Welcome back to the crypt, boils and ghouls, for this year’s very scary Christmas special! We managed to find a black Christmas tree to set up next to the closest sewer gas vent, which is Santa’s only real point of entry for delivering the MOB staff’s presents. And we’ve been very good this year folks. Our gentle mentorship and sagely advice on all things local and boozy alone should be enough to finally get that pony we’ve always wanted, but, just in case, this December, we’re dropping another comprehensive guide on where to drink for Christmas here in beautiful Flagstaff.
Our first and favorite spot to hit during the holidays has always been Little America’s North Pole Experience. They put out over 1,000,000 lights every year, turning this classic hotel into a total winter wonderland. For the kiddos and young at heart, there’s the Trolly Launch Station that takes riders through a magical portal into Santa’s workshop, the Toy Hall of Fame, Elf University, and Santa’s bakery. The fun culminates with a one-on-one meeting with the man of the month himself, which we all need at least once a year. Most people above ground don’t know this, but after the holiday season is over, Santa makes a little time every year to unwind down in the MOB crypt. He’s an IPA kind of guy, what with the rich pine flavor of the beer, and he always appreciates the fact that it’s not powdered sugar all over our cookies. Back to Little America�. We don’t have kids, we’re not young at heart, and we’re not into trolleys. The MOB staff is into drinking, and Little America’s bar and patio is about as fine a place to enjoy a winter cocktail as any in town, with a selection of holiday-themed drinks that have all of us drooling in anticipation just writing about them. Naturally, there’s the classic eggnog and a Merry Mule, but the farther down the menu you get, the better things get. We’re suggesting starting off with Mrs. Claus’s Cold Cocoa, a taste-bud decimating concoction of rum, crème, cocoa and more that is sure to set up the evening for success. From there, give the Mistletoe Margarita a try to offset the chocolatey sweetness and, having been sufficiently limbered, we recommend following it up with a Fireball Hot Cider to pair with a quaint walk through the illuminated grounds.
The spring season brings diverse weather, so it is ideal to have a wide variety of wines on hand. John Vankat tasted more than 100 wines from various grapes for this column, and narrowed down his favorites across a broad range of prices. Read morePine Wine: Wines for spring
Masters of Brewtality reviews a haunted grocery store, a board game haven, gourmet sandwiches, delicious street dogs and a classic sports bar. A night of fun awaits! Read moreMasters of Brewtality's boozy venue voyage
John Vankat's curated list of fine wines across various price ranges, with detailed descriptions and recommendations for Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Read morePine Wine: Wines for sharing and celebrating
Summer is the peak time for outdoor grilling, and the wines recommended here are excellent choices for now and into the fall. Read morePine Wine: Wines for Summer
John Vankat highlights a range of exceptional wines for every budget, providing detailed tasting notes and recommendations. Read morePine Wine: Wines for Spring
Romantic wines express captivating aromas and flavors ideal for celebrating love and are exceptionally pleasing throughout the year. Below are my recommendations across a broad range of grapes… Read moreBy the bottle: Wines for the big day and beyond
Happy holidays, boils and ghouls, this month, the festive freaks and gluttonous geeks down here in the Masters of Brewtality crypt are bringing you the definitive guide to drinking up December… Read moreMasters of Brewtality drinks up December
