Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 7 New Champagne of Beers to Drink This New Year’s Eve

beer glassware cheers

Beer is always welcome, whether it’s a smoldering Sunday afternoon in August or a chilly December eve. Why should anything change during New Year’s Eve? Granted, it’s the occasion of occasions but there are some great beers out there that can compete with your favorite sparkling wine. And some are so celebratory and effervescent they’re practically bubbly anyway.

By all means, get your holiday cocktail and wine on. Just don’t overlook beer. It’s so often the commoner in drinks land, deemed ill-equipped for more lavish gatherings or the most festive nights out (or in). Well, that all depends on the beer you’re celebrating with, of course.

Related Videos

There are many up to the task, especially from beer-loving Belgium and right here at home. Craft beer is so dominant now that there are stellar offerings available all over the globe, from the cult releases to the macro ones done well.

Here are seven worthy of seeing one year go and another arrive, all in one evening.

Sixpoint Hazy Brut IPA

Sixpoint Brut IPA.

The Brut IPA is a style we desperately want to see more of, a beer lover’s beer that really emphasizes the crisp and clean side of a well-made IPA. If there’s a beer that drinks more like a bone-dry Champagne, we don’t know of it. This one from NYC’s Sixpoint is a stunner, a slight twist on the category as it involves some haze. If can’t get a hold of it, look out for other releases within the small but delicious Brut IPA genre.

Pliny the Younger

Russian River Pliny the Younger beer.

Much of the attention in this cultish and outstanding California IPA series goes to Pliny the Elder. Yet, the Younger is a force in its own right and wine-like in nature. This is a layered sipper of a triple-IPA, clocking in at more than 10% ABV and full of nuance. While it mostly enjoys a west coast bottle release, the beer does end up at the occasional bottle shop elsewhere. Ask your beer steward if they have some or can point you in the direction of something comparable.

Sapporo

Sapporo beer

The ubiquitous sushi beer? Of course, and let’s give it the credit it is fully due. One of Japan’s most popular beers is also one of the best, a prime example of how you’re supposed to lager. It’s clean, balanced, and subtly refined. It’s also sessionable, so you can crack one in the afternoon and keep sipping until the ball drops, without fading out.

Saison Dupont

Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dupont

A real crowd-pleaser, this legendary Belgian brew is appreciated by critics and also so approachable your friends who contend they don’t like beer will change their minds. It’s built for a nice tulip glass, with pleasant aromas and a fruity, personable palate. It also comes in a sparkling wine-like bottle so you can saber it just before midnight.

Tank 7

Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse

There’s a theme building here and we’re all about it. Belgian-style beers are among the best for big occasions, as they tend to bring forth wine-like complexity while still being initing and thirst-quenching, like a proper beer. This take from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing is one of the best made stateside, a beautiful beer full of citrus, spice, bread, and tea-like notes.

Devils Backbone Brut IPA

Devils Backbone Brut IPA.

So bubbly, so good. This Brut IPA is made with a trio of lighter malts and a hop bill that includes Amarillo, Simcoe, and Hallertau Blanc. The finished product is worthy of your favorite flute or vintage Champagne glass, a tremendously fizzy brew with lemon peel and delicate cracker notes.

St Bernardus Abt 12 Magnum

St Bernardus magnum beer.

What’s more celebratory than an oversized bottle? Not much, not much. This magnum (1.5L) of St Bernardus Abt 12 is guaranteed to start the party in style, a Trappist abbey ale made by monks that’s dark, smooth, and layered. Rich without being cloying, it’s a beer to unwind with, sipping every now and again to see how it changes in the glass.

Editors' Recommendations

Is erythritol harmful? What a dietitian says new data means for your Keto diet
Erythritol is common in many keto foods - what does that mean for your health?
erythritol in keto diet advice

While sugar substitutes have been around for more than a century, they didn't really become mainstream here in the United States until around the mid-70s. According to Carolyn De La Pena, professor of American Studies at UC Davis and author of Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners from Saccharin to Splenda, between 1975 and 1984, Americans increased their consumption of artificial sweeteners by 150 percent. This timeline makes sense when you take into account that the late seventies coincided with the start of our crazed diet culture and the revolving door of fad diets.
One such diet that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, however, is the Keto diet. Still hugely popular among Americans trying to shed a few pounds, Keto focuses heavily on limited or no carbohydrates. Because sugar contains carbohydrates, followers of Keto have turned to artificial sweeteners to satisfy those late-night cravings - sweeteners that, more often than not, contain erythritol. Erythritol in particular has become hugely popular because it's much better for baking than other sugar substitutes, has less of an artificial flavor, and will keep the eater in Ketosis, which is key for losing weight on the Keto diet.
A new study has made waves recently because its findings indicate there's a link between erythritol and higher rates of heart attack and stroke (though the study did note that only an association was found — not causation. So should you be worried?
We asked Dan LeMoine, RD, the award-winning author of Fear No Food and the Clinical Director at Phoenix-based Re:vitalize Nutrition, what he had to say about erythritol, including its benefits and potential health risks. "Artificial sweeteners are still sweeteners. While many are non-nutritive or zero-calorie, we tend to view them similarly as we do regular sweeteners or sugars — moderation is key. While many have amazing implications on weight loss – being low to no-calorie options and having little impact on blood sugar, some have their downside," he says.

While some of that sugar substitution has been good for waistlines and health issues that come from obesity, it seems to be causing more and more concern when it comes to other potential health issues. "For example," says LeMoine, "some research indicates the popular sweeteners stevia may have negative effects on the gut microbiome. And the recent study showing correlation between the sugar alcohol, erythritol, and heart attack and stroke."

Read more
Feeling adventurous? 5 of the weirdest cocktails from around the globe
Would you order a cocktail with a pickled human toe? You can in Canada, apparently
unusual and unique cocktails sourtoe cocktail

We all love a good cocktail, but it's easy to tire of the classics. There's nothing wrong with a perfectly frosty, salted-rimmed margarita, or a warm-to-your-bones, cherry-topped old-fashioned, but sometimes, you just want something new. Something that makes you think. Something that, perhaps, gives you a chuckle. These are those cocktails.
Pig's Blood Piña Colada (USA)

Back in 2014, bartender Jason Brown of Chicago's Kinmont restaurant and bar, concocted this cocktail after listening to a Werewolves of London lyric about a werewolf drinking a pina colada. His creativity sparked, and the "Werewolves of London" cocktail was born.

Read more
The 8 best protein shakes that are ready-to-go
These shakes come with all the good stuff, and none of the crap
Svelte

With as busy as we have become as a society, we always seem to be on the go. This can make life challenging, especially when it comes to wellness goals. In a perfect world, you could hit the gym hard, crush a workout, then immediately refuel with a balanced, home-cooked meal. But, since life happens and we are always on the go, it’s not always feasible to take the time to actually cook up a muscle-building meal right after your workout. Whether you’re on the go and short on time, or just can't stomach a full meal after exercising, having a quick and easy, protein-packed option that doesn’t require kitchen time, is a helpful alternative to refuel your body and maximize your results.

This is where protein shakes come in handy. Numerous ready-to-drink shakes are available that provide muscle-building protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories to fortify your body after a workout. They offer the benefits of protein powders with the convenience of eliminating the need for a shaker bottle, or high-speed blender, let alone making a mess with powders. Simply give the bottle a quick shake, pop the top, and you’re good to go.

Read more