The shortest route to a brewer’s heart usually does not include telling him or her about how you like playing cocktail guru and mixing one or more of his or her beers with anything else.

For instance, this time of year a Beer Therapy favorite is a mix of three parts Pyramid Snow Cap Ale and one part New Belgium Frambozen. New Belgium brewmaster Peter Bouckaert did not smile when he considered the combination.

“A blender,” he said, shaking his head and almost hissing.

But we figure if a brewery employee suggests a blend we can pass it along. In this case, Bev Blackwood of Saint Arnold Brewing in Houston writes about mixing Christmas Ale and Elissa (IPA).

The brewery has even given it a name – Sailing Santa. You’ll enjoy reading how the principals settled on that.

Call it serendipity, but the Elissa label is red and the Christmas Ale label is green. So you could order and red and green. (As an aside: in New Mexico if a server will ask “red or green” he or she is talking about chile sauce that comes with any proper meal. “Christmas” is an appropriate answer.

Posted: December 4th, 2006 under Drinking notes.