Is it too early to declare a holiday winner?

I suspect the last time beer actually had fun was back when Spuds McKenzie was cavorting around with the beach babes, shilling for Budweiser. (For the record, I always thought Spuds was a bit stupid, but he gained some street cred when the prohibition types killed him.) For my purposes, it isn’t necessary to sell beers with cartoon characters and funny animal critters. Beer is a grown up beverage, requiring a grown up advertising angle. Beer isn’t about animated kitty cats or superheroes, beer’s about earning it. Did you work your tail off today? You did? Well, by God you deserve a beer! Beer’s about treating yourself.

Having said that, I think beer should have a fun side, too. That’s what I particularly like about this Shiner Holiday Cheer; it’s different, but doesn’t stray too far from a working class tradition that hits close to home for me. For starters, there’s the price. I plunk down $5.99 a six-pack for Holiday Cheer before tax and for those of you with an arithmetic bent, that’s less than a buck a bottle.

Next, there’s labeling that harkens back to the 1940s or 1950s. Every time I look at a six-pack of Shiner Holiday Cheer, I think of my old man punching some out-of-towner in the nose on the dance floor of the Alpine Inn. (Admittedly, not a holiday story but a true story nonetheless. What can I say.) Let's just say it was different back then, with less emphasis on unearned "self-esteem."

Finally, there’s the taste of Holiday Cheer: “simple but different” is all I can say. Since my first sampling back on November 17th, I think I’ve polished off nearly a case of Shiner Holiday Cheer (some was shared with guests during Thanksgiving and some was given away to co-workers.). Here are my initial sampling notes, taken verbatim from my beer log:

Slight spice smell in the bottle. Sweet fruit smell in the glass. Dark amber/red with a pinkish tan head. Noticeable peach flavor and a slight roasted nut flavor in the finish. Very good. Bottle touts this as an old world dunkelweizen.

So, were I do develop an advertising campaign for Shiner Holiday Cheer, the shot would open with a snowy 1950s street scene, showing a simple small town neighborhood with a few cars parked out front (definitely a ’57 Chevy and probably a nifty Ford Victoria, too) of a snow covered bungalow style house, Christmas lights adorning the front window. Inside the house, you’d see a workingman and his family with perhaps a couple of friends laughing as they enjoy the spirit of the season and a glass or two of Holiday Cheer. Ah, nice.

Shiner Holiday Cheer is a beer that should be earned. If you think you’ve worked hard this year, if you think you’ve given the system all you’re worth, then perhaps you should track down a six-pack of Holiday Cheer and treat yourself and, no matter what era you chose to be transported to, may the spirit of the season warm you from within and transport you back to that particularly special time. This one is my early first choice as holiday champion.

I love you dad.