Samuel Merritt is the founder of Civilization of Beer and a tireless advocate for all things craft beer. We sat down with Sam for a few, brief moments, to talk about Winter Seasonals and their appeal:
What (if anything) makes winter seasonals worth waiting for?
First and foremost, their limited availability makes them worth the wait. Almost anything tastes better when there’s anticipation and that knowledge of limited availability. Take Westvleteran Trappist beer for instance, many claim that it is the finest of the trappist beers after they’ve had it. Are they just showing off that they’ve had the one that is least available? Or is it really that good?
Also, the seasonal category of craft beer has been the fastest growing segment of any for many years now and the wandering nature of the craft beer drinker’s palate is the reason for it. Winter beers are the most classic of seasonals and almost every brewery had made one so, its a long standing tradition. There is the idea of specialty and more care is given to their production.
The winter seasonals will also have many examples that vary significantly in recipe and process so, you can collect a few in a row and do vertical tastings. Anchor Christmas famously varies from batch to batch.
In many cases, there are specialty beer drinkers where you’ll find much more loyalty to styles than to the specific breweries themselves.
How does beer tie in to your holiday celebrations each year?
I bring winter seasonal beer almost everywhere I go during the holidays. I get a few cases of winter seasonal stuff, Samuel Smith Winter, Sierra Celebration, and a few others. The trunk keeps everything nice and cold and I give two at a time to anyone who is serving me in some way out of doors. There is nothing like being an outdoor worker this time of year and there is no better, small give than a couple of nice, strong beers to look forward to. So grab a couple of cases of your local winter-whatever adn give a few bottles to the outdoor parking garage attendants, Christmas tree mongers, dry cleaners, car washers, gas station attendants, toll booth collectors, snow plow guys, cable guys, and anyone else who might be serving you outdoors.
What does the casual beer drinker NOT know about winter seasonals?
The casual beer drinker probably doesn’t know that winter seasonals have been around since the dawn of time.
Thanks to Sam Merritt for taking the time to talk with us. Check out his site at CivilizationofBeer.com and sign up for his newsletter to keep informed about upcoming Civilization of Beer events.