Two words announce the arrival of winter in Northeast Ohio. No, it’s not “Go Browns,” but it is something that makes you feel better about rooting for them: Christmas Ale.
In the decades since Great Lakes Brewing Company began brewing their Christmas Ale in 1992, it’s reached cult status in and around Cleveland. Brewed with locally sourced honey and layered with spicy cinnamon and ginger, it’s a perfect holiday beer for decking the halls in any season… even July.
A sip of the Yuletide brew floods is filled with memories of cozy sweaters, crackling fireplaces, old friends, and snow day hangovers thanks to its 7.5% ABV. Just don’t ride Ohio’s tallest toboggan chute after having a few. In Ohio, as well as parts of Pennsylvania and Michigan, Christmas Ale is as ubiquitous during the holidays as A Christmas Story marathons, which was filmed just two miles from the Ohio City brewery.
But some Christmas Ale fans play Sugar Plum Fairy by adding a cinnamon sugar rim to the draft glass. The sweet crystals cling to the rim like ice to the shore of Lake Erie. The best part of this sweet trend might be the mystery surrounding it.
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A Sweet Mystery
Great Lakes didn’t start the practice nor do they know how it started. “We’re pretty sure we first started hearing about the practice sometime in the mid to late-90’s. Fans have been adding a cinnamon sugar rim for at least 15 years, but likely longer,” Ritterspach says.
For Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood donut bar Brewnuts, it’s a fitting addition to iconic ale. Owners Shelley and John Pippin infuse local craft beers into the dough or glaze of handmade donuts. Brewnuts also boasts a bar featuring 16 local taps, including Christmas Ale for about two months each winter. According to Shelley Pippin, a majority of Christmas Ale drinkers opt for a cinnamon sugar rim. “Since we are a donut bar, dessert beer options always pair well with our menu,” she says.
Another Cleveland icon, gourmet grilled cheese restaurant Melt Bar and Grilled, has been offering the cinnamon sugar rim to Christmas Ale drinkers since opening in 2006. “It was not widely offered back then,” says founder Matt Fish. “It was a good draw and attraction since we were one of the only places offering it.”
The rim adds to the flavor of the beer and really makes it feel like the holiday season!
The cinnamon sugar rim stretches to all ten of Melt’s locations, including Columbus and Dayton. Melt’s Regional Beverage Manager, Vicki Andes, says that Melt goes through around 30 kegs of Christmas Ale in a season with 75% of drinkers enjoying the cinnamon sugar rim. “It brings out the cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and honey in the beer,” says Andes. “The rim adds to the flavor of the beer and really makes it feel like the holiday season!”
Make Your Own Cinnamon Sugar Rim
Want to make your own cinnamon sugar? The recipe is 1/2 cup of white or brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. That’s it!
Great Lakes however, skips the cinnamon sugar rim at their brewpub. According to Ritterspach, adding more ingredients to the complex, carefully balanced brew risks overwhelming the flavor profile and affecting the quality and longevity of the beer head.
While Christmas Ale fans hunt for the coveted draft around the country, the cinnamon sugar rim seems to be a uniquely Ohio offering. Great Lakes says they won’t bah humbug how customers choose to enjoy their Christmas Ale at home on their own. “If it’s served fresh and consumed responsibly, we’re happy,” Ritterspach says. In that case, add a shot of vanilla vodka to your next pint and have yourself a white Christmas.
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