ABV: 6.7%

When Mrs. Claus hangs her flour-splotched apron after a night of baking scrumptious goodies, a bottle of Winter Cheers is her perfect pat-on-the-back. A little known fact, her jolly old man makes Downingtown, Pennsylvania his last stop on Christmas morning to bring her a snow-cold stash fresh from the Victory Brewing Company every year to enjoy together. Always having admired this hard-working First Lady of the North, I decided to follow suit.

This Winter wheat ale, bottled and wrapped in a lively blue label with clinking glasses, seemed to call out to me amongst its sudsy siblings on the wall. I picked it up to have a taste myself at home. Upon cracking it open, the familiar Christmas clove aroma burst from the bottle, followed by the usual Hefeweizen scents of banana and orange. Unlike most of its Christmas counterparts, there was an absence of overpowering spice flavors. Mrs. Claus seems to prefer keeping these tastes in her gingersnaps, explaining her fruitier choice.

When I found a frosty glass, the ale poured with an unusually thick head; I contemplated building a tiny snowman with the foam in celebration. The color was light but almost opaque with cloudiness, and bubbles abound! At first sip, the carbonation tickled my tongue and tummy. Mellow and easy to tip back, this delightful drink left a calm, sweet aftertaste with just a touch of spice to warm me up.

This smooth brew clocks in at a fair 6.7% ABV, just enough to keep Santa’s lady at ease after an intense day in the kitchen crafting cookies for the elves. Though Old Saint Nick always enjoys sharing this joyous pour with his Mrs. upon parking his sleigh, his night of delivering toys to the world clearly trumps her baking blues. He’ll follow up with a stiffer drink before hanging his hat to satisfy that jolly round belly, but always starts with a “cheers!” to this scrumptious holiday hash for another successful Christmas execution.