In a Time Out Chicago blurb titled “Drink this now: Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale,” blogger Karl Klockars raves about the liquid gold we Clevelanders know simply as "Crack Ale."

“The Christmas Ale is a revered beer in the Rust Belt. Criminals in Cleveland recently broke into the brewery and stole 500 feet of copper wiring, but left the Xmas Ale untouched," Klockars writes. "I choose to believe that this is less an indication of the idiocy of thieves, and more a belief that not even scofflaws would dare touch the Christmas Ale. As such, it’s perfectly okay to crack a few of these open well before the holiday.”

Klockars goes on to give a beer nerd’s detailed description of the brew, including this nugget: "This beer sets the bar once again -- as it does most years -- for what a winter warmer beer should be: It’s rich without being overwhelming. It's complex, spicy, savory and subtly sweet. And it's very drinkable."

Enjoy the full piece here.