Nine Circles

Hello friends!  Happy Friday and Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate.  Christmas is a wonderful day to partake in a boozy beverage whether you are with family/friends, or keeping it tight in quarantine.  I was determined to find a Christmas-related libation for this column, and I was able to do just that!  This week’s offerings:  Lament Cityscape‘s The Old Wet and Great Lakes Brewing Company‘s Christmas Ale.  Enjoy and have a happy, healthy holiday!

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The Tunes:  Lament Cityscape – The Old Wet

The Old Wet is the final in a conceptual EP trilogy that the band has released this year.  Debuted on the Winter Solstice, this three-track EP centers on themes of “accepting and embracing of a new form or role” according to Mike McClatchey, the founder of Lament Cityscape.  There is a lot packed into these three tracks without overdoing anything.  Each song is comprised of many layers and textures.  The EP is dreary and noisy (in the best way), and the tracks flow perfectly into one another, creating a steady journey full of industrial and ambient sounds, avant-noise, and sludge. Vocals are heard momentarily in each track, distantly as if being yelled in a muffled loudspeaker.  The feeling of The Old Wet is very ominous and entrancing with steady mechanical beats, ambient mutterings, and eerie synths.  This is a great end-of-year listen that captures the gloomy feeling and defeat many of us feel in 2020.  Here’s to looking ahead with hope and positivity for 2021!

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The Booze:  Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale

This beer is perfect for Yuletide which pairs beautifully with Lament Cityscape’s Yule release!  It is a tasty ale with spices and honey.  I was very happy to find a Christmas-y beer and even happier to find one from the Midwest, where I am also from.  The Great Lakes Brewing Company is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has a long list of brews.  No surprise, since this scrappy brewery has been around since the 1980s.  The Christmas Ale was even one of their first creations!  This decadent ale has notes of ginger, cinnamon, and honey, and is very robust.  There is a lot of deep roasted sweetest from the malt and a hint of hops towards the end of each sip, but not enough to overpower the delicate taste of the spices. The blend is warm and comforting and makes me feel like I am being wrapped in a cozy sweater.  What a great way to stay warm this Yuletide.

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Cheers and be merry,

– Angela