The Badass Beer Advent Calendar: December 19th

Sierra Nevada shook up their seasonal lineup of beers this year, replacing ESB (Early Spring Beer, perhaps Extra Special Bitter) with Glissade Golden Bock, and 86-ing Anniversary in favour of Tumbler Brown Ale. That irked me a little because ESB and Anniversary were two of my favourite Sierra Nevada beers, but I have to say that Tumbler is quite delicious and I can’t wait for its return next autumn.

I hear their justification for the change was that they wanted to get away from being known for making a range of beers that are almost exclusively hop bombs. Now, while I agree that variety is the spice of life, I love hops and hoppy beers, and especially I love Sierra Nevada hoppy beers, but since they still make Celebration, the three Harvest beers, Sierra Nevada Pale, Bigfoot and Torpedo, I think we can remain friends.

One day I’ll find the time and money to do a California brewery tour. There are so many good breweries in the Golden State that it would take several months to do them all justice, but if I can just visit Sierra Nevada, Bear Republic, Lagunitas and Moylans, then I can die contented.

And then there’s Oregon… and Colorado… and the east coast. So much beer, so little time ::SIGH::

Y’know, I think we should have a little 1970s Italian prog rock in praise of Celebration.

Jim Hughes, Head Beer Nerd, Alamo South Lamar
“If I had all the money I’ve spent on drink… I’d spend it on drink.” ~ Sir Henry Rawlinson