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

The first glass of Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale will be poured during a release party starting at 11 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Great Lakes Brewing Company Brewpub, 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland. Info from the brewer's website:

Illustration by Duncan Scott/
DScott@News-Herald.com

It's good to keep Christmas in your heart all year long, but like Old St. Nick, Christmas Ale comes just once a year.

Cleveland's favorite holiday nectar will touch down in the GLBC Taproom on October 25 at 11AM for all the good over-21 boys and girls. Come dressed in your reindeer sweater and ring your jingle bells as we give a warm, festive welcome to a fresh batch of spiced holiday goodness.

Look for a special appearance by Santa Claus (played by jolly Brewer Luke Purcell), ready to listen to your Christmas list (more beer, right?). Co-owner Pat Conway will recite the winning poem from our First Pour Poetry Contest in the fashion of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" before one of our bartender elves serves the season's first glass to the winner and we kick off another joyous season of Christmas Ale!

Christmas Ale will be poured while supplies last. Reservations not accepted. Sorry, no jug or growler fills. Details subject to change without notice. 

So what's that about the first pour poetry contest? It's a chance for you to show off your creativity and your love of Christmas Ale, and get the first glass poured at 11 a.m. Oct. 25. More details on the First Pour Poetry Contest:

It's good to keep Christmas in your heart all year long, but like Old St. Nick, Christmas Ale comes just once a year.

Cleveland's favorite holiday nectar will touch down in the GLBC Taproom on October 25 at 11AM for all the good over-21 boys and girls. Come dressed in your reindeer sweater and ring your jingle bells as we give a warm, festive welcome to a fresh batch of spiced holiday goodness.

Look for a special appearance by Santa Claus (played by jolly Brewer Luke Purcell), ready to listen to your Christmas list (more beer, right?). Co-owner Pat Conway will recite the winning poem from our First Pour Poetry Contest in the fashion of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" before one of our bartender elves serves the season's first glass to the winner and we kick off another joyous season of Christmas Ale!

The News-Herald's Mark Meszoros wrote his own "Ode to Christmas Ale" in the style of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" for the Dec. 20, 2009, edition of The News-Herald. It was published as the centerpiece of our Sidetracks feature page:

Check out his poem for inspiration, but, please, don't plagiarize any of his poetic art.

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

Now is the perfect time to take a trek to the west side of town to visit Great Lakes Brewing Company. Oktoberfest is in season.

I tried this beer for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was hooked. It's fine in the bottle, but straight from the tap at Great Lakes Brewing Company, it is divine. If Oktoberfest isn't your thing, several other beers are on tap. And it's not just the beer that's good at Great Lakes. The menu has a plethora of delicious-sounding options, making it a tough decision (and ensuring that I will be back again soon).

During my most recent trip, my boyfriend and I split the 3 Onion Bruschetta (Shallot, chive, Videlia onion, mozzarella cheese, brewer's barley bread crostini) as an appetizer. The bruschetta is slightly sweet, cheesy, and very tasty. For the main course, I ordered the Old World Burger (Smoked cheddar, bacon, fried onion straws, housemade Edmund Fitzgerald Porter barbecue sauce, pretzel roll) and he the Pretzel Chicken (Gerber's chicken encrusted with pretzel, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Burning River Pale Ale mustard sauce). My dish came with thinly cut fries; I was expecting thicker fries but still enjoyed them, but my boyfriend wasn't a big fan of the skinny option. The mashed potatoes that accompanied his chicken were good and flavorful.

The worst part about our dishes was that I liked them so much, I might have trouble ordering something different the next time I go. But I have my eye on:

• Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Grilled Gerber's chicken breast marinated in Dortmunder Gold Lager, bacon, lettuce, herb mayonnaise, pretzel bun)
• Pulled Pork Sandwich (Dee Jay's pulled pork, housemade Edmund Fitzgerald Porter barbecue sauce, cole slaw)
• Caprese Sandwich (Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil on a ciabatta roll with balsamic drizzle)
• Bratwurst & Pierogi (Dortmunder Gold Lager bratwurst, potato and cheese pierogi, braised red cabbage, sour cream, Dijon mustard)
• Fresh Garden Pasta (Fresh pasta with garden vegetables, garlic and olive oil sauce)
• Veggie Tacos (Two veggie tacos with squash, zucchini, carrots, black bean puree, pico de gallo, mozzarella cheese)

I'm going to need to plan another trip to the west side soon ...

Great Lakes Brewing Company
2516 Market Ave., Cleveland
216-771-4404
glbcinfo@greatlakesbrewing.com
www.greatlakesbrewing.com
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-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl