Maritime Pacific Brewing Co., Jolly Roger Christmas Ale
Seattle, WA
Cost: Six-pack bottles, $7; house pint, $3

Another very merry thing about the holiday season is the plethora of special beers released by Northwest breweries. They range from Scotch-style 'winter warmers' to English-style spiced 'old strong ales' to potent 'barleywines.'

One of the tastiest is Maritime Pacific Brewing Co.'s Christmas ale, "Jolly Roger." Available in six-packs at the stores, this mellifluous beer is a good choice to have on-hand at festive gatherings. Also, if you're in Seattle, stop into their tap-room for a fresh pint.

Proprietor/brewmaster, George Hancock, styled Jolly Roger after 'old ales,' but it approaches a barleywine in strength (8% alcohol by volume). Its deep malt character is apparent in the aroma and adds a sweetish cast to each sip. The hint of spiciness in the finish is from the pungent Chinook hops added to the brew.