Urgent! Need Anchor Christmas Ale Clone!

I tasted this one last night at the Elysian brewery in Seattle (although Anchor is a San Francisco brewery) and all I can say is wow, that might have been the best beer I've ever had.

And it didn't come a minute too early for me to brew my last batch before the new years, to be served at our New Year's bash.

If anyone has attempted an Anchor Christmas Ale clone, or has any idea the spices that they use, please let me know!!

Thanks,
Rob

I have a feeling you are going to be pretty hard pressed to brew a beer today that will trully be ready in 12 days....

My understanding is that this recipe changes every year. You might be able search for Christmas Ale recipes that have similar ingredients to what you are detecting in the Anchor Christmas Ale.

Especially a spiced, bigger beer...

Brew today and it may be ready by a "Christmas in July" party...

No way to get this ready by Jan 1 2008...

From personal experience: I brewed a "Christmas Ale" - 6% ABVish, spiced with the usual stuff - last year and it took at least 3 months before it was drinkable. It really only mellowed after 9 months, to be honest. I may have overdone the spices, but I followed a "tried and true" recipe, so most likely not overdone too much.

I think this beer was used as the basis of the recipe for Jamil's winter spiced beer. So if you take the recipe from that podcast you would probably get something that is at least along the same lines, since as has already been said the recipe changes a little every year.

I don't think that beer is "big". IMO its probably between 5-6%. I would just take a Brown ale recipe and make some spice tea. I'd say its got anise, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, etc. Eventhough its not that big of a beer, it won't be ready for New Years. If you want something to drink on New Years, brew a hefeweizen...

Not sure about Anchor brewing, but I believe in the newest BYO magazine they had a section about spice and had a christmas ale recipe.

this was a big beer and probably would be ready for a half way to x mas party in June.

jay

it would never be done before new years

You could look at it in the secondary for New Years while you are drinking something else.

My 'Winter Warmer' was brewed in November and perfect in November.....


of the following year

I have to concur. You are very limited on your options for brewing something that will be ready in 12 days without access to commercial equipment.

At any rate, a rough "welcome" to the forums!