Christmas is coming...
Some of you live for it. Decorations, cookies, advent calendars, plaid, fireplaces, Christmas movies and Christmas markets are all part of your daily life as Christmas Lovers. I admit I'm one of them.
Others want nothing more than to see all this irritating staging disappear. But whether you're in the first or the second group, chances are the "find Christmas presents" line is on your to-do list right now.
We're clearly not specialists in the field, but we'd like to give you some hoppy ideas.
1. A WhiteFrontier discovery pack
What better way to introduce a loved one to fresh, Swiss craft beers? There are two ways of doing this: we offer packs of 12 where you can select the beers of your choice by 3 on our eshop here. If you'd like more diversity (12 different beers), you can get it at our Taproom in Martigny.
They're pretty, they're sturdy and they come in packs of 6. It's a gift that's sure to please.
Here's the perfect beer for Christmas. If you've got a Guinness fan in your circle, then this 12-pack of Whitefrontier stouts is for him.
They're beautiful, they're soft, they're fresh :)
Here's our Whitefrontier merch range designed by artist Adrien Beaujeant.
At least you can't go wrong. This gift card is valid on all products in our shop. Would you prefer a visit, beers, glasses or a beerclub? She or he will choose :)
Here's the perfect gift for the "beergeek", the beer fans who can't get enough of what's new...
What if instead of giving a physical gift, you gave an experience? A brewery tour is top a family or group of friends.
Beers aged in oak barrels, surprising and powerful. Discover our Barrel Aged range.
But here's a different kind of entertainment.
Blind beer tasting.
Why not take a tour of your local breweries and ask their advice on buying some surprising beers. You can then get the description of the beer from the brewery's website and make a small document with 5 or 6 descriptions. Give this document to your guests. Then, you serve each beer in turn in glasses, without showing the beer in question, and your guests have to find out which description it corresponds to. You can even give the winner a pack of the same beers.
Yes, yes and yes again. Beer goes perfectly with food. And since the theme is Christmas, I'm here to help.
1. The starter - Oysters
I recommend a stout. Beware of preconceived ideas: it's far too heavy, it'll completely drown out the flavor of the oysters, but nonsense. If you choose a light stout, like Whitefrontier's Ireland's Call which is only 4.5%, you'll be surprised by this delicious combination. The roasted, toasted character of this beer sublimates the salinity of the oyster.
2. The starter - Smoked salmon
With smoked salmon, I recommend a white beer. The sweetness of the wheat sublimates the salmon and its lemony taste. Why not Pillows?
3. The main course - Beef Wellington
Next with your main course, often a fine meat. I love Beef Wellington, you know what it is, perfectly cooked beef surrounded by a beautiful puff pastry and between the pastry and the meat, a mushroom stuffing, hmm a real treat. I recommend an amber beer with a woody taste. Whitefrontier's Log-out and Live will be magical.
4. The cheese - Truffle Fondue
Ah, my favorite part, the cheese. Well, that's a bit more complicated, as each cheese has its own beer. So let's skip the French-style cheese platter, as we can write about that in a separate article. For a truffle fondue, I'd choose a Belgian-style beer, a blond that's full-bodied and tasty, but neither too bitter nor too aromatic. Why not L'échappée from the Rouvinez family?
5. Dessert - Chocolate vanilla pear log.
For me, there's nothing better than finishing with a touch of chocolate. But after that, you can do as you please. I'd go for a chocolate, pear and vanilla log. To match it, I recommend gose or sour beers. Whitefrontier's Le Menu beer, brewed in collaboration with the chefs at Les Touristes restaurant in Martigny. It's a sour with Valais pear and yarrow. The bubbles are fine, with good acidity. The pear adds a delicious cider or perry flavour.
And that's it, you're all set for a Christmas Eve that breaks the mould. I hope the winemakers won't take offense.
Some of you live for it. Decorations, cookies, advent calendars, plaid, fireplaces, Christmas movies and Christmas markets are all part of your daily life as Christmas Lovers. I admit I'm one of them.
