Food

Big-bottle sharing beers for Christmas and New Year’s

For something a bit special pick up a few 750ml beer bottles for offering around

Belgian brew: you can’t go wrong with Chimay, and many of its beers come in 750ml bottles

Sorcha Hamilton's face
Sorcha Hamilton
Sat Dec 23 2017 - 06:00

Big beers in big bottles are perfect for sharing around the Christmas table or for ringing in the new year. Stronger alcohol and complex flavours usually come with a higher price, though – another good reason for sharing, comparing tastes and serving in smaller glasses.

Belgian brewers are particularly good at their complex yet drinkable beers, and you'll find a good selection in Irish off-licences. You can't go wrong with Chimay, and many of its beers come in 750ml bottles. De Ranke XX Bitter is a favourite of mine: it's like a high-alcohol saison, dry, hoppy and bitter. Deus, made by the Bosteels brewery, is another perfect one for special occasions: it's dry, light and fruity – and looks particularly good in champagne glasses.

Holly King Imperial Stout is made by the Cork brewery 8 Degrees as part of its Wild Ballyhoura series of winter beers. Aged in French oak Pinot Noir barrels, it's made with a wild Brett – or Brettanomyces – yeast and has lots of cherry, vanilla and dark roast flavours and comes in at 9.5 per cent alcohol.

The White Hag brewery has a 7.2 per cent Christmas Ale called Yule that was aged in bourbon barrels. Its bottles have a green-wax top that will look great at the table.

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Although they're not in bigger bottles, Dot Brew beers regularly push the boat out with experimental styles and blends of flavours. Try the brewery's collaboration with Hope brewery, a rich, smooth and full-bodied Imperial Oatmeal Stout at 9.5 per cent. Or Dot's Bourbon Amber, which is part of the brewery's range of limited-edition winter beers and was aged in a bourbon cask and finished in a Jamaican dark-rum barrel. It's got layers of burnt caramel and malty roasted flavours and a lovely alcohol warmth – perfect for sipping by the fire.

@ITbeerista, beerista@irishtimes.com

white hag8 degreeschimayde rankehope brewerydot brewing