I got the ingredients for a batch of the Ugly Sweater Ale (great name, by the way) yesterday, and I plan on brewing on Sunday. I did have to make some substitutions based on availability though. Listed below is the modified recipe, including notes on what substitutions were made where.
6 lb Amber DME
7 oz Crystal 60L
4 oz Belgian Chocolate Malt
2 oz Roasted Barley
1 oz English Black Patent Malt [LHBS didn't have 2 oz Amber Malt]
1 lb honey
2 ea cinnamon sticks
.5 oz ginger root
4 ea orange zest
1.5 oz Spalt Special pellet hops (bittering) [LHBS didn't have Willamette hops]
1 oz Spalt Special pellet hops (aroma) [LHBS didn't have Willamette hops]
1 vial California ale yeast
Spalt was one of the only comparable hops that my LHBS had for Willamette. Since you can sub Tettnager for Willamette, and can sub Spalt for Tettnager, I figured since their AA levels were approximately the same and had similar profiles, they would work.
Black Patent was substituted for Amber malt in smaller quantity so it would produce similar color without overpowering.
I will also be brewing partial boils - two 1.5 gallon boils with half the grains, malt, hops, honey, and spices in each boil to be combined in the fermenter.
Does this sound like it would work well? I plan on keeping good notes and reporting back to you. Thanks for the recipe!