Delirium Noël, originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay.

I drank my way to the perfect Christmas. No, I didn’t drink myself into a stupor, only to spend the holiday in a soporific haze. I think I actually drank the perfect amount of beer to enjoy myself and still be helpful with Charlie.

I shared a bomber of Delirium Noel Christmas night, but the real surprise was a sixer of Lagunitas Brown Shugga I picked up at Wegman’s. Delicious! If you see any at your local distributor, be sure to pick it up. It’s a perfect beer for the holidays, and it’s deceptively easy drinking, even at 9.8% ABV. Watch out!

I found myself just a tad disappointed in Bell’s Winter White Ale. I am all for a lighter beer around the holidays, but this felt more like a summer beer with a new label slapped on the bottle. I think it was a mistake on my part to expect a delicate winter warmer at 5.0% ABV.

If there’s one resolution I managed to keep this year, it was my effort to broaden my palate when it comes to craft beer. I think the days of me hoisting IPA after IPA are behind me. I’m trying subtler flavors (and lower ABVs.) I’d like to take a class next year to figure out the finer points of beer, rather than just pretend I know how to identify anything that isn’t a massive hops flavor. Can anyone recommend a good one in the Philly area?

Last, but not least, I’d like to thank the great Philly beer writers for introducing me to new and different brews throughout 2009. I don’t know where or what I’d be drinking were it not for Lew Bryson, Jack Curtin, Joe Sixpack, and Suzy Woods. Plenty of people say — rightfully so — that Philly’s a great beer city. They’re right, but they’d be mistaken if it weren’t made better by the people I’ve listed here.  If you live in Philly and like beer and you’re not reading their blogs, you’re probably missing out on some great stuff. They’re all invaluable to the Philly beer scene. If you see them out, be sure to buy them a pint!