[twitter]THE BREWERY: Yukon Brewing, Whitehorse, Yukon
Yukon Brewing opened its doors in 1997 under the name Chilkoot Brewing Co. Ltd. Owners Alan and Bob conceived their idea like many Yukon babies – around a campfire on a canoe trip. Both Ontario natives, they’ve lived and worked in the Territory for a good deal of their adult lives.

Over a decade later Yukon Brewing, as it is called today, continues with Bob and Alan as owners and chief operators, growing the company outside the Yukon. The brewery’s eight packaged beers are available across Alberta and BC with some even finding their way as far east as Quebec and at the Hannover Zoo in Germany.

THE BEER: 39 1/2 Foot Pole Black Currant Ale
Take a second and you’ll figure out why a Christmas beer is named after a 39 1/2 foot pole. Or maybe you got it right away. It’s from How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and the lyric “I wouldn’t touch you with a 39 and a half foot pole…” What that has to do with beer, is something altogether different.

TASTING NOTES: via 2013 Craft Beer Advent Calendar
You’ll notice the influence of black currants in this beer as soon as you poor it into your glass. It has an exceptional colour. Next, as you smell the beer, you will notice the smell of the currants over top the aroma of malt. The flavour is only lightly sweet to start, but the finish is dry. The currants contribute to the beer, without overpowering it. This is the way fruit beers should taste.

MY REVIEW: 3/5 on Untappd
Really tart. Like a pink grapefruit. I like a fruity beer, but this is more summer drink than winter one I would think. It’s very easy to drink and reminds me of the Big Rock Purple Gas offering, except that beer recognized the tart and added agave to make it sweet. This beer has just a little too much pucker for me.

Click here to see all the beers in the 2013 Craft Beer Advent Calendar.