Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, California) has announced that the 42nd Annual release of Anchor Christmas Ale has headed out to distribution.

For over four decades, Anchor Brewing has gifted craft beer fans a new Anchor Christmas Ale to enjoy during each holiday season.  Although every year’s release of Anchor Christmas Ale is brewed with a new recipe and then wrapped in a label displaying a different festive tree, the brewery’s intention “remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life.”  The recipe for each release may be “a heavily guarded secret,” but craft beer fans can always anticipate a Winter Warmer boasting “notes of seasonal spices and a malty backbone.”  For a better idea of what to expect from the 2016 vintage of Anchor Christmas Ale, here is what Brewmaster Scott Ungermann had to say about the brew:

“This year’s Christmas Ale has a strong malt profile enhanced with wintry spices. The beer is a deep mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head and boasts aromas of fruitcake, molasses, and fresh cut wood. The beer tastes of a roasted caramel malt, with notes of spiced chocolate and nuts. And it has a rich, smooth, and velvety mouthfeel. Every year we look forward to formulating our new Christmas Ale recipe and tasting the fruits of our labors. We are always excited to please beer fans with its ever-changing recipe and label. This year’s ale is the perfect beer for the winter season, whether you’re out on the slopes or relaxing next to the fire.”
– Anchor Brewmaster Scott Ungermann

Anchor Christmas Ale is only available from early November until mid-January.  This offering is available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, gold-foiled 50.7 oz. magnum bottles, and on draft at select craft beer establishments in Alabama**, Florida and throughout Anchor Brewing’s expansive distribution area.  Secure your bottles when you can and make Anchor Christmas Ale a part of any holiday celebration you plan on attending this year.  Prost!

(**Due to the fact that Alabama law currently prohibits the sale of beer in packaging larger than 750 ml, the magnum bottles will not be available in that state.**)

Vital Information for Anchor Christmas Ale (2016) from Anchor Brewing Co. 

Release – Seasonal, November 2016 through mid-January 2017
First Release – 1975
Style – Winter Warmer
ABV – 6.5%
Malt – “TOP SECRET”
Hops – “TOP SECRET”
Dry Hops – “TOP SECRET”
Fun Fact: The Tree – “Along with an evolving recipe, Christmas Ale portrays a new label every year. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. This year’s tree is the ‘1,000 Mile Tree’ or the lone pine found during westbound construction of the transcontinental railroad. Discovered in 1896, it was a lone pine amidst a vast and desolate landscape. The tree on this year’s label was hand-drawn by Bay Area artist James Stitt, who has been creating Anchor’s Christmas Ale labels since 1975. His charming illustration of the 1,000 Mile Tree includes a person at the top of the tree with a mug of beer, honoring an old legend that railway passengers sometimes attempted to climb the tree.”