The official start of the holiday season is here. As shoppers enjoy the lights, the holiday parades, seasonal music and small business Saturday and they might find themselves in need of a drink. To help, we’ve rounded up some of Longmont’s top festive beverages that are being poured between now and the new year.
St. Vrain Cidery
Three specialty cider offerings
For 2022, St. Vrain Cidery has added three seasonal sippers to its menu. The first is a black spiced dry cider that has been aged in a rum barrel provided by Longmont’s Abbott and Wallace distillery, which happens to be located in the same building as the cidery. For a second offering, St. Vrain has created a gingerbread cider that is sweeter but still well-balanced, tart but not spice-heavy. As a third holiday option, customers can ask for a pour of Climb Cider’s bright and festive cinnamon cranberry cider. Quantities of these ciders are limited with some expected to last longer than others. The gingerbread cider will be available in cans for customers who want to take it home.
Dryland Distillers
Nog Off Egg Nog Competition
As it has done for the past four years, Dryland Distillers is holding its beloved egg nog competition, the Nog Off. This year, community members were invited to submit their own egg nog versions, one of which will be chosen to compete with versions that were made by six of the area’s top bartenders. Later in the month, Dryland’s customers will be invited to stop by the tasting room on Main Street to vote on their favorite entries. Dates for the customer judging were not available at time of publication but will be posted on their website.
Bootstrap Brewing
Seasonal Aged Beers
Sometime in December, the Great American Beer Festival medal-winning Bootstrap Brewing will be tapping two seasonal barrel-aged beers. The first is a 10.5% ABV, oralcohol by volume, Imperial Stout that has been aged in port wine barrels. For drinkers who want something lighter but still interesting, the second is a 5.5% ABV blood orange and cherry pale ale aged in a rye whisky barrel. Both will be packaged in bottles for drinking at home or gifting to friends.
Kuper Wine Bar
Mulled Mead and Wines for Holiday Meals
Starting on Black Friday, the newly opened Kuper Wine Bar near Roosevelt Park will be warming customers’ spirits with something unexpected, mugs of mulled mead. The mulled wine alternative features a base of mead crafted in Idaho Springs at Slaymaker Cellars, using regional honey sourced in Berthoud. For those looking for more traditional wines, Kuper will be offering those as well, and is available to talk to customers about seasonal wines to pair with their holiday meals.
Abbott and Wallace
Holiday Cocktails and a Spirits Release
Throughout December, Abbott and Wallace is offering some seasonal cocktails for the holidays out of its new tasting room. The first is a peppermint fizz made with peppermint gin, pomegranate syrup and lemon. The second is a hard eggnog featuring Longmont Dairy eggnog combined with the imbiber’s choice of either the distiller’s cinnamon whisky or their spiced rum. In addition to these offerings, early in the season, the distiller is planning to release a single malt whiskey made in collaboration with Left Hand Brewing and using a version of the beermaker’s Galactic Cowboy Nitro Imperial Stout.
