Some holiday traditions should never change, most especially those at the banquet table: cookies and eggnog, turkey and stuffing, gingerbread and candy canes.

Other traditions, of course, deserve updating and upgrading. Think beer: Do you really want to celebrate the season with the same ordinary suds served at Martini's Bar in It's a Wonderful Life? No, the modern day George and Mary Bailey deserve something more - big, flavorful, warming brews.

With that in mind, here's my annual ranking of the 12 Beers of Christmas, a dozen December delights. Most are made right here in Colorado - is there a better winter wonderland? Think of them as being like Frosty the Snowman, because these seasonal releases won't last long.

Consider this a starting point for your own exploration, a first step toward establishing a new tradition worthy of holidays yet to come.

1. Hibernation Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver

As big, bold and malty as holiday beers come. This English-style Old Ale is wildly warming, boasting a beautiful ruby color and balanced flavor.

* Pair with: Roast chicken or apple crisp

* Cost: $9.50

* Alcohol by volume: 8.1 percent

2. Old Jubilation Ale

Avery Brewing Co., Boulder

Hints of toasted nuts spring forth from this winter wonder. Savor it slowly.

* Pair with: Roast beef

* Cost: $8.49

* Alcohol by volume: 8.0 percent

3. Never Summer Ale

Boulder Beer Co.

A hoppy warmer made distinct by bright, piney accents. Can't head for the hills? This brings them to you.

* Pair with: Pear and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast

* Cost: $6.99

* Alcohol by volume: 6.0 percent

4. Christmas Ale

Breckenridge Brewery, Denver

Smooth, malty and balanced. A classic example of a winter warmer.

* Pair with: Beef or lamb

* Cost: $7.49; also available in a gift-worthy, limited- edition bomber bottle with swing-top cap, $19.99.

* Alcohol by volume: 7.4 percent

5. Celebration Ale

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., California

For those who hope for a stocking filled with hops, this is the clear choice. A festively full-bodied pale ale.

* Pair with: Sugar Mama Pecans

* Cost: $7.99

* Alcohol by volume: 6.8 percent

6. Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Boston Beer Co.

Think caramel-dipped gingerbread man, melted into a smooth sipper. Brewed with cinnamon, ginger and orange.

* Pair with: Roast turkey or ginger snaps

* Cost: Only available as part of the Samuel Adams Winter Classics 12-pack, $13.99

* Alcohol by volume: 5.9 percent

7. Isolation Ale

Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins

English malt gives this copper-hued elixir the warmth of toffee and biscuits.

* Pair with: Fish and chips or Frosted Maple Walnut Cookies

* Cost: $9.49

* Alcohol by volume: 6.1 percent

8. 2 Below Ale

New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins

A cool cousin of Fat Tire, this amber ale is just hoppy enough, with a toasty, caramel aroma. New Belgium also brews Frambozen, a seasonal that's rich with red raspberry flavor.

* Pair with: Bread pudding, prime rib or rich pasta dishes

* Cost: $7.99

* Alcohol by volume: 6.6 percent

9. Cocoa Porter Winter Warmer

Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs

Close your eyes and breathe in deeply - yes, that's hot fudge sundae you're detecting. Credit the cocoa powder and honey in the recipe.

* Pair with: Warm Spinach Salad With Apples and Bacon

* Cost: $8.99

* Alcohol by volume: 5.7 percent

10. Shiner Holiday Cheer

Spoetzl Brewery, Texas

From the makers of Shiner Bock comes this surprising, Southern-accented seasonal. A wheat ale brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans.

* Pair with: Barbecue or peach pie

* Cost: $7.99

* Alcohol by volume: 5.4 percent

11. Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout

Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs

Mochachino lovers will be spellbound by notes of roast coffee and chocolate.

* Pair with: Cheddar cheese or chocolate cake

* Cost: $8.99

* Alcohol by volume: 7.0 percent

12. Snow Bound Winter Ale

Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont

The spiciest selection on the list is loaded with clove, ginger, cardamom, orange zest and honey. Fruitcake in a mug.

* Pair with: Turkey or fruity desserts

* Cost: $4.99, 22-ounce bottle

* Alcohol by volume: 7.6 percent

Note: Unless noted, cost is typical retail price of a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles.

Thanks to Daveco Liquors in Thornton for helping us round up several of the beers.

What's On Tap appears the first Wednesday of the month.

dedrickj@RockyMountainNews.com

More holiday cheers

* Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout. A big, malty, coffee-tinged brew you'll find in cans. From Lyons.

* Full Sail Wassail. Toffee and vanilla notes harmonize in this winter warmer from Oregon.

* Widmer Brrr. Hoppy red ale, also from Oregon.

* Deschutes Jubelale. Warming, with hints of caramel and honey. Yet another Oregon export.

* Alaskan Winter Ale. New to the state, but could pass for a Colorado native: It's brewed with spruce tips.

* Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown. Sweet with maple aroma. New seasonal from Wisconsin.