Others want nothing more than to see all this irritating staging disappear. But whether you're in the first or the second group, chances are the "find Christmas presents" line is on your to-do list right now.
We're clearly not specialists in the field, but we'd like to give you some hoppy ideas.
Our gift ideas to put under the tree
1. A WhiteFrontier discovery pack
What better way to introduce a loved one to fresh, Swiss craft beers? There are two ways of doing this: we offer packs of 12 where you can select the beers of your choice by 3 on our eshop here. If you'd like more diversity (12 different beers), you can get it at our Taproom in Martigny.
They're pretty, they're sturdy and they come in packs of 6. It's a gift that's sure to please.
Here's the perfect beer for Christmas. If you've got a Guinness fan in your circle, then this 12-pack of Whitefrontier stouts is for him.
4. A WhiteFrontier sweater
They're beautiful, they're soft, they're fresh :)
Here's our Whitefrontier merch range designed by artist Adrien Beaujeant.
5. The timeless gift card
At least you can't go wrong. This gift card is valid on all products in our shop. Would you prefer a visit, beers, glasses or a beerclub? She or he will choose :)
6. A BeerClub subscription
Here's the perfect gift for the "beergeek", the beer fans who can't get enough of what's new...
7. A visit to the brewery
What if instead of giving a physical gift, you gave an experience? A brewery tour is top a family or group of friends.
8. A Barrel Aged discovery pack
Beers aged in oak barrels, surprising and powerful. Discover our Barrel Aged range.
Our ideas for holiday entertainment
There are lots of ideas for entertaining and keeping guests busy during the Christmas holidays. There's the famous secret santa, quizzes, board games and so on.
But here's a different kind of entertainment.
Blind beer tasting.
Why not take a tour of your local breweries and ask their advice on buying some surprising beers. You can then get the description of the beer from the brewery's website and make a small document with 5 or 6 descriptions. Give this document to your guests. Then, you serve each beer in turn in glasses, without showing the beer in question, and your guests have to find out which description it corresponds to. You can even give the winner a pack of the same beers.
Our food and beer pairing suggestions for the festive season
Can you put beer on a beautiful Christmas table?Yes, yes and yes again. Beer goes perfectly with food. And since the theme is Christmas, I'm here to help.
1. The starter - Oysters
I recommend a stout. Beware of preconceived ideas: it's far too heavy, it'll completely drown out the flavor of the oysters, but nonsense. If you choose a light stout, like Whitefrontier's Ireland's Call which is only 4.5%, you'll be surprised by this delicious combination. The roasted, toasted character of this beer sublimates the salinity of the oyster.
2. The starter - Smoked salmon
With smoked salmon, I recommend a white beer. The sweetness of the wheat sublimates the salmon and its lemony taste. Why not Pillows?
3. The main course - Beef Wellington
Next with your main course, often a fine meat. I love Beef Wellington, you know what it is, perfectly cooked beef surrounded by a beautiful puff pastry and between the pastry and the meat, a mushroom stuffing, hmm a real treat. I recommend an amber beer with a woody taste. Whitefrontier's Log-out and Live will be magical.
4. The cheese - Truffle Fondue
Ah, my favorite part, the cheese. Well, that's a bit more complicated, as each cheese has its own beer. So let's skip the French-style cheese platter, as we can write about that in a separate article. For a truffle fondue, I'd choose a Belgian-style beer, a blond that's full-bodied and tasty, but neither too bitter nor too aromatic. Why not L'échappée from the Rouvinez family?
5. Dessert - Chocolate vanilla pear log.
For me, there's nothing better than finishing with a touch of chocolate. But after that, you can do as you please. I'd go for a chocolate, pear and vanilla log. To match it, I recommend gose or sour beers. Whitefrontier's Le Menu beer, brewed in collaboration with the chefs at Les Touristes restaurant in Martigny. It's a sour with Valais pear and yarrow. The bubbles are fine, with good acidity. The pear adds a delicious cider or perry flavour.
And that's it, you're all set for a Christmas Eve that breaks the mould. I hope the winemakers won't take offense.
