All of you thinking about posting lists — best beers of the year, best holiday beers, best beers sold in large bottles, best beers sold in cans, best beers [fill in the blank, context preferred] — can rest easy. I promise not to pick on any more lists until . . . I do again.
You can thank Lauren Buzzeo of Wine Enthusiast, who took the heat for all of you and got it out of my system.
And just to prove how I’ve made my peace with lists, I’ll point you to a couple from the current issue of DRAFT magazine. First, a nice simple one with fifteen holiday beers, supplemented with comments from somebody at the brewery. For instance, Jeff Williamson of Flat Earth Brewing Co. on his Winter Warlock: “This beer pairs nicely with calamari, ham, and quail. It’s perfect for when all the toys are assembled and the presents are wrapped or ringing in the New Year with that special someone.”
Then The 10 (Most Interesting Belgian) Beers of Christmas from Joe Stange, which can make for painful reading unless you already have passage booked to be in Essen next weekend for the Kerstbierfestival.
Brasserie de la Senne’s Zinnebir X-Mas doesn’t make the list, but does get a passing mention (good read the story). I picked it up last night at Whole Foods ($12.99 for a 750ml) and eventually will let you know how it tastes. One of the best labels out there. Perhaps I should start a list.
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for both reading and wanting to post beer list articles. If anything, I’m interested in seeing what other peoples top interests are. If anything it can tell you a lot about the writer if you dig deep enough.