A Cicerone Christmas

These two Cicerones keep it really low-key on Christmas, and late in the day just head over to nearby family, where they partake of simple fare prepared by Mother-of-Mr Cicerone. (Well, mostly- we brought over more of the wonderfully decadent plum pudding I'd made some time ago, flamed it with calvados, and served it for dessert with hard sauce and Scaldis Noel. ) The beers kept coming all day though, and this year we shared Mr Cicerone's Wee Winter Warmer and porter, The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves, Van Twee (Belgian strong/porter with Michigan cherries. More porterish than Belgian, with nice cherry notes), St Bernardus Christmas Ale, and Sierra Celebration Ale with all in attendance. Our "special" gift from brother-of-Cicerone was, um, very nice. But our gift to him stole the show, of course.

Our own "Cicerone Christmas" happens on Christmas Eve after I crawl home from work. We stay in, make a fire, cook something special, and relax, rejoicing that the madness is *almost* over. We snacked on some cheese first- some delicious sage-infused cheddar, some smoked gouda, and a little horseradish-infused cheddar. Our aperitif beer was The Bruery's Hottenroth Berliner Weisse, an excellent example of this unique style of beer. Dinner was risotto, with shreds of duck confit mixed through. To go with the risotto- Allagash Confluence 2009. Malty, a little hoppy, and a lot of mouth-watering Brett character. Delicious. For dessert- simple nuggets of dark chocolate and some chipotle and chocolate covered hazelnuts, enjoyed with Mr Cicerone's delicious porter.

Coming soon- A Cicerone New Year weekend in Chicago!