Celebrate The Holiday Season @ Iron Hill

WILMINGTON, DE – Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant is the place to go for the beer lover who wants to keep that holiday cheer all year long.  Everyone’s favorite group of craft brewpubs will offer a series of concerts celebrating the season with joyful performances by The Cartoon Christmas Trio, a singing act that performs authentic arrangements of musical selections from the classic holiday TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Originally aired in 1965, the special was created by Charles Schulz and is among the most popular holiday programs in history. 

Throughout the month of December, the Cartoon Christmas Trio will perform at several of Iron Hill’s 10 award-winning locations.  All shows run from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. – approximately two hours in length – unless otherwise indicated.  Concert schedule is as follows:

In addition, Iron Hill will be bringing back its Holiday Gift Pack of Big Bottle Reserves for those beer connoisseurs on Santa’s “nice” list.  Available at all 10 regional locations, gift packs showcase the brewery’s award-winning and seasonal beers, brewed in small batches and available only in large-format, cork-finished 750 mL bottles, many with custom label art from frequent Iron Hill collaborator Jeff Schaller. 

“Bottled Reserves are rare and special beers that are only available in limited quantities, so they make a truly unusual and memorable gift,” says Director of Brewing Operations Mark Edelson.  “From higher ABV offerings to full-flavored seasonal brews, these are some of our talented brewers’ finest creations – and they’re great for a variety of occasions, from a fun and thoughtful hostess gift to a Christmas or Chanukah present for the beer lover in your life.”

This year’s Holiday Gift Packs, all of which come with complimentary beer tote gift packaging, may be purchased while listening to the musical stylings of the Cartoon Christmas Trio, and include:

· Winter Wheat Wine Ale:  Two custom 18 oz. etched glasses and one 750 mL bottle of Winter Wheat Wine, a high gravity, full-bodied Barleywine-style ale brewed with a large proportion of wheat malt that is perfect for a winter evening ($35)

· Belgian Abbey:  Three 750 mL bottles:  Abbey Dubbel, a mahogany ale brewed in the style of a Belgian monastery with the sweetness of dark Belgian candi sugar paired with a distinct aroma of plum and pears;  Belgian Tripel, a traditional Belgian-style golden ale with complex aroma and flavors of plums, spice and bananas with refreshing balanced bitterness;  and Belgian Quadrupel, a rich, dark, malty and very complex beer brewed with Belgian Abbey yeast, dark candi sugar and a huge assortment of specialty malts create layers of complex fruity aromas and a warming finish ($50)

· Gold Medal:  Four 750 mL bottles:  The Cannibal, a Belgian-style golden ale with a complex, dry sweetness, balancing bitterness and a spicy finish (2005 Great American Beer Festival [GABF] gold medal);  Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill’s most decorated beer, a full-bodied stout that starts with a complex, malty sweet and high-roasted character and is wonderfully balanced with the use of citrusy American hops (2003 GABF gold medal, 2006 GABF gold medal, 2010 GABF gold medal, 2010 World Beer Cup [WBC] gold medal, 2012 WBC gold medal);  Saison, a classic Franco-Belge-style farmhouse ale that is unfiltered, bright and light-bodied.  The yeast gives an earthy, fruity and spicy character with a refreshing finish (2008 GABF gold medal);  and Wee Heavy, a full-bodied, Scotch-style ale with a distinct fruity aroma and flavor, plus a light smokiness from the use of peat smoked malts (2004 WBC gold medal) ($65)