Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale will go on tap at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 24, and you could get the very first pint of the year.

The brewer is looking for photos of your personal Christmas Ale tradition for the annual First Pour Contest 2013:

Upload a photo of your personal Christmas Ale tradition to FriendsofGLBC.com, or Tweet your photo using #ChristmasAle and #FriendsofGLBC. Using these hashtags will send your photo to the Friends of GLBC Gallery, where you can check out the competition and like and share your favorite shots (you must use #FriendsofGLBC to qualify).

One winner will be invited to our Brewpub, along with one guest, to enjoy 2013’s First Pour of Christmas Ale, along with a small prize package.

And please note, according to the official rules for the contest:

The Promotion is open only to legal residents of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin, who are 21 years of age or older at time of entry.

I can't wait to check out the entries. Reading the details of this contest has also gotten me pretty excited about the return of Christmas Ale (even though I haven't had my fill of Oktoberfest yet). If you won't be attending the First Pour event on Oct. 24, here's details on when the seasonal favorite will be available:

Christmas Ale will be tapped in the GLBC Brewpub ONLY at 11:30 AM on Thursday, October 24. Sorry, no growler or jug fills. 6-Packs and cases of Christmas Ale will be available in the GLBC Gift Shop ONLY beginning Thursday, October 31 at 10:00 AM. Thereafter, Christmas Ale will be available throughout GLBC’s distribution markets (distribution dates/times may vary, so check with your local distributor). Details subject to change at any time.

 -- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl