Call it a four-peat.
Hoppin’ Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale won the recent blind Christmas beer tasting at Vintage Estate Wine & Beer in Boardman for the fourth consecutive year.
Fat Head’s Holly Jolly and Southern Tier 2Xmas finished second and third, respectively.
The event featured 58 people tasting 13 Christmas beers without knowing which brands they were sampling. Participants rated the beers as they tasted, and the highest score won. It’s not scientific, of course.
It is one of the most unusual tastings around. No labels. No preconceived notions. Just tasting beer and picking your favorite.
Speaking of Christmas tastings, D’Agneses at White Pond in Akron held two holiday samplings this month and asked participants to vote for their favorites among 12 beers.
Southern Tier 2Xmas won the first week and Fat Head’s Holly Jolly won the second week.
Retro Miller Lite
Miller Lite is going retro.
MillerCoors is bringing back the original can design — well, “an updated version of the iconic packaging” — for a limited release from January through March.
The beer, brewed at a MillerCoors brewery in Trenton, Ohio, launched the light beer craze in the U.S. nearly 40 years ago.
The can features the images of hops and barley, and the words “a fine pilsner beer.” It will be available in 12-, 16- and 24-ounce sizes.
Beer tasting
The Ido Bar and Grill, 1537 S. Main St., Akron, will hold a five-course beer dinner and tasting at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The dinner will pair New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale with oysters, Stone Arrogant Bastard with blackened beef crustinis, Coopers Pale Ale with shrimp, Meantime IPA with pork belly lollipops, and Williams Brothers Scottish Midnight Sun Dark Porter Ale with pan-seared duck breast.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the bar.
Beer samplers
• Cleveland Beer Cellars, 11490 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, a pub that offers more than 500 specialty and craft beers, has opened in the University Circle area. The bar is co-owned by The Young and the Restless soap opera star Steve Burton.
• Rust Belt Brewing Co., 112 W. Commerce St., Youngstown, has opened a taproom.
• The website Daily Meal did a taste test of light beers and ranked Miller Lite, Heineken Light and Trader José Light as the best.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his beer blog at www.ohio.com/beer. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrick.
