"Something, something 'dark beer'....Something, something complete!"

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like booze, booze and more booze.  In fact, counting off the top of my head no less than seven presents wrapped under my Christmas tree are alcohol-related, and sadly, none of which are as yet for me.   Fortunately, the LCBO had itself a nice little winter release this year, so I decided to pick myself up a few early Christmas presents cause, you know - fuck waiting.   I'm not really worried about picking up new brews this close to the arrival of St. Nick; the great thing about giving or receiving beer as a present is that you never worry about accidentally receiving the present twice - in fact, I welcome it!   So I managed to spend a good chunk of change on beer, most of which probably could have been spent on others.  But, you know.  I didn't.  Instead, my gift to all of you is for me to try some of these brews out and tell you how much I enjoyed them.  And, in the end, isn't that the real meaning behind the season? According to the good book, "Yes, yes it is." (Judges 6:18-36...ish)

Thus, on this dark, cold, damp day, here are a couple of the darker brews available on limited release!

Beer: Muskoka Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout 

Brewery: Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery (Bracebridge)

Type: Imperial Stout

ABV: 8%

I've been happy with Muskoka's other seasonals, especially their Harvest Ale, so this should be a treat. Muskoka's been doing a fine job as a newer brewer to the Ontario scene, producing decent-to-great brews marketed using a delightful cottage-country aesthetic.  I'd even go so far as to say that the brewery tends to get overlooked in any discussion of quality Ontario craft beer.  No longer, thanks to this terrific brew.

750 mL bottle with a pleasant label design.  The hinged opener was a bit tricky.  And by 'tricky' I mean I somehow managed to rip the whole thing off and hit the cat, but fortunately the contents were still intact.  Apparently, hinged bottles are my archenemy.

Poured into a Chimay goblet.  The house was pretty dark when Michelle and I shared this brew, so apologies for the picture quality.  A rich, dark brew, with only the faintest chocolate hue around the upper echelons.  Left behind about a half inch of dark mocha head that receded into a thin, sturdy ring. A few flakes of lacing.

Nose was a lovely blast of salted milk chocolate, cream, mild coffee and toasted malts. No berries here, but all goodness thus far.  Very rich and inviting.

Somehow I was able to allow this to warm up to around 11 degrees before consuming.  Definitely worth the wait.  Creamy, with lovely notes of milk chocolate and caramel. Slightly sour and dry to the finish.  Not anything I would have initially identified as 'cranberry', but certainly a finish that was berry-like in tartness.  Fortunately, a bit of air and further warmth did wonders for this brew, as towards the end of the bottle the cranberry-raspberry flavor finally snuck in, providing just a touch of puckery holiday goodness. The cranberry flavor is certainly very slight, and certainly isn't the brew's defining feature, but it's enjoyable nevertheless. 

The body is a bit thinner than I'd like, but it coats the tongue nicely enough and has decent mild carbonation.

A very enjoyable brew on a blustery winter's night, especially when putting up the last of the Christmas decorations! I'm liking Muskoka's tall-bottle approach, and even though the price point is quite high (9 bucks a pop), the taste is certainly well worth it. A fuller body and a bit more depth would have really sent this brew into the stratosphere. Great stuff!  Might make for a great Christmas present as well.  See? I'm always thinking.  (Grade: B+)

Beer: Marston's Oyster Stout

Brewery: Marston, Thompson and Evershed (Burton, UK)

Type: English Milk Stout

ABV: 4.5%

Marston's is located in one of the many brewing meccas around the world, Burton-on-Trent, a region that can rightly claim to be the birthplace of both the English Pale and English India Pale Ale styles.  For much of the 19th century, the vast majority of British ales were produced around Burton, and were shipped to Empire locations across the globe, with the main target market being the British Raj in India.  Burton itself is situated in the Midlands on the river Trent, whose waters were particularly well-suited for brewing.  Something about the local waters made the beer very accepting of hops and extra malting, allowing for the production of beer that could be shipped across vast distances without spoiling.   This higher ABV, extra-hopped variety was particularly popular amongst company men and officers working in the hot climate in India, so much so that when they returned home to England, they craved for brews of the "Indian" variety - thus, the India Pale Ale was born. 

