8 Christmas Events to Drink & Be Jolly
Are Christmas events calling thee? Sure, you can stay home with your mulled wines, your eggnog, your hot toddies. That’s a time-honored way to get your cold-weather booze on.
But while there’s a lot to be said for curling up by the fire with your beverage of choice, there’s also a lot to be said for getting out a discovering new brews, spirits and flavors.
The holiday season got you thirsty? Here are 8 booze-tastic festivals and Christmas events to help you get your holiday drink on:
1) Holiday Beers from Around the World
Norey’s of Newport, Rhode Island will offer their Holiday Beers from Around the World starting December 9th at 4:00 P.M. These offerings usually last around 2 weeks, but ultimately ends when the taps run out of the international offerings. This year’s tap list includes: HaaandBryggeriet Bestefar, Delirium Noel, De Dolle Stille Nacht, The Bruery 7 Swans-a-Swimming, Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper, Mikkeller Hoppy Lovin Christmas, Baladin Noel,To Øl Barrel-Aged Snowball and Scaldis Noel.
Of course, with 160 craft beers available between tap, bottle and can, there are still plenty of reasons to show up even after the holiday taps have run out.
2) 9th Annual Winter Beer Festival
World Live Cafe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will hold their 9th Annual Winter Beer Festival on Monday, December 26 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM. This year promises a sampling of 50 different beers from 40 different countries. Ticket cost is $45 for general admission and $20 for DD’s.
In addition to beer samplings representing a spectrum of styles, the bar will remain open to serve wine, soda and other spirits.
3) 10th Annual Holiday Beerfest
One year ahead, Crescent Moon of Omaha, Nebraska is celebrating their 10th Annual Holiday Beerfest on December 3 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Advance tickets at $27 are going fast, at-the-door tickets at $32 may not even be available if they sell out.
Lucky ticket holders will have four hours to sample 75 of the world’s best seasonals, from American brews to selections from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the UK.
4) World of Beer New Year’s Eve Party
Journey to World of Beer’s Orlando location for a rocking New Year’s Eve Party on, you guessed it, New Year’s Eve. From 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM guests will enjoy a buffet dinner and an all you can drink pass that includes draft, bottles and wine. As a bonus, for the hefty $75 pre-Christmas price tag, you’ll get a champagne toast as well.
With World of Beer’s extensive selection, guests are sure to find a new holiday favorite among the deep winter flavored stouts and porters.
5) Christmas Craft Beer Show
If you really want to get out and about for your holiday drinks, you might want to look for some unique Christmas events that satisfy several different interests. For instance, head up to British Columbia for the first ever Christmas Craft Beer Show. The show will highlight local microbreweries over the weekend of December 2 and 3. Single day tickets are $40, weekend tickets price at $70. A full list of microbreweries is available on the event page.
6) Holiday Wine Fest
Bad news: this Christmas event has already passed (back in mid-November) and even then it was already sold out. Good news: you now have a whole year to set up bookmarks, calendar alerts and to block your schedule so you’ll be sure to catch Holiday Wine Fest 2017.
The Wine Fest boasts a truly extensive list of vendors, from American to international wineries, distilleries as well as artisan and local vendors. In fact, there’s so much to see and sample, you might want to go ahead and mark your calendar for 2018 as well.
7) Drink the District: Hoppy Holidays Beer Festival
Whether you’re drinking to celebrate current politics or drinking to cope, the District of Columbia has you covered with Drink the District: Hoppy Holidays Beer Festival. Attend one of the three Christmas events available the second weekend in December and enjoy over 30 craft beers as well as food trucks, music and yard games.
8) Holiday Wine Walk
San Francisco’s holiday booze offerings are a great mix of delicious wine and local business. The two Holiday Wine Walks will feature wine samplings at various merchants throughout the Walk’s designated area.
There are two locations and opportunities to participate. The first is Thursday, December 8th for the Union Street Holiday Wine Walk. The second is Thursday, December 15th for the North Beach Holiday Wine Walk. Both events run from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. It’s a great opportunity to discover local businesses and great wines.
Of course, this list only scratches the surface of boozy holiday offerings and Christmas events. Be sure to check local city calendars for tasty holiday drink events closer to home as well.