What are you guys drinking for Xmas?

[Boonie]

Now before you all say beer .

I have been saving "special" purchased beers (and some free ones) for my Xmas day. I have to travel around so the kegs I have will only be in use from 12noon til about 3.

Therefore I have stashed the following for the big Day

1/2 case of Coopers Vintage 06 (Wont drink them all)
2 Stubbies Coopers Vintage 07
2 Hoffbrau Original
2 Stubbies of each of the Little Creatures Range (LCPA, Rogers, Pilsner and Bright Ale)
2 Boags Honey Porters
2 Boags Wizard Smith (Neighbour works for Boags )
2 JS Hop Thief.

Looks like I'm in for a great day.......

What's your plan fellas?

Cheers

Boonie

[timmy]

Here's what I had in mind:
- Might crack the case of '06 Coopers Vintage Ale
- Some of my K&K Hefeweizen
- 4-pack of Leffe Blonde if Santa obliges
- Hightail clone
- Cascade First Harvest that I found in Dan's last week
- Some of your Canadian Blonde with strawberry rack (calling it my Strawberry Blonde and the sisters-in-law quite like it BTW)

Mind you this is over the break and not just on the day itself....

Don't have much in the way of bought beer in my place. Apart from the Cascade light that was leftover from a party a year ago

[Peter Bradshaw]

The males in our family are instructed each Christmas to bring along a Premium beer for every male of drinking age (7 this year). Every hour on the half-hour we drink one. We then score them. In between you can drink what you like. First year we did foreign beers (winner: Asahi Dry). Last year it was one that started with your initial (winner: Tuborg ... imported). This year is any nationality Premium and I am taking JSGA. (Amarillo is my new best friend).

I also have ready for the Festive Season: Boonies LCPA; A cloudy but tasty Amarillo Ale; and for those quiet moments in the evening a rather delicious Coopers Real Ale full of Goldings.

Cheers, Pete

And a Merry Christmas to all of you.

[MOFO]

Going back to the motherland, so it's all Kiwi beers for me this Xmas day..

So Xmas Eve is all beers from The Dux De Lux - particularly the Ginger Tom

Xmas Day:

Emersons Pilsner
Mac's Hop Rocker

Ones that I will try which have come about lately that I havent had a crack at:
Mac's Sundance Summer Ale
Twisted Hop Golding Bitter
Tuatara Pilsner

And if I can track it down without going to the source: Captain Cooker Manuka Beer.... oh boy - I have to learn how to make this.

[rwh]

You'll be in Christchurch then, yeah? I didn't think much of the Dux's ginger beer to be honest; the stout was very good though (this was in Queenstown tho). I've heard a good place to go is "The Tap" on the Avon somewhere. They have the Monteith's range on tap and have a tasting wheel of 7 beers for $15. Anywhere that has the Monteith's brews (or at least the ones brewed in Greymouth: the Black and Original) gets my vote.

[Kevnlis]

Hopefully my chesty will be collared and I will be drinking my first lot of beer on tap this Chrissy. The first keg was filled by my FIL who did a Coopers Draught that I jazzed up with a partial mash and a fair wadge of D Saaz. The second is a wheat beer done with Cascade, mandarine peel, and chocolate malt, one of my many interesting experiment brews

I find myself wishing I had a dual reg so I could overgas the wheatie but I will probably just slightly overgas them both.

[lethaldog]

Got TL's pale ale on tap plus a dopplebock ( also on tap) for the big day and have taken 2 kegs up to the holiday van 1 SNPA clone and 1 Heineken clone ( both AG's) should be a good holiday me thinks.

[regan]

- Some of your Canadian Blonde with strawberry rack (calling it my Strawberry Blonde and the sisters-in-law quite like it BTW)

i am halfway through a keg very similar and its coming with me this Christmas. nice but it needs more strawberry (500gm) what did you use?

[goatsby]

Santa has a memo (from the rellies kiddies) that I will not be accepting any Lion Nathan or CUB presents from Santa this year

[timmy]

- Some of your Canadian Blonde with strawberry rack (calling it my Strawberry Blonde and the sisters-in-law quite like it BTW)

i am halfway through a keg very similar and its coming with me this Christmas. nice but it needs more strawberry (500gm) what did you use?