Unfortunately, Marston's Old Empire IPA isn't available in Ontario, but I'll happily give their Oyster Stout a go.  Don't worry folks, it won't taste like oysters (I hope); rather, this is a style of stout designed to be paired with oysters, which were often consumed as a cheap pub snack in the days of yore (especially before Christmas!)

Handsome bottle design I have to say.  Lovely image of an English beachfront with a small oyster fishing boat in the sand and a tern flying overhead.

Poured into a nonic. Dark chestnut/black in colour, left a half-inch of frothy mocha head. Receded fairly quickly, leaving only a razor thin ring and a few flakes of lacing.

Nose is nice and roasty with notes of chocolate, and mocha. Mild. A touch of mineral and something very strange and almost unsettling that I can't quite name - almost cheesy. 

A decent-tasting stout, but certainly on the thin side. The typical milk stout tasting notes of chocolate, mocha, and light cream are certainly present, but are far too muted to really make a lasting impact, especially when challenged by a tinny, mineral character and an English tea-like hop flavor. An interesting leeky flavor as well. As I work my way through the pint, I'm finding I'm enjoying it less and less - far too mild to be calling itself a stout.  I'm sure if I were in a Burton pub with some classical Christmas music and a plateful of oysters in front of me I'd relish every sip, but since I'm at home on the couch, it's not really anything special.

Body is too thin, almost watery, with unnecessarily harsh carbonation. Really killing it for me.

Because the flavors are a bit washed out, this beer could have been great as an easy quaffer - something one could down with a plateful of oysters or scallops.  But with such a thin body, harsh carbonation and mixed bag of flavors, this one didn't really do it for me.  Felt more like an English mild brown ale than a stout.  I could certainly down a pint or two of this, but there are better stouts and browns to be had instead: ones that blast the flavors out loud, rather than muffle them.  (Grade: C+)

 

Beer: Lava Smoked Imperial Stout

Brewery: Ölvisholt Brugghús (Iceland)

Type: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.4%

Ahh, Iceland, you've done it again.  After raving so much about my first Icelandic brew, I was certain it would be many years - perhaps even a trip to Scandinavia - before I'd have the pleasure of sampling another.  Turns out it took about five months.  Turns out, this one is even better!

As 2010 comes to a close, I like to pause and reflect about the year that was, all the things that I've done and all the events that have demanded the globe's attention.  Like, oh, I don't know - the Icelandic volcano eruption?  The one that shut down air travel across Europe for days, stranding passengers all over the continent and leading many, like myself, to wonder if this was merely the first step in the path to Iceland's dominance of the world? ("All hail the mighty, omnipotent Althing!  Hot spring saunas and geothermal power and Lutheranism for ALL!")

Well shit, son, if that ain't a volcanic eruption right there on the bottle!   Nothing like constantly reminding the world about that geological stunt you pulled by pasting it all over your beer labels. God bless you, Iceland, and all that you do.

Poured into a nonic. Nearly pitch-black with only the finest hints of chestnut when held to the light. Dark mocha head, thick and bubbly but dissolved into a thin ring after a few minutes.

Nose is lovely and rich, with roasted malts, chocolate, smoke, caramel and nuts.

Great stuff, a truly memorable and enjoyable Russian Imperial Stout.  Begins with the usual RIS suspects of roasted grain, chocolate and dark coffee, before doing an about-face by blasting me with a lovely smoked wood and leather flavor explosion.  Reminds me of the peat character often found in Islay scotch whisky.  More than justifed use of the word "smoked", a great tasting brew.  I guess the only fault I can claim about this beer is an overlying sweetness that could have been reduced in favor of more smoky goodness.  Other than that, this brew is brilliant.

This brew is certainly easy to get down. Thick, coats the tongue well, carbonation is mild (could have been a touch zippier), alcohol burn is mild for something approaching 10% ABV.

2 for 2 from Olvisholt, 2 for 2 from Iceland.  Great pickup by the LCBO - a superb Russian stout whose smoky character distinguishes it from the rest of the pack, giving this brew a uniquely Icelandic feel. Amazing that this brew came from a country with only twenty years of legal brewing experience.  If shutting down air travel is the price we pay for having quality Icelandic stouts delivered to my local liquor store, then I say fire up the volcano ovens - post haste!  (Grade: A-)

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Still more to come from the LCBO winter release, including Sint Christoffel Bock, La Trappe Koenigshoeven Quad and a few other delightful seasonal goodies!  Till then, cheers to holiday beer drinking!

Quebec Brew #1: A Sexy Blonde

Beer: Les Trois Mousquetaires Serie Signature Kellerbier
Brewery: Les Trois Mousquetaires (Brossard, PQ)
Type: Kellerbier or Zwickel
ABV: 5.5%
Three Musketeers "Sword Rating": 4

Sorry for the delay in posting folks: had a bit of a throat virus thing going on that more or less curtailed my drinking altogether.   Fortunately, after a bout of antibiotics and a stirring locker room pep talk from Coach Bombay, I'm back on the scene and ready to kick some Hawk ass!  And by that I mean drink heartily, for the Saturnial/Yule/Christmukkahkwaanzal season is upon us!   To honour my return to goodish health and to celebrate this delightful winter wonderland we have going on out there, I felt that the cracking open of one of my finer Quebec microbrew pickups was in order!  And, to truly make the season bright, I've decided to festoon all of my brew pics with Christmas cheer (i.e., frame them in front of my sensational Christmas tree)! 

After a bit of extra research, I whittled down which brews from my Quebec haul to cellar for a while, and which ones would get cracked open in the near future.  Just like with wines, each style of beer will respond differently to aging depending upon their composition.  Some, like pale lagers, pilsners porters and pale ales don't really improve with time and are best consumed in the near future to avoid spoilage / thieving beer gnomes.  Others, like barleywines, Belgian ales and Russian Imperial Stouts can last anywhere from a few months to several years depending upon their storage conditions.   I'm still getting the hang of "cellaring" - it's just something most beer geeks do and, from what I hear, the wait is worth it.  Some brews are designed specifically to be aged for a few months or years to round them out: i.e., to reduce the stinging potency of the alcohol and the carbonation, as well as to encourage the refermentation of natural sediments in the brew to achieve tasty, tasty perfection.   Indeed, a common complaint with drinking high alcohol or high sediment brews is that they taste too "hot", which in beer geek parlance means that either the carbonation is too harsh or the flavors just don't mesh properly.   Like a finely made red wine, a few months of relaxation will do them wonders.  Not that drinking them right away is a bad thing; cellaring just (hopefully) makes them taste even better.  Again, I'm still experimenting with proper beer cellarage (I had a couple of disasters and success stories last season), but the basic rule of thumb is to keep them slightly cooler than room temperature and in a dark place to avoid sunburn.   I'd have done it earlier, but dammit: temptation is a sexy, sexy lady.   To not drink a beer that's just sitting there, waiting for me, begging to me drank is one of life's greatest challenges.  Sometimes you just have to be patient, take a leap of faith and hope the Holy Grail of Beer Goodness awaits you across the Impossibly Deep Chasm of Temperance. 

"You must believe, boy..."

A quick check on Beer Advocate reveals that kellerbier is not one whom improves with aging, so we're good to go!   Therefore, first on the agenda is one of Les Trois Mousquetaires rarer offerings, their Signature Series Kellerbier!

For those who may not recall, kellerbiers are traditional German lagers that are unfiltered and thus full of sedimenty goodness.  (Because they are already 'lagered' for a long time, extra storage isn't necessary).  They should be malty, hoppy and full of flavor for the winter drinking season.

Kellers are traditionally consumed in large earthenware mugs, but since my only true beer "mug" is a massive Paulaner stein, I instead poured this into my curved Steam Whistle pilsner glass.  A deep tawny golden brew, opaque with sediment - looks a great deal like fresh-squeezed white grapefruit juice. A brilliant two-inch high head that has receded into a solid half-inch layer of foam.  Scads of patchy lacing.  Great retention.  Now kellers don't necessarily produce a great deal of lacing, but because this looks so bloody brilliant, I upped the markage here.

Nose is quite pleasant: apple, peanut, floral aromatic hops, grain, malt.

Finally: a Canadian kellerbier with some chesthair (not literally - that would be gross).  Creemore's version is certainly enjoyable, full of malty caramely goodness, but LTM's produced a massive flavor experience here.  Starts off with a big blast of nutty, grainy goodness with a sharp floral hop tang.  Citrus (grapefruit), apple and a nice moderate malty backing.  Took a few sips to get my tastebuds in tune, but I'm liking what I've encountered so far.  About as flavorful as a 'non-filtered pilsner' as you're going to get. 

Thicker-bodied for a lager, which is all kinds of good.  Slightly creamy, lovely mild carbonation. Reminds me of a real home-brew mouthfeel, which I dig greatly.

After receiving but a taste of what LTM had to offer last summer with their standard mixpack, I couldn't wait to sample more of their brews. I can safely say that their Kellerbier was more than worth the wait. A markedly bitterer and huskier kellerbier than I've experienced before, but this robust flavor was certainly welcome. Terrific work from LTM!  (Grade: A)

More from the Angry Rabble: Cigar City Brewing Close to Losing its Tasting Room

I know I'm supposed to be finishing off my teacher's college applications, but this was too important to pass up.

Remember that cool brewery I visited last summer?  You know, the one I drove 80 miles outside of town in a tropical depression (read: Category 5 SUPER Hurricane) specifically to get to?  The one who had a brilliant tasting room filled with food, fun and fantastic brews celebrating Tampa Bay's Cuban heritage?

Well the "Well, I never!" Association is up in arms over Cigar City Brewing's operations, specifically the aforementioned tasting room.   The problem, they claim, is that the tasting room violates zoning laws regarding the proximity of wet bars near residential neighborhoods.   In other words, they hate fun and small-business success stories that promote the local area and stimulate its economy.  Naturally, I'm horribly biassed, but frankly, I'm not still getting it.  Yes, the brewery is fairly close to a residential neighborhood, but so are a lot of other undesirable things, like a factory district, a massive shopping center (there's a huge Home Depot just down the road) and the Interstate.  This isn't in the middle of Upper Crust McMansion Estates - it's in a factory/industrial district of town.  Also, CCB isn't the only liquor establishment in violation of the proximity bylaw; as brewery owner Joey Redner argues, there is "literally no wet zoning in Tampa that meets the 1,000-foot requirement."

Residents also claim that the adjacent brewery is bringing increased crime to the area - public urination, vandalism, fun - yet Tampa Police maintain they have not been called to the scene any more so than before, and Redner maintains that if he or his staff witness crime in the area, they report it every time.  Local folks and one particularly bitter councilwoman are using the specious reasoning that 'the crimes are just not being reported because residents don't trust that the police will come,' noting that there was a homicide on someone's front lawn in the area, and the police didn't get involved for a few days because they weren't called.  That's right, in this neighborhood, casual homicide is okay - small craft breweries equals Satan + Anti-Christ + the Liberal Agenda.   Sadly, this story also has racial overtones to it as well; most of the neighborhood and the dissenting councillors are black, while the brewery staff and the majority of its clientele is white.  I'd really hate for this to be the reason - great beer is something everyone can and should be able to enjoy. 

Despite the grim news, I'm actually fairly excited about my involvement in this story.  A Tampa Bay blogger/columnist contacted me two weeks ago because he had read my blog post about my visit to CCB last summer.  We set up a quick phone interview in which he brought this sad story to my attention and asked me a few questions about why I visited CCB, what I thought about it, etc.  

The link to the article is here: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/11/19/trouble-brewing-the-move-to-close-cigar-citys-tasting-room/

I'm genuinely honoured and thrilled that my blog is garnering attention, but I really wish it weren't for this reason.  Stuff like this can really hurt craft breweries, especially breweries such as CCB who are new, exciting, and demand to be visited by beer-aficionados and tourists alike.   Because of a few noise complaints, a much-hyped new Tampa tourist attraction might be forced to shut its tasting room down, reducing the number of folks who might want to try CCB's wares.  Think of all the tasting rooms that you may have visited (Brick, Wellington, Mill Street, Steam Whistle) and how much fun they can be.  Live music, beer launching events, beer-and-food pairings, company party nights - the list goes on.  Moreover, for many of these places, their tasting rooms are literally the only places to show off brews that haven't garnered enough attention to make it into liquor stores.  Despite having a tasting lineup of at least a dozen brews, I only saw their flagship Jai Alai IPA in any of the city liquor stores, including the one across the street. 

