12 Beers of Christmas - Mountain Livin' Pale Ale

You can't live in the mountains without having some Mountain Livin' Pale Ale from Crazy Mountain Brewery. I just discovered this beer over the summer while I was in the height of my climbing 14er's frenzy, which I found quite appropriate. Of course any beers that come in cans are worthy of mountain summits. I had my first can at the top of Handies Peak and I was immediately intrigued. There was something different about this beer, if you will, a “crazy” malt characteristic that I can't quite put my finger on. I also love that my two favorite hops of the year, simcoe and citra, shine through. Shortly after that summit I had the pleasure of visiting the brewery in Edward, Co during peach season, where I picked up a growler of their seasonal peach. There was that malt again, but this time it was backed ever so lightly by a subtle peachyness. Incredible, and I don't usually like fruit beers. If you didn't already feel good about this beer, or if you did you can feel doubly good about it, because 1% of the proceeds go to Vail Mountain Rescue. Drinking beer and saving lives, love it, and look forward to my next visit.