Tis’ the Season for a Celebration!

Tis’ the Season!

One of our favorite times of year at Carolina Beer Temple is the drop of Sierra Nevada’s annual release of Celebration Ale!

Many years ago, when I first bought this beer, I was expecting a Christmas themed flavored brew – nutmeg and cinnamon and maybe juniper. I was pleasantly surprised that this beer is none of those things. Despite the snowy, wintery landscape displayed on the label, this is a harvest season brew.

Hops are harvested in the fall – typically in September. For this brew Sierra Nevada gathers up the freshest Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. Once cut from the vine they are rushed to the brewery so this fantastic seasonal IPA can be brewed.

A fresh hop beer is when the hops are harvested and thrown into the wort within 24-48 hours of being cut from the vine. Similar to a wet hop beer where the hops are cut and brewed with within hours of harvesting – such as Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Ale (but we’ll save that brew for another blog post). The impact is a powerful citrus and piney hop flavor, balanced by the rich caramel malts.

I do not know of any brewery in the nation who has a more popular fresh hop brew! There are some local favorites here in North Carolina, but nothing compares to the delightful consistency and notoriety of Celebration Ale.

For my first one of the 2025 season, I built a campfire in my Solo Stove and cracked one open! The supply of Celebration Ale typically lasts through December, but the fresher the better with this brew. Enjoy one soon before they are gone! I always push aside my go-to IPAs this time of year in favor of Celebration and before long I’ll be yearning again for next year’s drop.

6.8% ABV | 65 IBUs