Shutting down the tasting room - or forcing owner Joey Redner to initiate an expensive move to a less-offending area - could wreak havoc on the CCB team's ability to continue developing quality craft brews that celebrate the heritage of the Tampa Bay area, and that makes me a very sad panda.

Another Mighty Quebec Beer Haul!

At a recent drinking-and-merriment event, myself and a few of the lads got into a deep conversation about craft beer.   Go figure.   Oddly enough, however, I was not the one to initiate said conversation, nor was I even drinking what could be called a 'craft beer' at the time.   Truth be told, I rarely drink the good stuff at parties, not because I'm cheap or afraid it might get taken by other drunken patrons.  It's mostly because I like to have most of my mental acuities in somewhat working order when drinking something new and exciting.  It's like a good scotch, not something you want to power through - you want to savor the experience.   So my beverage of choice on the evening was more of the Euro pilsner variety - Wernesgruener and Pilsner Urquell, to be specific - with a couple of cans of hard cider for later.   Still more than acceptable, just nothing special.  It wasn't until a sporting gentleman with a finely coiffed mustache arrived with a bottle of something that sounded a great deal like it should be fighting Russel Crowe in the Colisseum - "Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus" from Microbrasserie Charlevoix.   Now I've heard this brewery mentioned in awed tones before, but I'd never seen one before in Ontario, much less tasted one.   It's a small brewery with a small output, but Charlevoix has developed quite a reputation as being among Canada's finest brewhouses.  Fortunately, our good friend was the sharing type, and offered those interested a sampling or two of the Hibernus, a winter-themed Belgian pale ale, rich and hearty, with notes of caramel, cherry, clove and spices.  A delectable treat.

A few days later, he messaged that he would be visiting in La Belle Province, and wondered if we wanted anything brought back.  Naturally, I leaped at the chance.   With the exception of Charlevoix, these are all from breweries whose wares I've sampled before; these are their more esoteric, smaller-release offerings rarely available outside of Quebec.

Here they are, in all their majesty!  Thanks Phil!  

They are, from L-R: Brasseurs RJ - Canon Doppelbock (since retired); Fin du Monde Trois Pistoles; Les Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier, Rauchbier (smoked beer), 2010 Grand Cuvee Doppelbock, and their multi-award winning Baltic Porter.

All from Charlevoix. Unfortunately, none of the Dominus Vibiscum seasonal series was available yet, but am more than satisfied with what I managed to get.  The first four are part of a sample pack, which includes their Blonde, Tripel, Dubbel and Witbier.  "La Vache Folle" ('Mad Cow') is Charlevoix' other line that features brews more English in nature; I went with their Imperial Milk Stout.  Unfortunately the camera cut off the latter image, but rest assured, the cow is wearing a lamp for a hat.

A fantastic lineup.  But the question remains - when to consume it?  Some of these brews simply beg to be aged, the Doppelbock and the Baltic Porter in particular, while others can be consumed immediately.   It's very difficult not to drink them all right now....very difficult...but I think I can sate my curiosity by having one or two in the near future.     Don't worry - when I get around to each, you will be the first to know!

Belhaven Scottish Stout - Drink it up fast, lads.

Beer: Belhaven Scottish Stout
Brewery: Belhaven Brewery (Dunbar, Scotland)
Type: English Stout

At the end of what has been an unusually warm November week, things have finally cooled down somewhat.  By this I mean it's getting fucking cold and I don't much care for it.   As usual, the remedy for cold is booze and plenty of it (scientific evidence pending).   The LCBO fall release has been far from uniform thus far, with different centres receiving different product at different times, if at all - fortunately, Waterloo seems to be among Big Liquor's favoured towns, so I've been blessed with the entire fall lineup in a somewhat staggered fashion.  Yesterday was the first day I came across this hearty cherub of a brew from the good folks at Belhaven in East Lothian, Scotland.   I've had fantastic luck with Scottish brews - lots of unique pale ales, ales brewed in scotch barrels, and that delightful set of Historic Ales of Scotland I raved about this summer.   I've also had a successful first run from Belhaven; their St. Andrew's ale (a salute to the Old Course of the British Open golf championship fame) was a delightful little pale ale. 

