Azacca, and Mosaic hops, Citra Noel has a festive taste with fruit-forward notes of stone fruit, grapefruit, and tropical fruit. "This red ale sleighs in at 7.3% ABV," she added.

Tracksuit Santa is Columbus Brewing's spiced holiday ale with a 7.8% ABV. It’s brewed with cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel to give it that “home for the holiday” feeling without being overly spiced, Nelson says.

Crooked Can

The recently-released Holidays with McSwagger is an Amber Ale brewed with sweet orange peel, cinnamon, candied ginger, and allspice.

Zachary Null, head brewer at Hilliard-based Crooked Can, says "the higher alcohol levels give off a warming feeling as the sweetness and aromas of spice take you to grandma's kitchen at the holidays."

Gemüt Biergarten

Kollaborator, as you might guess, was made in collaboration with Columbus Brewing Co. This Doppelbock is made with German hops, malts and yeast and has a 7.5% ABV.

Land Grant Brewing Co.

First introduced last year, Tinsel Holiday Lager is an Amber Lager with a 6% ABV and a subtle malty sweetness, built up by incorporating ginger and apricot. "The result is a festively crushable lager that glistens with seasonal cheer," said Land Grant Communications Director Meredith Miles.

Beard Crumbs Oatmeal Raisin Stout is Land Grant's go-to winter seasonal. In fact, Bread Crumbs was the first seasonal beer Land Grant ever created. A smooth, dark stout teeming with notes of chocolate and coffee, Miles described the 7.3% ABV stout as having a "subtle punch of sweetness brought through by the addition of caramelized raisins."

"It delivers the joy of an oatmeal raisin cookie, minus the crumbly clean up," she added.

As if that's not enough, Land Grant recently introduced Wintergarden Juicy IPA, a 6.5% ABV brew made with Simcoe and Amarillo hops that are bursting with notes of apricot, mango, orange peel, and pine. The name was inspired by the brewery's winterized beer garden that has heated igloos and a 9,000-square-foot curling rink. Small beer kegs are used instead of stones.

One more for the road:

Land Grant's Frozen Grove Winter Wheat Ale ― a wit-style wheat beer with 5.1% ABV ― is brewed with oranges and mulling spices for what Miles calls an aromatic, refreshing, and energizing jolt of sunshine that delivers a touch of summer's cozy warmth in the heart of winter.

Nocterra

Take a Hike 13 is a spiced Cookie Ale best described by Nocterra marketing manager James Knott as Gingerbread Man meets Munich Dunkel. Vanilla beans and warm cookie spices adds to its richness.

Brewed with black currants and caramelized Belgian candi syrup, then spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cardamom, Schussing Sticks is a winter sour with 7.5% ABV.

To make Tree Well, a White Pine IPA with a 7% ABV, Nocterra says it picked needles from a white pine grove at Dawes Arboretum and steeped them in a kettle.

"The needles add an undeniable citrus note to the beer while accentuating the resinous hop notes we all love," Knott said.

Nostalgia Brewing Co.

A nod to the everyone's favorite leg lamp, Fra-Gee-Lay Christmas Ale is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, with a hint of orange.

Schitersfül Cherry-Pecan Winter Wheat pays homage to cousin Eddie from National Lampoon's A Christmas Vacation. "A dunkelweizen base gives a nice bready backbone to allow the cherry to really shine - hints of pecan round out the beer," said Shawn White, the brewery's owner.

Olentangy Brewing Co.

Inspired by the Puerto Rican drink coquito, Snow Pants is a Russian Imperial Stout with flavors of toasted coconut and cinnamon and a 9% ABV.

Cranberry Ol'n Tangy is a mix of Olentangy's house gose beer, filled with holiday cheer, according to Olentangy taproom manager Darren Loeffler. The brew has a 4.6% ABV.

"Tangy and sour our Ol'n Tangy balances tart cranberry and gives you a reason to sing loud for all to hear!" he said.

Sideswipe Brewing

Seasons Beatings is a Christmas Ale with 7.5% ABV that is crafted with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. "Take a sip, relax and try not to punch any department store elves this year," its description reads.

Seventh Son

Brewmaster Colin Vent describes Rime Winter IPA is a classic IPA but with a hearty malt backbone that's enlivened with orange peels, coriander, ginger and tangerine puree. The brew has a 6.4% ABV.

Holiday Baking Show is an imperial brown ale brewed with ginger and aged in rum, bourbon, and sherry barrels. At 15.3% ABV, it's the strongest beer Seventh Son has ever released. "The alcohol content is very warming and is well balanced by the residual sweetness of the beer," Vent said.

Spires Social

Did You Bring a Saw is a Winter Ale that pays tribute to one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. Lightly seasoned with honey, cinnamon, clove, and cranberries, it has an 8.7% ABV.

Wolf's Ridge Brewing Co.

At 11% ABV, Santa Was Here packs a punch. The Buckeye Stout is brewed with lactose, brown sugar, cacao nibs, peanut butter and vanilla beans.

Monroe Trombly covers breaking and trending news.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@monroetrombly

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here are 22 Columbus beers to try this holiday season