The Beer Connoisseur® / HOLIDAY 2025, Issue 81
The holiday issue bridges the familiar and the unexpected – from cozy winter pairings to global beer culture, backcountry reflections, ancient drinking traditions, and even the world’s most unlikely brewing scenes.
As days cool and the calendar’s end approaches, brewers scramble to bottle autumn so that we may drink in the season. It’s a time of change, yet also a time where we renew our ties to tradition, and old, familiar faces. For The Beer Connoisseur magazine, that means a former editor returning to man the pages for our Holiday 2025, Issue 81. In this issue, you’ll take a trip around the world, into deep history, and gaze into the future. All in time to return home for the holidays.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Beer Spotlight: Voodoo Brewing’s “Very Old” Barrel-Aged Box Set
We’re all in the thick of the holidays, and with it the chaos of family visits, wrapping gifts, and forgetting to move the Elf, among other things.
A Canny Response to Craft Beer’s Downturn Turned Upside Down
In a year’s time, the question of “Cannabis in a can?” may be defunct thanks to an overnight change in the Farm Bill law regulating consumable hemp products.
13 Irresistible Christmas Cocktails for the Holiday Season
From the Mistletoe Mojito to the Cranberry Moscow Mule, these festive recipes will make your taste buds tingle with joy.
Frost and Foam: A Winter Meditation on Beer and Backpacking
I was in my early twenties the first time I experienced a “summit beer” – a tradition that involves carrying a pint to the top of a chosen mountain before cracking it open in celebration of the day’s accomplishments.
Notes on American Beer From an Englishman
There was a time when I was almost entirely dismissive of what one might loosely call “the beer scene” in the United States.
Subscribe Today!
Don’t miss the best in beer.
BEER EDUCATION
Actually, the “Hymn to Ninkasi” Is Not a Beer Recipe
The Hymn to Ninkasi has long been hailed as the world’s oldest beer recipe—but modern scholars say we may have been drinking the myth.
Here’s to Beer: New Questions About Drinking and Health
As new health reports question alcohol’s impact, craft beer lovers are reexamining their drinking habits.
Barrel-Aged Sour Beer: Discovering Wild Fermentation
Barrel-aged sour beers combine
wild fermentation, oak maturation, and extended aging to develop complex and refined flavors. These beers are known for their tartness, funk, and multi-dimensional taste, which deepens over months or even years in the barrel.
ADVERTISEMENT
SPIRITS INDUSTRY
Wilderness Trail Distillery Unveils 6-Year-Old Private Barrel Whiskey Collection
Wilderness Trail Distillery is stretching the limits of bourbon-making with the introduction of their eagerly awaited 6-Year-Old Private Barrel collection.
“Copper & Kings Launches New Flagship American Brandy Lineup
Key Takeaways Bourdon Spirits’ Copper & Kings American Brandy Company is sending a strong signal with the release of its.
Ross & Squibb Distillery Unveils 15-Year Remus Gatsby Reserve Bourbon for 2025
Ross & Squibb Distillery is celebrating the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby with the highly anticipated release of the.
CANNABIS INDUSTRY
Cornbread Hemp Launches CBD & THC Tour Experience in Louisville, Kentucky
Key Takeaways Cornbread Hemp is adding another chapter to Kentucky’s storied hemp history with the debut of its state-of-the-art production facility and hemp tourists experience in Louisville.
CERTIFIED Launches First Columbus Dispensary with Drive-Thru and Premium Cannabis
CERTIFIED, a family-owned Ohio cannabis company, has expanded its presence with a new Columbus dispensary at 2375 Silver Drive.
ADVERTISEMENT
DRINKS INDUSTRY
Introducing SWRL: The 3.7% ABV, Zero-Sugar Makgeolli Seltzer with Just 89 Calories
Key Takeaways SWRL is bringing its Makgeolli hard seltzer concept to the U.
Stem Ciders Introduces Stem Zero: A Refreshing Alcohol-Free Craft Cider
The cider is a refreshing, alcohol-free option with vibrant flavors, low calories, and prebiotic benefits, offering all the taste with none of the booze.
Registration Opens for National Honey Board’s 2025 Mead Crafters Competition
The National Honey Board is once again inviting mead makers from across the country to.
American Cider Association Partners with The Drinks Trust to Expand Certified Cider Guide™ in the UK
The American Cider Association (ACA) is teaming up with The Drinks Trust and Heineken to.
WINE
Butter Wines Launches Holiday Sweepstakes with a Year of Wine and Giving
Butter Wines is bringing back its beloved #ButterGift sweepstakes, offering fans a chance to win.
Roederer Estate Unveils New Wine Packaging and Hospitality Center
Roederer Estate, a pioneer in crafting exceptional sparkling wines in California’s Anderson Valley, today announced.
Vinebox Unveils 2025 Wine Advent Calendar: 12 Nights of Wine
Vinebox, the award-winning wine-by-the-glass subscription service, and world’s first wine advent calendar, announced the highly.
Why Does California’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir Come With Fewer Tannins?
The unique landscape of the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County, California creates microclimates.
Three Sticks Wines Wins Top Honors at 2025 USA Wine Ratings
Three Sticks Wines has earned two of the highest distinctions at the 2025 USA Wine.
ADVERTISEMENT
BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
Oodles of Doodles Launches in the U.S.: A Fun, Healthy Flavored Water for Kids with Creative Twist
Oodles of Doodles is now making its fun and clean beverage brand available to U.
Monster Energy Unleashes Ultra Wild Passion: Bold, Zero-Sugar Flavor
Key Takeaways Monster Energy is cranking up the flavor with its newest addition to its Ultra line, Ultra Wild Passion, which pairs tangy passionfruit with a zesty citrus punch.
Bones Coffee Launches Winter 2025 Collection with Festive Holiday Flavors
Bones Coffee is kicking off the holiday season with its much-anticipated Winter 2025 Collection, offering a lineup of festive brews designed to delight coffee lovers.
BLOGS
How to Plan the Perfect Brewery Date Night
A brewery date night sounds simple.
Stocking the Perfect Beer Snack: How Bars and Bottle Shops Can Source Hard-Boiled Eggs
It is a snack made of proteins like beer and hard-boiled eggs that go well.
Brewing Your Future: How College Students Can Break into the Beverage Industry
The beverage industry is a fast-developing industry, with diverse opportunities that have emerged to be.
Champagne Through The Eyes Of A Beer Connoisseur
To most craft beer consumers, interest usually shifts out of hops and malt into the.
The Best Bars In The World: Top Pubs For Fun And Entertainment
Sports bars are now much more than a drink shop.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
LATEST FROM The Beer Connoisseur®
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
