Not only is the calendar turning over to December, which means the holiday season is truly upon us, it also means the 12 Gates of Christmas have opened, bringing delicious beer to all to enjoy. Starting on December 1, 12 Gates Brewing will release a new beer each day, along with an in-house special on beer and brewery merchandise, for 12 days leading up to the release of their Grave Concerns Russian Imperial Stout at their Fourth Anniversary Party on December 12. And if you go to the brewery each day to drink each beer, you’ll receive a custom t-shirt. Just ask your bartender for a punch card to participate.
I can hear you asking – just what are these 12 magical beers you’re talking about? Well, calm down, because I’m getting there.
December 1 – Raspberry Milkshake DIPA: A thick and creamy Double IPA with raspberries. Taproom special – $10.99 Wind Forge IPA 4-packs.
December 2 – Augustus Gloop: Head Brewer Matt Gordon describes this beer as a ‘super chocolate porter.’ Taproom special – 25% food.
December 3 – Pumpkin Pie: A delicious Pumpkin Ale packed full of cinnamon, nutmeg, spice, and pumpkin. Don’t forget the marshmallow! Taproom special – Free $10 gift card with $50 gift card purchase.
December 4 – Hazelnut Brown: Tasty brown ale with loads of hazelnut and hints of pecan. Taproom special – 25% Off Ceramic Pints.
December 5 – Mango Habanero Porter: Spicy beer that hits home and doesn’t linger very long with the heat. Taproom special – $6.99 Coffee Porter 6-packs.
December 6 – Southwest 6 IPA: Bright colors and flavors reminiscent of a desert sunset with Amarillo and Azacca hops. Taproom special – $5 off Buffalo shirts.
December 7 – Hard Gloves: A Winter Spice Ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and Allspice. Taproom special – Get a free $25 gift card with $100 gift card purchase.
December 8 – Blueberry Stout: A delicious stout conditioned on blueberry muffin and salted caramel coffee beans from Great Lakes Coffee Roasters. Taproom special – $6.99 West Coast Style IPA 6-packs.
December 9 – Huell Is In Session: A mango and strawberry session IPA brewed with Huell Melon hops. Taproom special – $6.99 Elderberry Wheat 6-packs.
December 10 – Banana Bread Hef: Bready and toasty hefeweizen with loads of banana flavor. Taproom special – 25% off kegs.
December 11 – Choco Raspberry Sour Stout: Welp, the name pretty much says it all. Taproom special – Get a free $25 gift card with $100 gift card purchase.
December 12 – Grave Concerns Imperial Stout: Brewed with loads of chocolate and roasted barley malts for a rich, dark, chocolatey body with a creamy, lingering head. Taproom special – $25 cases of West Coast Style IPA, Coffee Porter & Elderberry Wheat.
And, as if that wasn’t enough new beer, in addition to Grave Concerns (22oz bottles, 200x available, first come, first serve), 12 Gates will also be releasing a pair of New England IPAs for their anniversary party, including Fire Emoji, a 6.1% NEIPA with Citra, El Dorado and Azacca hops (very delicate, soft, and delicious), and Wicked TRIPA, a 12% Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria and Meridian hopped Triple IPA (tons of bright and juicy pineapple).
Speaking of the Fourth Anniversary Party, The Rightly So will perform (12:30-3:30pm), along with A Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Experience (4-7pm) and Farrow (8-11pm).
Gordon says he is most looking forward to the Mango Habanero Porter because “it’s not very sweet and has a lingering heat on the back of the throat. I enjoy the uniqueness of it,” he says. “Also looking forward to the Choco Raz Sour Stout. First time ever trying something like this and I’m super pumped to be able to try it with everyone else.”
This event is free and open to the public. Beers tap when the doors open at the brewery at 11:30am every day. For more information on the 12 Gates of Christmas, click here. For more information on 12 Gates’ Fourth Anniversary Party, click here.
Brian Campbell is a co-founder/Brand Manager of the BNBA’s enthusiast arm, Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague) and www.buffalobeerleague.com.