Basically the same as Boonies recipe but I used 1.7kg of really ripe ones. I probably heated them up too much as it's a bit cloudy. Could do with more I agree. Funny thing is the colour - it's got a slight pink tinge but not nearly as red as I expected reading the original recipe.

[NTRabbit]

Anything from my wide selection of homebrews, some freshly made Brewferm Kriek and Framboise, St Agnes VSOP, Glenfiddich 18yo, Highland Park 12yo, and a small selection of tawny ports, including a Yaldara museum release from 1985 that I intend on opening.

[Cortez The Killer]

Heading to singleton to spend xmas with SWMBO's family

Bringing my 12L party keg with a mongrel batch in it which is drinking rather nicely

1/3 Oktoberfest
1/3 Pilsener
1/3 American Wheat

Probably indulge in some eggnog too!

Though probably not at the same time

Cheers

[MOFO]

You'll be in Christchurch then, yeah? I didn't think much of the Dux's ginger beer to be honest; the stout was very good though (this was in Queenstown tho). I've heard a good place to go is "The Tap" on the Avon somewhere. They have the Monteith's range on tap and have a tasting wheel of 7 beers for $15. Anywhere that has the Monteith's brews (or at least the ones brewed in Greymouth: the Black and Original) gets my vote.

Yeah, in Chch. I don't mind the Ginger Tom - but I admit it is more the company of mates and hanging out in the sun without work hanging over me that probably the important thing. The Tap Room does have all the beers on tap - the owner is over the paddock from me. But, I really want to try this place called The Twisted Hop who are a new microbrewery, and sound much like RedOak etc in Sydney. If all else fails, I will just go to the Belgian Beer cafe - but I like my Kiwi beers. I still want to get a keg of the Manuka Beer... mmmmmmm.

[rwh]

Ahh that reminds me, I stuffed my hand luggage full of Manuka honey when I was coming back... and the punks in security took it off me! That BS liquids rule really gets my goat!

[Boonie]

- Some of your Canadian Blonde with strawberry rack (calling it my Strawberry Blonde and the sisters-in-law quite like it BTW)

i am halfway through a keg very similar and its coming with me this Christmas. nice but it needs more strawberry (500gm) what did you use?

Basically the same as Boonies recipe but I used 1.7kg of really ripe ones. I probably heated them up too much as it's a bit cloudy. Could do with more I agree. Funny thing is the colour - it's got a slight pink tinge but not nearly as red as I expected reading the original recipe.

G'day Timmy,

Yeah mine was more pink than Red. Read original thread and I think it was Bad Seeds Cherry that was red, actually that sounds rude .

I only did 1.4kg so I thought yours may have been even stronger in aroma and/or flavour.

FWIW, mine was cloudy too, but very nice .

Glad to see you liked it and I was calling mine the "strawberry blonde" too, great minds eh !!

small selection of tawny ports, including a Yaldara museum release from 1985 that I intend on opening.

That's making me drool, I only have a local Hunter Valley Port on hand...
After hearing that, I think that might make it's way to my brothers for a finisher or two for the night

Cheers

Boonie

[KEG]

Ahh that reminds me, I stuffed my hand luggage full of Manuka honey when I was coming back... and the punks in security took it off me! That BS liquids rule really gets my goat!

freeze em first

[Trough Lolly]

I have a keg of English Special Bitter and a keg of Dortmunder on tap at the moment....once they're gone I have a keg of Hefeweizen, two dozen bottles of Robust Porter and a trusty keg of SNPA clone at the ready!!

Cheers - have a merry Xmas and a great 2008!

TL

[warra48]

I have a 4 pack of Wicked Elf witbier (belgian style with coriander and dried curacao orange).
Other than that I have a choice of about 10 different home brews, but I think my first hefeweizen will get a caning, as well as the odd APAs.
Bottled my second hefe this morning, but that won't be ready.
To all, have a merry Christmas and a great New Year.

[Heals]

I've got a couple of cases of JSAA and with any luck the first keg of my Coopers Pale clone will be drinkable (don't like my chances though, I only threw it down on the 12th!).

Going out to pick up a few cases of coopers this evening.

[rwh]

If it's been in the keg for more than 7 days, I reckon it'll be more than drinkable. Beer in a keg behaves very differently to that in a bottle!