“…As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof….”
That Christmas Eve clatter, as expressed by Clement Clarke Moore in “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”) was the only explanation for the bounty of gifts under the tree and the strange aroma wafting through the house on Christmas morning: reindeer breath!
The beer of that name—and the reindeer artwork on the can—are attributed to 12-year-old Isla Grimaldi, daughter of one of the founders of the Aurora Brewing Co. Apparently Isla had bugged Mark Grimaldi for years to name a beer Reindeer’s Breath, and when the time came, she was up to the artistic task.
Aurora opened as a nanobrewery by Grimaldi and a homebrewing buddy, Joe Shelton, in 2016, near Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. (Moore was also from New York, and the poem—where Santa’s reindeer were first named—initially appeared in the Troy Sentinel newspaper.)
Clement C. Moore
Things stayed nano at the brewery until a new taproom opened in late 2020, and more recently a second location in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford. Around the time Reindeer Breath appeared this year it was announced that a third location would soon be opening in Syracuse.
We tore through our present opening through the late morning and afternoon, with a seemingly new tradition instigated by grandson, Nate: applause as each new gift was unwrapped.
With four more arriving for a grand Christmas dinner, we were up to 13, and probably about seven or so of us making up the tasting crew.
The pre-dinner spread
The brewery’s Facebook page describes the beer thusly: “A chocolatey, balanced stout conditioned on toasted cacao nibs, candy canes, and chocolate peppermint bark. It’s a smooth and chocolatey pour, reminiscent of your favorite chocolate-covered peppermint candy.”
Right up to a point. Everyone in the tasting panel detected the chocolate tones, but the mint was only faintly discernible. It was a retreat from yesterday’s Hardywood Gingerbread Stout, with its ginger deliberately over the top, but for that balanced reason some liked this one more.
My friend Jerry Carbone said, “Yes, it reminds me of the last time I kissed a reindeer.” Not so disgusting an image if Isla’s drawing is accurate–her reindeer has a candy cane sticking out of its mouth.
There were few dissenters—everyone seemed on board with the reindeer—though I did wish more of the mint character had come through. But by the close of the festivities, I was so laden with pasta, pie, reindeer’s breath and laughs there was nothing left to do but wish all a good night. Happy Christmas!
Name: Reindeer Breath
Brewer: Aurora Brewing Co., King Ferry and Pittsford, New York
Style: Christmas Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Availability: Seasonally, in NY, MA, VA, NH, NJ, PA
For More Information: www.brewaurora.com
[December 25, 2024]
< 12 Beers of Christmas 3: Hardywood Gingerbread Stout
