What says Christmas and the holiday season more than the smell of evergreens. What if you could put that flavour in your beer for year around cheer?

A detailed article in The Beer Connoisseur goes into the history of Spruce Beer and how you can add the taste to your beer as well.

According to the article, spruce beer, tea, or infusions have been around for thousands of years. While those drinking it would not know the science behind its health-giving nature, many evergreen needles are high in vitamin C. Even Captain James Cook had two sailors making spruce beer fulltime to ward off scurvy.

Though spruce hasn’t enjoyed its old-world popularity in some time, there is still a market for it, says The Beer Connoisseur.

Alaskan Winter Ale, brewed with Sitka spruce tips, sits near the top of the list. It’s lighter than a historical spruce beer would be, as it’s not brewed with molasses, but spruce sits at the fore of the flavor, blending not only in aroma and flavor, but also mouthfeel. The result is a richly malty, smooth, yet chewy beer that is not quite filling and not quite light. Just piquant and refreshing.

For the complete article, go here.