As you may have guessed, the Friday Round-Up is going to be taking a week off.  But I’m curious, what is everyone drinking this X-Mas weekend?

This time of year can always be a bit too hectic.  Sometimes all we need is to sit down, drink a beer and unwind.  Square One Brewery is here to help.

This week continues their Big Beers of Christmas event. The best part about this event is that every Monday they’ll be selling these Big Beers for the same price as their normal beers.  Here’s a list what’s in store:

• Dec 14th – Imperial IPA
• Dec 21st – Double Pilsner
• Dec 28st – Imperial Stout

If you can’t make it out to Square One over the next few weeks they’ll be offering up these beers at their New Years Eve Big Beer Dinner. Big beers and great prices. Too bad the holidays aren’t year round.

This Fall will see the release on what will be the definitive book about brewing in St. Louis when St. Louis Brews: 200 Years of Brewing in St. Louis 1809-2009 hits store shelves.  This hardbound, full color book will feature over 330 pages detailing the history of beer and its importance to the St. Louis region.

This book was researched and written by local brewing historians Don Roussin, Kevin Kious and Henry Herbst.  (Henry will also be a featured player at this years St. Louis Craft Beer Week where he will be hosting a discussion about the History of Craft Beer in the United States.)

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy of this book be certain to buy your signed copy here or you can also pay by check via this PDF.  I have a feeling this will be on a lot of local beer nerd’s Christmas lists come this fall.

The Friday Round-Up is going to take a week off.  Have a Merry Christmas everyone.

A few friends that live all across the country decided to put together a Christmas “Beer it Forward” and I got into the mix.  Here’s a pile of goodies (mostly) from Pennsylvania.

This is the line up:

• 4 – Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
• 1 – 2007 Sly Fox Christmas Ale
• 1 – Slyfox Odyssey IPA
• 1 – Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine
• 1 – Tyranena Brewing Bitter Woman IPA
• A very cool 1994 Great Eastern International Microbrewery Festival Tasting Glass
• Iron Hill Shaker Pint Glass

Provisions Gourmet Market in Creve Coeur will be holding a special beer tasting on Friday, December 19th from 5-7pm.  If yesterday’s Know Your Styles has got you salivating for from Christmas beers, then you’re in luck:

• Boulevard Smokestack Bourbon Barrel Quad
• Struise Pannepot
• Sam Adams Chocolate Bock
• Sierra Nevada Celebration
• AB Winter Bourbon Cask
• O’Dell Isolation
• Delirium Noel
• Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome
• O’Fallon Chocolate Cherry

Along with all of these beers, they’ll also give you a chance to check out Provisions ever expanding beer selection.  I’ve heard they’ll also be tasting wines and some cheese to match with your beer choices.

As we’re all pressed to find gifts in the last few days before Christmas, how about a beer of the month subscription?  Nothing says, “I love you” like having new beer being delivered to your loved one’s door every or every other month.  But with the number of different beer clubs out there, which are the good ones?  These are the two clubs I could recommend:

Michael Jackson is arguably the person who put craft beer back on the map in the United States and even all over the world.  While he may be gone, his Rare Beer Club remains.  This club places the emphasis on as the name says, rare beers.  As the website states, “Most of these beers have never been in distribution in the United States, and in some cases they are bottled exclusively for the Rare Beer Club by these passionate artisan brewers.”  Here’s a list of last year’s selections, just to give you an idea of what your recipient could be in for.

It may be too late to be a Sinner, but luckily it’s not too late to be a Saint.  The Lost Abbey in San Diego, CA brews some of the most unusual and creative Belgian style beers in the world.  Winners of numerous medals, the beer are fantastic but difficult to get outside a few select areas in the country.  The Saints club not only offers two 750ml bottles every other month but also a Lost Abbey Dickies Work Shirt.  This is a great club and will be my second year of being a member.

If you’re looking for a more local Christmas gift, be sure to check out my list of St. Louis beer gifts that I put together last year.