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Six Geese a-Laying. Lion Brewery, Lion Stout
The brewery that would eventually be known as Lion Brewery was started in 1849 and holds the distinction of being the oldest brewery in Sri Lanka. I was first introduced to this beer the last time I lived in Japan. My wife and I were searching for something different than the regular light lager of…
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Five Golden Rings. Orval
Orval began their long history in 1070 when monks arrived in the area. Over the years wars and political upheaval has caused the abbey to close several times. The modern version of the abbey began in 1926 when the de Harenne family gave the Cistercian Order the ruin buildings of Orval and the adjacent land…
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Four Calling Birds. Kizakura Brewery, Red Devil’s Beer
While the birds may be calling in the song there is another character who calls upon the children at Christmas. In addition to Santa visiting the little good boys and girls homes another character visits those that have been bad. Krampus is a demon-like character who in some cultures visits the homes of children who…
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Three French Hens, Helios Brewery, Conductor’s Porter
In 1985 Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the book The Polar Express. The book tells of a train that brought children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to visit Santa and possibly receive the first gift of Christmas. In honor of the train conductor, famously played by Tom Hanks, today’s Christmas beer is…
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Two Turtle Doves. Kwanzaa. Derilium Red
The second day of Christmas highlights that this is not the only holiday of the season. Traditionally Kwanzaa begins on the 27th and runs until the 1st of January. Kwanzaa’s founder Maulana Karenga created the holiday in 1966 and derived the name from a Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza.” This translates into “first fruits” which…
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A Partridge in a Pear Tree. Christmas Day. Stella Artois
Stella began its story in 1366 when the Den Hoorn brewery opened in Leuven, Belgium. Years later in 1936 the brewery released a Christmas Beer by the name of Stella Atrois. Stella being the Latin word for star, a reference to the Christmas star. If you happen to find a Stella Atrois glass to enjoy…
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The Twelve Beers of Christmas
Since 2011, when we lived near San Diego, my wife and I would get twelve Christmas Beers and celebrate the Twelve Beers of Christmas. In a place like Southern California it was not hard to find a dozen beers that were holiday related. Flash forward ten years and we have just arrived to Japan from…
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Luke Pernotto 