Christmas Ale

Here's another great way to use Bell's Christmas Ale for a sweet treat! (If you haven't already, be sure to check out this Christmas Ale Cherry Chocolate Bread recipe.) Yields about 3 dozen cookies. Ingredients 3/4 cup butter (melted and cooled) 3/4 cup and 1 TBS brown sugar 1 cup molasses 1/2 cup Christmas Ale 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1 egg 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour In the kitchen Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a few sheet trays with parchment paper. Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, Christmas Ale, salt, spices, and egg. Whisk baking powder and baking soda with the flour and mix into Christmas Ale mixture. Divide the dough in half, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Once the dough is chilled, roll the dough out on a floured work surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the edges have browned and the cookies are firm. Cool completely and decorate with icing, candy, or form into your very own ginger bread brewhouse! Enjoy with a pint of Christmas Ale! Download a PDF of the recipe. 

Thanksgiving is a day-long marathon of family, beer and food. As you put together your holiday shopping list, keep in mind that your selection can help make that Thanksgiving Day Parade your cousin wants to watch a little less painful, but can also complement your menu and even help take it to another level. Here are some pointers to pair our “family” of American craft beers with your family traditions. Amber Ale will compliment everything on your table. It offers a great balance between sweet caramel malts, moderate alcohol and a touch of hop bitterness. Greet everyone with a glass of Amber to ready their taste buds for the meal to come. You can pair our classic ale with a wide range of appetizers, main plates, side dishes and desserts. Plus, the low ABV will hopefully fend off any sleepiness. Lager of the Lakes: Sage and Onion stuffing will complement the traditional style of our Lager by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness and crisp drinkablity. Have it in your fridge for those that might not be familiar with craft beer. Start them on that journey with Lager or Amber Ale. Great with Brussel sprouts! Official Hazy IPA perfectly pairs with homemade cranberry relish with a zest of orange. Beautiful pungent American hops with stone fruit and tropical notes, Official is a refined beer for both those who love hops or prefer wheat beers. If you're frying a turkey, this is the beer for you! Bright White pairs with your Turkey and cranberry. Our seasonal beer’s fruity aromas, moderate body and alcohol will nicely compliment tart cranberries and turkey, especially for white meat lovers. Bright White also pairs well with lighter dishes like a salad or a shrimp cocktail. This is also a great beer to pair with fruit desserts like apple cobbler or blueberry trifle. Two Hearted Ale — Stuffing or dressing? How about our delicious IPA with a classic oyster dressing? It's the best way to showcase the singular and simple flavor of oysters in a great Thanksgiving pairing. Also great with garlic mashed potatoes and sublime with green bean casserole. Bell’s Porter pairs well with glazed ham. It will also pair well with anything on the chocolatey side of desserts as its slight bitterness, roast and coffee characteristics will complement the sweetness. Kalamazoo Stout — Pecan, sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Let Kalamazoo Stout pair amazingly with these desserts. The roasted malt flavors and bitter hop additions will counter and help balance these sweet treats nicely. Expedition Stout is a great as a compliment to rich, decadent dessert dishes. Its roasted malt character, sturdy hop bitterness, and high alcohol balances nicely and helps cut through the sweetness and heaviness that most desserts tend to have. Or, skip the dessert and indulge in one on its own. Bell’s Christmas Ale — End the meal with a selection of cheeses, especially with some Gruyere, an aged white cheddar or some Asiago. Allow our traditional Scotch Ale with its rich and malty body, notes of caramel and a warm finish settle you in for that after-dinner nap. Check out some of these great food pairing suggestions and recipes for your Thanksgiving. Cheers! Winter White with Turkey Craftbeer.com Two Hearted paired with cranberry sauce Outside Expedition Stout paired with Pumpkin Pie Craftbeer.com Thanksgiving Stuffing pairing suggestions Craftbeer.com Chocolate Stout Truffle recipe from The Beeroness Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie recipe from The Beeroness

Chocolate bread is the perfect winter treat, and adding cherries only makes it better. Ingredients  1/2 cup dried cherries 1 bottle (12 oz.) Bell’s Christmas Ale 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 TBS baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 4 TBS melted butter In the kitchen  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, soak the cherries in the Bell’s Christmas Ale for 20 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add the beer and cherry mixture to the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and 3 TBS of the melted butter (reserve 1 TBS). In a well-greased loaf pan, spread the dough to fit the pan. Brush the remaining 1 TBS of melted butter over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the pan immediately and allow it to cool about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with a pint of Christmas Ale!