Posted by Greg Clow in beer, beverages on December 4, 2007 at 5:16 pm

Thanks to wonders of refrigeration and other (relatively) modern technology, today's beer drinkers have become used to having access whatever style of beer they want to drink, whenever they want to drink it. (Well, in theory, at least - availability is often limited by other factors, such as bureaucratic government alcohol agencies that think a hundred different pale lagers equals "variety".) Beer styles traditionally tied to a particular season - saison, bock, Märzen, etc. - are now brewed constantly for year-round enjoyment.

Still, even in a world of instant drinking gratification, there are plenty of brewers who are keeping the traditional spirit alive with special seasonal beers. They're not always the original seasonal styles; in fact, many brewmasters use these limited releases to experiment with beers that veer off into completely uncharted territory. But like their predecessors, these brews are often tied to the calendar, marking holidays and other annual milestones, or even creating brand new celebrations such as Dark Lord Day, an event that occurs each spring at Indiana's Three Floyds Brewery upon the annual release of their monstrous Dark Lord Imperial Stout.

Here in North America, special seasonal beers had essentially disappeared from the market during the dark days of the mid-20th century that saw all but a few small breweries shut down or taken over by the big boys. But in 1975, craft brewing pioneer Fritz Maytag of San Francisco's Anchor Brewing created Our Special Ale, a rich and spicy ale intended to be true to the spirit of the Christmas beers brewed throughout Europe and the UK. Our Special Ale is still brewed every year with a slightly different recipe each time, and its success has spawned a sleigh-full of Christmas and winter beers from craft brewers far and wide.

Here in Ontario, it's taken some time for the seasonal beer thing to really take off, but the last few years have seen more and more interesting limited runs from the province's craft brewers. As mentioned in this column several times in the past, Etobicoke's Great Lakes Brewery has been especially enthusiastic with their seasonals and one-offs, with their latest being the recent return of their Winter Ale.

Like last year's version, the 2007 batch is a strong (6.2%) and malty ale spiced with cinnamon, ginger and orange peel. It has a rich ruby-orange colour and a sweet aroma with hints of fruit cake and caramel. The flavour starts quite sweet as well, but turns pleasantly spicy in the finish, with the orange peel and ginger being especially prominent as it warms up. This spiciness seems more up-front than I recall in last year's version, but that's quite alright, as it gives the beer a distinctive and enjoyable edge.

Great Lakes Winter Ale is currently available as a gift pack at the LCBO (LCBO 52019, $14.95), featuring a 750 mL silk-screened bottle and two etched tasting glasses in a package made to resemble a hardcover book. Those wanting bottles alone will have to head out to the brewery where they're selling outside of the gift pack for $6.95, or look for it on tap at some of Toronto's better beer bars.