Joe Sixpack, Don Russell was interviewed today on NPR’s Fresh Air regarding Christmas beers. Click through the link to hear the report or to check out his 10 favorite Christmas ales. 

Also if you’re looking for last second stocking stuffer, consider Don Russell’s book of Christmas beers, still available at these locations.

Christmas Beer Yields Christmas Cheer [NPR]
10 Christmas Beers, from Soup to Nuts [NPR]
Joe Sixpack [Official Site]

Joe Sixpack suggests the great winter beers and a roaring fire at Devil’s Den. And if you get there between 4 and 7 pm, Monday through Friday, all drafts are half-off.

Get your butt to Devil’s Den [Beer Radar]

Trey Popp has been eagerly waiting for the arrival of Earth Bread + Brewery for a year now. And unlike most things with such a build-up, the beers and pizza deliver.

My favorite one [pizza] bore another simple name: Seed. Sesame seeds, pine nuts and pepitas studded a crust that had been painted with garlic-infused olive oil and topped with cheese. The smell alone had me salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs trapped in a bell factory, and the sourdough crust was just perfect between the teeth.

A pungent pesto topped the crust of another flatbread, garlicking up a cargo of cubed potatoes that would send one of Atkins’ acolytes running for the nearest mound of meat. I loved the double dose of carbs. It reminded me of a pie topped with fettuccini Alfredo that still colors my memory of Key West 15 years after the fact.

Hearth of Gold [City Paper]
Earth Bread + Brewery [Official Site]

Yards Brewing is pouring a firkin of their new Cocoa Porter tonight at Dos Segundos. Get over to Northern Liberties and check that out. Also pouring is Philly Pale Ale, ESA and Brawler.

It’ll be $2 a pint and the promo starts at 7pm.

Maybe you forgot but yes, beer baskets do make good gifts. Bridgid’s can help you put together a gift basket, whether it is Yards, a local blend, 100% Belgian or something else entirely. Baskets start at $25 and can also be paired with Joe Sixpack’s Holiday Beer Guide and Bridgid’s gift certificates.

Bridgid’s [Official Site]

Meal Ticket has photographic evidence of the second floor at the Institute. Yep, tall-backed booths with Nintendo Wii game systems. [Meal Ticket]

The Mad River guys are planning on opening Ladder 15 at 1528 Sansom this February. The menu will be designed by Little Fish’s Mike Stollenwerk. [The Insider]

Drew Lazor manages to pull a couple more details from Susan Schlisman regarding her non-Smokin’ Betty’s concept. It’ll be south of Lombard, west of Queen Village, an area we commonly refer to as Bella Vista. [Feeding Frenzy, City Paper]

Frugal and not quite discerning beer drinkers take note: Lionshead has a new look. [Brand Week]

Pub & Kitchen’s Jonathan McDonald and his Shepherd’s Pie is featured in the January 2009 issue of Men’s Journal. [Men's Journal (PDF)]

Northeast Philadelphia’s Rylei has moved to Richboro, Bucks County. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

A.D. Amorosi won’t give up on the dream of Silk City’s Beer Garden so neither will we. He reports owner, Mark Bee was spotted outside the diner jack hammering the beginnings of said beer garden. [Ice Pack, City Paper]

And yep, that was Georges Perrier dining at Girard Avenue’s Modo Mio last night.

Well now that it’s December there is no ignoring that Christmas is right around the corner. So even though our natural tendency is to procrastinate we’ll celebrate that we’ve begun our Christmas shopping (thanks PhillyHistory.org) and focus on some Christmas beers.

Meal Ticket has an interview with Don Russell, aka Joe Sixpack about his Christmas beers. Did you know Russell has a book out on the subject? Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews.

This Saturday is the Cliveden Winter Beer Festival where there will be 50+ beers for the sampling.

Looking for a gift for a craft beer drinker on your shopping list, then consider tickets to Philadelphia’s other Christmas Beer Fest set for December 27th at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology & Anthropology.

Or just head to your local bar and see what they’re serving. We’ve seen the always anticipated Troegs Mad Elf pouring at Grace Tavern and Good Dog. It’s also on deck at the Memphis Taproom and next Friday they’re having a Mad Elf party at the Grey Lodge.

Speaking of the Grey Lodge, tonight they’re debuting Philadelphia Brewing Company’s winter brew, (Pedro) Feliz Navidad Holiday Lager, “a fresh, wet hopped black lager made from hops right from PBC’s garden.

You may have noticed more Yards Brews popping up around town as their new brewery on Delaware Avenue comes on line. And now Jack Curtin shares that there are bottles out there and they’re really good. Especially the reintroduced Yards Brawler.

Yards bottles are back [Jack Curtin's Liquid Diet]
Yards Brewing Co. [Official Site]

In Joe Sixpack’s Daily News column today Joe notes the growing trend towards big bottles of beer. And online he perfectly supplements the column with a number of spots stocking big bottles.

So next time you’re looking to BYO, don’t just think wine, think big bottles of beer.

Where to find those big boys [Beer Radar]
Big-bottle trend: Beer that looks like wine [Philadelphia Daily News]

Even though they’re not opening till late November, West Philadelphia’s Local 44 already has their opening night beer list set.

Among the 20 sensational brews are Russian River Blind Pig, Cantillon Geueze, St. Bernardus 12 and one we admittedly never have heard of, Conniston Blue Bird Bitter.

Check out the complete list over at Joe Sixpack’s site.

Phillies Fever [Beer Radar]
Local 44 [Official Site]