Brewed from all Aussie grains and hops, this top-fermented Adelaide microbrewery beer is a showcase for Australia's premier flavour hop, Galaxy.

A note on the label thanks Fremantle-based liquor distributor Cam Edwards, whose friendship with the brewers and love of yesteryear’s Australian “muscle” cars instigated the Brew Boys’ motorhead-oriented  beers. Supplies of this car-labelled ale are almost all in WA. Packaged in the Warwick yellow livery of the HK era, GTS is designed  to toast “the legend that is Monaro”. Whimsically, the bitterness level of 32.7 units, is geared to match the cubic-inch capacity of the American motor.

While pale is a summer choice, beer requirements for the imminent Christmas-New Year festivities demand special attention. Brightly-labelled Christmas ale Santa’s Swallie, brewed in Perth – the ancient town in Scotland, that is – by long-ago Sail and Anchor brewer Ken Duncan has arrived in time to add a cheery accompaniment to the prawns, turkey and ham.

For more formal toasts, beer poured into goblets from imposing 750ml bottles fits the bill. Perth’s Nail Brewing ventured into vintages last year with Clout Stout, an award-winning Russian imperial-style brew made with huge amounts of malt, matured over five months and conditioned in champagne bottles sold in black presentation boxes. The 2011 batch won’t be released until April, but 2010 Clout is ready for drinking now. Some bottles are still on sale at specialist stores to put under the Christmas tree.

Newly arrived from Cornwall are individually numbered champagne bottles of an English strong ale. St Austell Smugglers Grand Cru is aged in Scottish whiskey casks and finished with champagne-method bottle-turning in a Cornish vineyard.

A revered Belgian brewery sends a special saison beer as a new year present to its best clients and a limited amount comes to WA. Avec les Bons Vœux de la Brasserie Dupont  (“With the best wishes of Dupont brewery”) even looks like champagne in 750ml corked bottles and in the glass.

THE BEERS

BREWBOYS GTS (5.3 PER CENT)

From the floral, malty, tangerine-touched aroma to the satisfying bitter aftertaste, the firmly hoppy, dry beer with flavour layers including buttermilk and citrus is an outstanding Aussie pale.

INVERALMOND SANTA’S SWALLIE (4.3 PER CENT)

Copper-coloured from crystal as well as pale malt and hopped with classic Fuggle and First Gold,  the herbally fruity real ale is spiced with nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon to become a Christmas ale. “Swallie” is Scottish for drink.

CLOUT STOUT (10.6 PER CENT)

Roasted barley, pale, crystal, oatmeal, black and chocolate meld luxuriously in bittersweet and complex nuts, dates, coffee, caramel and cocoa flavours on a silky palate.

SMUGGLERS GRAND CRU (11.5)

Substance as well as style: berry fruitiness lurks in the rich roasty, woody, vanilla and toffee depths of this quality English dark ale. Pop the bottle-conditioned ale’s cork on New Year’s eve.

DUPONT LES BON VOEUX (9.5 PER CENT)

Pouring lively, orangey-hued and fragrant, the sweet-and-dry farmhouse ale has hoppy mandarin notes, dried fruit flavours and a fruity, tart finish.

BEER OF THE WEEK

ST BERNADUS CHRISTMAS ALE (10 PER CENT)

Belgian abbey ales makes fine drinking any time of the year, but the St Bernadus family brewery taps into the festive mood nicely with this 750ml package of cheer. It is a darkish ruddy-coloured, fruity, hop-spiced dollop of creamy smooth, mellow indulgence. Complex flavours tend towards northern hemisphere winter warmer plum, dried fruit and malty toffee but there’s a zesty lift of berries, ripe cherry and citrusy tartness in a well-balanced finish. It sells quickly every year, but if you can snag a bottle or two, pop the champagne-cork and share this ale with friends and family.

Written by Vic Crossland