For some people, the best — and most frightening — thing about middle school was heading to the roller rink on a Friday night. Would your friends be there? Would they get along? Would your mom embarrass you? Would you be alone for the couples’ skate? And while that nostalgia is fun, it’s difficult to head back there as an adult. Thankfully, Tacoma Arts Live has teamed up to give kids and adults just such a place. Tonight, Skate the Armory: Holiday Edition will turn the Tacoma Armory into the North Pole Skating Rink. Skaters will have a blast skating to “Christmas in Hollis”, doing tricks, or pushing mistletoe. Handholding couples dressed as the Clauses can go for a spin to show the world just how cute they are. There is no need to hold back if you have never skated before because after just a little practice you can fly the reindeer on your own. But such adventures are well worth the haul for the guilty pleasure of flashing back to Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians singing “Rudolph”, if the DJ is old enough to remember. Enjoy a festive atmosphere with a live DJ, lights, visual projections and two sessions with adults only after 8:30 p.m. You can skate or enjoy the ambiance. Drinks and food will be available for purchase. Skates are not provided. Holiday costumes and ugly sweaters are welcome. And Peaks & Pints offers a holiday beer flight to enjoy before or after Skate the Armory: Holiday Edition — a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Skate the Armory: Holiday Edition.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Skate the Armory: Holiday Edition
Cloudburst Distinctive Holiday Ale
6.7% ABV
“The day Sapporo decided to close Anchor Brewing was a sad, sad day,” states Cloudburst Brewing. “But a few weeks prior to that, they announced the discontinuation of their Special Ale (aka Christmas Ale), and that was a mad, MAD day. We get that a spiced winter warmer is not an easy sell (LIKE, PLEASE BUY THIS BEER) but that version was essentially canonized. It was always rich in malt and interesting in flavor – often spiced, but never with the same combination – and packaged in an iconic bottle (or magnum) with a new label every year. If that beer was to no longer exist…well, what does that say about…um…the storied winter seasonal beer market? And thus, we put it upon ourselves to create a similar rendition, filling that glaring, singular hole on the shelf at your favorite bottle shop. A beer of malts, hops, spices, joy and cheer. A beer you can drink one can of, leave a second can in the back of your fridge, bring the other 2 cans over to your friend’s house so they can drink one can and regift the other one. So, watch out, seasonal shelf turds – there’s a new Special Ale in town and it’s our Distinctive Holiday Ale.”
Crux Snow Cave
7.2% ABV
As winter makes its arrival, so does the tradition of winter warmers. Snow Cave is Crux Fermentation Project’s take on a warming, winter ale to usher in the season. A hearty malt backbone gives notes of toffee, fir and toasted bread crumbs for a malty and slightly sweet base. Fruity notes from Crystal, Galaxy and Cascade hops balance the maltiness for the perfect first winter beer of the season to be enjoyed by a cozy fire —whether that’s out in a snow cave or your own fireplace.
Wet Coast Fixed the Newel Post
8.5% ABV
In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark takes the chain saw to the newel post, but Rusty is caught watching the movie on TV and Frank Capra III — grandson of the famous director of the classic film — was an assistant director. West Coast pays tribute to this classic holiday scene with an imperial red ale full of Caramel and Crystal Rye malts for sticky-red-sweetness plus enough hops for resinous pine and juicy citrus flavors and aromas.
Maritime Pacific Jolly Roger Christmas Ale
9.2% ABV
George and Jane Hancock founded the ma-and-pa Maritime Pacific Brewing Company in an old transmission shop in 1990 in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. In 1997 they opened the Jolly Roger Taproom named, as they say, “in honor of our most popular holiday brew”: Jolly Roger Christmas Ale. A beer fridge staple, Jolly Roger English Strong Ale combines rich malt character with a blend of fresh Northwest Chinook and Cascade hops. This year, Maritime gave its famous winter ale a spruce treatment. Spruce tips have been used in the brewing process for hundreds of years. They were one of the main additions in beer before people learned about brewing with hops. The fresh, tender tips have a mellow pine scent and a crisp flavor.
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
10% ABV
Brouwerij St Bernardus is famous for both their beers and their heritage. The brewery brewed the famous Westvleteren beers before the monastery returned all production back to within the abbey’s walls. Their Abt 12 quadrupel represents what Westvleteren 12 used to be before the abbey changed their yeast strain. Abt 12, one of the world’s most beloved and highly regarded beers. St. Bernardus’ Christmas Ale is brewery’s Abt 12 offering, but gussied up with rich malt, dark dried fruit, fig, hints of anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar … basically a fruitcake.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
