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Last Minute Stocking Stuffer Beers

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It’s the night before Christmas and all through the house, shouts of obscenities ring out because you forgot to buy someone a gift.

Luckily for you, nothing pairs better with holiday gifting than craft beer. I’ve never met a person who was disappointed by receiving free beer, even if it’s the typical, everyday “shelf” beer that can be found year round.

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If you don’t have the access or the funds to acquire any limited release, seasonal or high-dollar vanity brews but still want to make a quality craft beer gift, these selections are easy to find with wide national distribution and will help the holidays go down easy.

witte-glass_1280Ommegang Witte
Witbiers are equally fantastic for summertime refreshment as spicing up a cold winter’s night. Ommegang’s take is classically inspired with a bright effervescence, bubbling on top of clove, lemon and sweet orange.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
A true “hop bomb,” Torpedo is dry hopped for an aggressive, front-loaded beer designed for fans of all things bitter. Its tropical fruit and piney flavors only enhance the experience.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
A hoppy wheat beer unlike any other, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ bridges the gap between raw, earthy hops and smooth, sweet malts to forge a surprisingly balanced brew that’s challenging but not overly aggressive.

Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0
With a revamped take on a Stone flagship beer, Ruination 2.0 is a high ABV stunner. It’s a boozy, burly IPA that squeezes every ounce of aroma and flavor from its plentiful contribution of hops.

Rogue Chocolate Stout
The holidays go hand-in-hand with chocolate. Instead of another box of mix sweets, substitute this dessert beer from Portland’s Rogue Brewing. The tasting highlights are an oat-like malt base and a truffle finish.

Anchor Old Foghorn
Barleywines are an underestimated addition to the craft beer drinker’s repertoire. In the US, few have been making it as long as Anchor, and its decades of experience are evident in Old Foghorn, an ideal cold weather sipper.

This Christmas, when you’re settling in for a long winter’s nap, rest easy knowing that delicious beer gifts can still be hung by the chimney with care, even if you waited until the last minute.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
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