* Michelob Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale. Vanilla and oak meet in the Bud maker's seasonal from Fort Collins.

Three Questions for Don Russell

Don Russell is better known as Joe Sixpack, veteran beer columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and author of Christmas Beer ($19.95, Universe).

Of all the subcategories of beer to choose, what led you to write a book on Christmas beers?

It's a favorite of mine - I love the Christmas and winter beers, and nobody's done it before. I've been writing about beer 12 years now, and I realized there was a gap there. Most beer books tend to focus on styles - IPA, porter. Christmas beer is not a specific style, so it did not lend itself easily to a typical beer book.

What are the traits of a good Christmas beer?

The biggest thing is strength. They tend to be big, full-flavored and generally a little higher in alcohol. They tend to have heavier body.

These are special beers of the season, so brewers go all out, and that typically means they use more ingredients. They also tend to pair really well with the festive meals we have at Christmastime.

You ranked your 50 favorites for the book. Is there a least-favorite beer you tried over the course of research?

It's not in the book, but my least favorite ever was a Christmas beer that reminded me of Robitussin. It was obnoxious. I can't remember what it was called; I came across it in a deli somewhere. I suspect it's not made anymore.

RECIPES

Frosted Maple Walnut Cookies

Serves: 54 ( 41/2 dozen cookies)

Cookies:

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 to 2 teaspoons imitation maple flavoring or extract

3 eggs

21/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash salt

11/2 cups chopped walnuts

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened

2 teaspoons imitation maple flavoring or extract

* Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine brown sugar and 1 cup of margarine; beat until fluffy.

* Add 1 to 2 teaspoons maple flavor and eggs; blend well.

* Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

* Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from sheets.

* Cool 5 minutes or until completely cooled.

* In medium bowl, combine all frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread each cooled cookie with frosting.

* High Altitude (above 3500 feet): Increase all-purpose flour to 23/4 cups. Bake as directed above.

- Cook'n, DVO Enterprises, dvo.com

Nutritional information per 2 cook serving: 160 cal., 6 g fat (1 g sat), 10 mg chol., 24 g carb., 2 g pro., 1 g fiber, 80mg sodium

Sugar Mama Pecans

Serves 16

4 tablespoons butter

11/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

4 ounces Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pounds shelled pecans

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauce pan over low to medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly. Add ale, salt, Tabasco sauce, and cinnamon. Stir in pecans and coat evenly. Spread pecans in a single layer on a large greased cookie sheet with sides. Bake for 20 minutes. Watch pecans carefully - do not allow mixture to smoke or burn. Cool in single layer on buttered waxed paper.

- Christmas Beer, Don Russell

Nutritional information per serving: 499 cal., 44 g fat

(5 g sat), 7 mg chol., 29 g carb., 5 g pro., 6 g fiber, 80 mg. sodium

Warm Spinach Salad with Apples and Bacon

Serves 6

Serve with a Honey-Flavored Specialty Beer, such as Michelob Honey Lager.

1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1 package (10 ounces) baby spinach

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cranberry juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 bacon slices, drained, and crumbled

* In a large bowl, combine the apple, onion, cranberries, and spinach and toss to mix well.

* In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, cranberry juice, mustard, salt, and pepper over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

* Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Drizzle the warm dressing over salad and toss well.

* Sprinkle with the bacon.

* Serve immediately.

* Cook's Tip: Toss the salad while the dressing is still hot to wilt the spinach leaves.

- Great Food, Great Beer: The Anheuser-Busch Cookbook

Nutritional information per serving: 138 cal., 2 g fat (1 g sat), 5 mg chol., 26 g carb., 1 g pro., 1 g fiber, 189 mg sodium

Pear and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast

Serves 8

Serve with a Wheat Beer, such as Shock Top Belgian White.

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup sliced onion

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 pears, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup apple juice

1 boneless pork loin roast (about 2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and butterflied

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, thyme, sage, and garlic. Saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes.

* Stir in the stock, scraping to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the pears and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

* Stir in the cranberries and apple juice. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

* Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a roasting rack. Set inside a roasting pan.

* Unroll the pork roast, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the pork with the salt and pepper. Spread the pear mixture over the roast, stopping 2 inches from the outside edges.

* Roll up the roast, jelly-roll fashion, starting with the short side. Secure at 1-inch intervals with twine. Place the roast on the rack in the roasting pan.

* Roast for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees (do not remove the pork from the oven) and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 160 degrees and the meat is slightly pink in the center (cut to test), about 1 hour and 10 minutes longer.

* Let stand for 10 minutes.

* Slice the pork into 1-inch-thick slices and serve.

* Cook's Tip: If your butcher can't butterfly the roast for you and time is short, buy a tied loin roast. Separate it into two pieces, spread the filling between the halves, and truss tightly.

- Great Food, Great Beer: The Anheuser-Busch Cookbook

Nutritional information per serving: 211 cal., 10 g fat (3 g sat), 56 mg chol., 10 g carb., 22 g pro., 2 g fiber, 719 mg sodium

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