It’s day twenty-eight of my eggnoged escape to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

2002 was the twenty-eighth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This twenty-eighth label was a “Fremont Cottonwood,” or “Populus fremontii.”

It’s day twenty-seven of my seasonal sashay to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

2001 was the twenty-seventh year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This twenty-seventh label was a “California Fan Palm,” or “Washingtonia filifera.”

It’s day twenty-six of my seasonal sprint to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

2000 was the twenty-sixth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and from 1987 through the present day, each year Anchor’s Our Special Ale has included spices, a different combination of them every time. Generally the base beer has been a spiced brown ale, although it has been varied from time to time, as well. This twenty-sixth label was a “California Nutmeg,” or “Torreya californica.”

It’s day twenty-five of my seasonal scamper to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

1999 was the twenty-fifth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked another year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twenty-fifth label was a “Desert Ironwood,” or “Olneya tesota.”

It’s day twenty-four, a full case, of my flurry of a flight to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

1998 was the twenty-fourth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked another year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twenty-fourth label was a “California Juniper,” or “Juniperus californica.”

It’s day twenty-three of my seasonal sprint to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

1997 was the twenty-third year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked another year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twenty-third label was a “Scots Pine” or “Pinus sylvestris.”

It’s day twenty-two of my mad dash to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

1996 was the twenty-second year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked the tenth year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous nine year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twenty-second label was a “White Oak” or “Quercus alba.”

It’s day twenty-one of my triumphant trot to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label. Also, this marks halfway in our journey.

1995 was the twenty-first year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked the ninth year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous eight year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twenty-first label was a “Coconut Palm” or “Cocos nucifera.”

It’s day twenty of my tear to Christmas featuring all 42 labels from Anchor’s Christmas Ale — a.k.a. Our Special Ale — all different beers (well, mostly different) and all different labels, each one designed by local artist Jim Stitt, up to and including this year’s label.

1994 was the twentieth year that Anchor made their Christmas Ale, and this year marked the eighth year that Anchor’s Our Special Ale included spices. Like the previous seven year’s, a spiced brown ale was created for the year’s Christmas Ale. This twentieth label was “[i]nspired by the Original Christmas Ale Tree” from the first label.