Stop the cycle of re-gifting by giving beer lovers what they want

Re-gifting. It's a viscous cycle throughout the holiday season, but there is a way to stop it. Buy the craft beer lovers in your life the gifts they truly want. The explosion of the craft beer industry over the last several years has ensured that nearly every man, woman and child in the United States has at least one craft beer lover, affectionately known as a "beer geek", on their holiday shopping list. For the uninitiated, buying gifts for these people can be a source of much stress, but it needn't be that way. Merchant du Vin, the folks responsible for importing Samuel Smith, Lindemanns and Ayinger (among others), have an assortment of gift items for the beer geek in your life.

For those who indulge in the latest brews that each season has to offer, Samuel Smith Brewing proudly presents their 26th annual brewing of their immensely popular Winter Welcome. Winter Welcome was the first seasonal beer to be imported to America, and it still sets the standard for many other beers following in its footsteps. It features a deep golden honey hue, full body and a malty richness that finishes with a light floral note and brought home a gold medal at the 2014 World Beer Championships. This beer is available in 18.7 ounce single bottles or 4 12 ounce bottles.

For those who enjoy giving gifts with a bit more substance, Samuel Smith Brewing also offers a gift box that features one 18.7 ounce bottle each of Oatmeal Stout, India Ale and Organic Chocolate Stout. The box also contains a Samuel Smith logo glass and set of coasters.

Many craft beer lovers enjoy taking a walk on the wild side and that is where the gift pack from Lindemanns comes into play. Lambics are a type of Belgian beer that are brewed with wild yeast that imparts the beer with an acidic tartness. With this gift pack, your beer geek will get one each of 4 different style of fruit lambics: Framboise (raspberry), Pomme (apple), Peche (peach) and Kriek (cherry). Each beer offers a brilliant shade, heavenly fruit aroma and distinctive flavor.

For those who enjoy a little spice in their life, Ayinger Weizenbock is the perfect choice. Although this beer is available year-round, its spicy weizen scent, 7.1% ABV and bold spicy hop flavor make it the perfect addition to your beer lover's winter collection since it can quickly warm up a chilly winter night. This beer is won a gold medal at the 2010 World Beer Championships and was also named the 2009 Beer of the Year by BevX.com. It is available in 16.9 ounce single bottles.

For more information about Merchant du Vin and the breweries they represent, please visit their website, Facebook page or Twitter feed for more information about this gift ideas and to see more of what they have to offer.

Bottoms Up! Winter Welcome Ale from Samuel Smith

Winter Welcome Ale from Samuel Smith Brewery is a

"seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire". 

Here are my interpretations of this beer:

Appearance: Winter Welcome pours a warm, golden hue with a light head that quickly fades. This brew offers minimal lacing.

Smell: The smell of this brew is sweet with some very obvious apple notes. There is an underlying scent of bread and a caramely sweetness.

Taste: A lightly sweet flavor that turns to apple and citrus if you hold the beer on your tongue.This flavor quickly turns into a chemical like taste if held too long, which is definitely off-putting.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied brew with light carbonation. Personally, I would have liked a little more bubble action.

Overall Impression: In my opinion, this is on okay beer for the holidays. It provides nothing noteworthy (good or bad) that makes it a holiday standout. The flavor is lighter and fruitier than most seasonal brews without the spicey character that is popular this time of year. It goes down easy but is lacking in oomph. I would recommend this beer for holiday snacking, served with poultry, wild game or holiday seasoned meats such as those with cranberries or spice. For those looking for vegan friendly beer, this one is registered with the Vegan Society and is suitable for vegetarian and vegans.

Winter Warmer is brewed by the Samuel Smith Brewery of Tadcaster, England. It is available for sale in 550ml bottles. It can be purchased locally at Heather's Coffee and Cafe, located in Springboro. To locate more retail outlets that sell this brew, please visit the retail search function online. For more information, please visit the Samuel Smith Brewery website or Facebook page.