No, you aren't going to find this one on store shelves anymore. But Hope beers have a special place in my heart, probably because they, as I, hailed from Rhode Island. Of course, they were brewed under contract at the Lion Brewery in Wilkes Barre, PA under the supervision of brewmaster Tim Morse. Morse worked at Anchor Brewing for a time before leaving to help get Hope off the ground, then later moved on to do great things for John Harvard's Brewhouse.

I remember the first time I sampled Hope Christmas Ale. I was sitting at Konig City in Davol Square, a shopping center development in Providence. The festive label, so intricately ornamented with a festive wreath and red foil neck wrapper surely made this appear to be something special. Doubtless Morse got the idea from Anchor for a Christmas Ale, but it was around 1988 or so when I saw this beauty and it was the first Christmas Ale I had ever come across.

I remember it as a juicy, malty red ale with a hint of fruit and a gentle hop bite. By today's standards, it would seem relatively tame. But for me, Hope Christmas Ale will always be something special.

Home