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Charlie & Debbie

Sycamore Brewing Christmas Ale Cans Make The Naughty List

Author Debbie Nance

Sycamore Brewing Christmas Ale cans stir up controversy every year.  Although we visit the brewery from time to time, I was unaware of the risque tradition.  According to The Rock Hill Herald, Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte started issuing the seasonal ales with eyebrow-raising labels several years ago.  The controversy kicked off in 2019 with a naughty reindeer design pulled due to lack of approval from the liquor board.  Past designs included controversial snowflake and gingerbread men designs.  We won’t go into detail, but you can imagine.  I must admit, the idea never would have occurred to me.  But, I’m more of a hot cocoa person.  LOL.

And now, this year Sycamore Brewing Christmas Ale cans feature two new designs.  Elves wrap toys for mom and dad.  That sounds innocent enough until you look more closely.  The other label shows the elves donning sweaters with designs from previous labels.  The vice-president of sales for Sycamore says, “It’s beer.  Let’s have fun.”  The new ales with the risque labels include Christmas Cookie Winter Ale and Barrel Aged Christmas Cookie Ale.  Although the online sales ended, the ales hit shelves of local retailers by early December.  They will be available in Total Wine & More and various independent sellers.  However, they warn it’s a small batch.  Therefore, if you wait too long, you might miss out.

Sycamore Brewing describes the flavors, and they sound delicious.  The Christmas Cookie Winter Ale is sweet cookie and warm vanilla.  For a more robust flavor, go with the Barrel Aged Stout.  With this flavor, you get toasted oak, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon and spice.  There’s also a hint of bourbon spirit flavor.  The husband and wife brewery at 2161 Hawkins remains closed in preparation for a move to its larger space next door.  The taproom space will expand, and Sycamore will have a large beer garden and rooftop space, as well.  So, if you know someone with an irreverent sense of humor and appreciation for beer, these “naughty” label ales might be the ticket!

North Carolina Has One Of The Top Cities For Beer Lovers

Here in Charlotte, we love our beers. In fact, the entire state of North Carolina is filled with beer lovers. So that’s why I wasn’t surprised to discover that one North Carolina city made HomeToGo’s list of the Top 17 US Cities for Beer Lovers. It may come as a bit of a shock (or maybe not), that it isn’t in fact Charlotte. It’s not Raleigh, either. Think you know? You’re probably right. I’ll give you a hint, this beer lovers’ paradise is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is one of my favorite places to visit. Though I have to say, I haven’t spent much time in the brewery scene. Maybe this will convince me to change that!

So about this list. HomeToGo scoured the country to find what they consider the best cities for the beer obsessed among us. They narrowed down the list to the Top 17 – the top 10 of which are below. The ranking takes into consideration bars, breweries, beer prices, as well as accommodations. The bar score represents the number of high rate beer bars in each city based on ratebeer.com. The brewery score is based on the number of breweries in each city. Spoiler alert in this case that was our South Carolina friends in Myrtle Beach. Who knew? And the beer price is based on the average price for a pint of domestic draught beer.

 

Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.

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