A quick visit to the Belhaven website alerted me to the fact that their 'Scottish Stout' is only available for export (i.e., us and the U.S.), and has also received some high accolades from the brewing community.   That, and it happens to be cold out and the brew in question happens to be sitting pretty at 7% alcohol, so let's start drinking already!

English stouts are typically less bitter and tart than their American counterparts (certainly more so than the dreaded Russian Imperial), so I'm expecting a creamy, sweet overtone to counteract the roasted grain and coffee flavours.

Poured into a nonic glass.  Nearly-black, with only the faintest hints of chocolate brown when held to the light.  Solid mocha head, recedes into a sturdy ring.  Packets of lacing grace the glass throughout the tasting session.  Looks about right.

Nose is cream, roasted grain, coffee, chocolate, figs, cherry, spice. Very delectable, smells about right for the style.

A fairly tasty stout, lots going on here. Coffee and roasted grain at the forefront, overlain with a creamy, dark fruit palate.  Finishes with a slightly sour bite, but this is challenged with a long chocolate-caramel finish.  Unfortunately, the flavor gets somewhat weaker as the beer is allowed to sit and ponder its own diminishing existence. This is a bit surprising, as many brews benefit from a period of air and warm temperature exposure, but Belhaven seemingly does so.  Nevertheless, this is a sweet, flavorful stout.

Mouthfeel is thin for a stout, with decent carbonation at first, but things flatten considerably over time. Somewhat gritty near the finish.

Despite any detractions I might have said about the mouthfeel and such, I'm very much enjoying Belhaven Scottish Stout. There's so much flavor here that, even after things weaken after a while, there's still enough going on to satisfy the discerning beer palate.  To avoid this problem in the future, I might have to drink this one faster next time. Fine by me.

Worth a pickup. Good addition by the LCBO. (Grade: B)

Addendum: One More Pumpkin Brew!

Sorry folks, couldn't resist one more quick review of a pumpkin brew.   This sneaky bastard managed to elude my attention at the LCBO, but considering the pedigree of the brewery, I figured a review was in order. 

Beer: Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (NY, NY)

Type: Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 5%

Brooklyn is one of the bigger craft brewers in the American northeast (according to its website, it is the nation's 40th-largest brewer), and has developed quite a following for its flagship brands: Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55, Brooklyn Brown Ale, and perhaps its greatest success, Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout, a flavorful Russian Imperial that sits pretty at 10% ABV.   I fell in love with their Black Chocolate Stout last year, picking up the last 6 bottles I could find, and successfully managed to age two bottles for almost a year.   With all this in mind, I assumed that their seasonal offering, Post Road Pumpkin Ale, would be just the ticket to cap off another busy fall drinking season.

 Ehhhh, not so much.

Poured into a nonic ale glass.  Amber-golden, my deft pour left behind a thin, frothy head with excellent retention. Some lacing left on the glass.

Nose is ginger, nutmeg, allspice, caramel, hops, a touch of pumpkin.  Pleasant.

After a few sips, I came to the conclusion that this was not my favorite pumpkin brew of the season.  But it wasn't bad, all the basic pumpkin pie notes were all there.  The problem was that the spiced notes of the brew were altogether overpowering - the taste was very rich in ginger, molasses, nutmeg and allspice - but the bread-malt and pumpkin notes weren't given much of a spotlight.  Tasted a great deal like a spicy red ale than a pumpkin brew.  Becomes almost oppressively bitter by the end.  

Medium-light bodied, perhaps a touch on the light side. The spicy bitterness left a somewhat unpleasant feeling in the mouth.

Not my worst pumpkin brew of the year, but certainly not among the better ones either.  Too imbalanced and spice-heavy to really get going.  The flavors themselves weren't bad, but judging within the pumpkin ale style, this one was far too spiced to really work.   A bit surprising considering Brooklyn's brewing pedigree; I had high hopes for this one.   I guess it wasn't to my tastes.  If you like spicier beer, this might be the ticket - as for me, it didn't really do the trick.  (Grade: C+)

That's it!  No more pumpkin beer for me this season; I've reached my yearly quota.  As things get colder and the percentage of Christmas commercials achieves near totality, it will soon be time to start cracking open holiday brews like doppelbocks, winter warmers and strong dark ales! 

'Till next Hallowe'en....