Day 20 of the 6th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 20: Urban Artifact Xmas Pickle Gose
Upon further investigation, Xmas Pickle is not actually a holiday ale. It is Urban Artifact’s classic pickle ale, rebranded in a Christmas can. But it still counts! They are moving the release from July to Christmas, making it their holiday release from now on. Its name comes from the German-American tradition of hiding a pickle-shaped decoration in a Christmas tree, with the finder receiving good fortune for the coming year. The Pickle is a “gose-style brew loaded up with 1,000 pounds of cucumbers, two pounds of fresh dill, nine pounds of sea salt, and more than a pound of coriander per batch.”
Reflections
Ben: Urban Artifact does amazing sours. I remember having this last summer and loving it, sames this time around. They absolutely nailed what they were going for. You get the right amounts of everything: cucumber, dill, coriander, salt. I want to know how many iterations they went through of this beer before they felt like they nailed it. It just seems like such a difficult balance of all these flavors. It’s definitely not what I would consider a “Christmas beer,” but I don’t care. This is awesome and I’m happy it’s so readily available in our area.
Julia: I’ve had this beer awhile back and fell in love instantly when I tried it. I was so excited we grabbed it for the calendar. It doesn’t matter that it’s not really a “Christmas Ale” because the can is very christmasy and really adorable. This is for sure one of my favorite beers. I LOVE pickles and I love goses so this beer is what I dream of. Urban Artifact just does sour beers better than everyone. It’s crisp, smooth and full of flavor. If you love pickles or sours you will love this. The only people I see not liking this beer are people who hate pickles (who even are you?) or people who hate sours. I really want to make a michelada with this because I think it would be out of this world.
Adam: This isn’t a tra-dill-tional holiday beer and it’s not going to be everyone’s bread and butter but if you’re looking for a change of pace after 19 holiday beers, it arrives just in the nick of brine. While not a true vlassic of a gose, it does have that sour (lil) snapper you (cu)come(ber) to expect in that type of beer. Gherkin
Alex: Urban Artifact’s Xmas Pickle is definitely not your typical Holiday beverage. I love pickles, and sours, so I think it’s delicious, but definitely wouldn’t qualify it as a holiday beer. The can is adorable, and I would drink this in any season, winter, spring, summer or fall.
Scott: The Urban Artifact Xmas Pickle is easily the most scared I’ve been to try and beer but also the most relieved and genuinely excited after the first sip. It’s a pickle beer, no getting around it, and it’s delicious! It’s refreshing, a little sour and honestly in no way relates to Christmas or the holidays. But a good beer is a good beer and I won’t that against this one. Will for sure look to buy this one again.
Christa: It’s a Christmas miracle. I was fully expecting to hate this one. I’ve never liked sours. I will say I do love pickles and maybe that’s why I love this? It’s so refreshing and different and while I do get that crisp bite of pickle, I also think it’s more reminiscent of a cool, cucumber. It’s just good. If you’re someone who’s shied away from sours, try this one, it might just change your mind.
Tony: Ok….hmmm….ok….yep so this is different. With a name like “Xmas pickle” I’m sure no one is shocked by that reaction. Its odd, but not bad. Its a sour which I’ve grown to like over recent years, but can’t say I’ve ever sought out a pickle flavored beverage. Its actually pretty clean and crisp which I’d say is credit to Urban Artifacts brewing capabilities. Its a fun flavor to try, its not bad, its super unique, but I definitely would not want to drink more than one of these in a sitting. Its a strange combo but well executed so if you wanna have some fun watching your friends make a variety of weird faces after the first sip then throw this in your fridge for whenever we can do people things again.
Megan: I’ve never had a pickle beer so I wasn’t sure what to expect other than something tasting like pickle juice and that’s pretty much what you get. It’s not as tangy as straight pickle juice and what’s interesting is that it has the pickle smell and taste but the tanginess doesn’t linger in my mouth. It finishes pretty clean and crisp which I appreciate. I could probably drink this on summer day with a cheeseburger. I don’t know if I could finish a whole can of it but I could definitely see people liking it. Extra points for creativity and the cutest can!
Brad: I really don’t like summer shandies or fruit beers, but Pickle beer, sign me up! This is awesome. The can is perfect and screams Christmas, however, there is zero Christmas flavor here. I think it made the category for name alone. I had this beer earlier this summer and remember it fondly. I love it. If you think I’m weird for liking a pickle beer then maybe we aren’t friends?
Heather: Alright listen. You’re not going to buy a pickle beer if you don’t like pickles, amiright? So, assuming you are a fan of dill, this beer is sooooo gooooood! I adore the illustrated can, the idea of a Christmas Pickle brew, and the fun that Urban Artifact seems to be having with it all. It’s like if they had a 10-year-old come up with the concept and artwork for a beer, and then they let the pros run with it. It’s pleasantly carbonated, and the taste is light enough not to overwhelm you and the aftertaste doesn’t linger forever. No traditional Christmas spices, but of course, that’s not what this is about. It’s about finding this XMas pickle and having good fortune in the new year (which, let’s be honest, is something we could all use).