The 12 Beers of Craftmas

 

Perhaps you've seen the Beer Advent calendars that are populating our feeds on social media as December rolls along. 24 or 25 craft beers, one every day until Christmas, the growing trend of Beer Advent calendars. I, not surprisingly, am currently in the middle of my 3rd Annual edition and love the opportunity to take a few moments every day to unwrap and enjoy a little treat every day during the holiday season. If you missed the start or found the task of that many days in a row to be unwieldy then maybe there's another way to join in the fun or get someone close to you a gift that lets them celebrate the season with great beer.
  There is nothing better than a present and if that present is Craft beer then all the more joy will be found. To make someone's Christmas season more festive, why not get them (or yourself) the 12 Days of Craftmas. Much like it's big sibling the Advent Calendar, it is a beer a day but only for the last 12 days before the big one and much less expensive as a result. Starting on the 13th of December if you want to finish on Christmas Eve or the 14th to end on the big day itself, open up a little gift after work or dinner and enjoy a few moments of peace in the most hectic of times. Give yourself permission to slow down and savour something, even if it's only for half and hour and one damn beer.
  The principle is the same and you can buy 12 beers on your own, wrap them up and surprise yourself every day you reach into the fridge or maybe you really want some suspense and we can take it up a notch. Since most tall boys of craft beer come in under $4, you can give your friend, partner, life coach or adult children $50 and ask them to go to the LCBO for you. Give them some instructions or none at all for a better experience and have them ask the staff for some help in finding the local craft section in the store and maybe for a few recommendations. Remember that if they don't know anything about craft beer you are likely to get few real interesting picks and that makes it even more fun if you ask me. Some people have used old Pringles cans to wrap the beers up in and that is a very cool idea, but with our limited time frame (it's December 11th as I write this), your better off just asking them to wrap each one in leftover Christmas paper and number them randomly for you to put in the fridge each morning for when you come home at the end of the day.
  If you want to do this for someone, I'd suggest either asking them for a few suggestions as to favourite styles or inquire with their pals about what they like if you really want to surprise them. The Craft beer community is very helpful when it comes to answering questions about what to buy someone and I am sure you know at least a few people who are crafty in that way. Imagine the surprise on the face of your beer loving friend or family member when they wake up on the 13th (or 14th) and find you've given them the greatest gift of all...delicious free beer!
  So get out there, you've got a couple of days to bring that kind of joy only sharing beer can bring to someone you love. Make it a memorable run to Christmas day and give them and yourselves permission to slow down and appreciate the lights, watch a Christmas special or just veg out and enjoy some time together. They'll appreciate it and you will too, trust me, it's worth the effort.


Cheers and Merry Craftmas!


Polk