Draft Magazine is counting down the days to Christmas with a frosty mug and a list of 25 holiday beers. Last Friday they tapped Alaskan’s Winter Ale as their 11th pick.

"If you haven’t cut down your Christmas tree yet, get to steppin’. And if you need an idea of how awesome sawed-off trees can be, look no further than Alaskan Winter Ale."

I don’t know if my palate is refined enough to weigh-in on observations about the Winter Ale’s custard-like sweetness, but I certainly can detect the difference in flavor brought on by the Sitka spruce tips.

The Alaskan Web site says adding spruce has historical significance.

"From the seafaring adventurers of the 1700s to the homebrewers of today, adding spruce tips to beer has a rich history in Southeast Alaska. The tender new growth of Sitka spruce tips lends a delicious, yet subtly sweet floral aroma to tea, jelly and now Alaskan Winter Ale."

Read Draft’s full description here and see more of it's holiday brew list here.

-- Spencer Shroyer