I need to make some xmas beers

[Tweek]

I need to make some quick finishing beers for presents. I need to keep em in crowd pleaser styles. There are new additions to the family and I dont yet know what they drink, but they are getting beer for their present. If they dont like it... well you know the rest. :P

I have an ESB I make that I modeled after fullers, was thinking that could be a good one, but it would prob still be a bit green by then. Also thought I would do a guiness style stout, think most people like those and they finish pretty fast.
of course there is always the old standby english ale, but I am growing weary of those for the time being.

Any ideas? what are you guys making for presents?

[b3s]

well, i'm not making a "christmas" beer this year (although i am gonna brew an old/strong ale and tinker with the recipe next year for gifts).

my quick-and-dirty pale can be ready to drink in 4 weeks.

9# light DME
1# crystal whatever steeped
10-14 AAUs for 60 minutes
5-10 AAUs for 15 minutes
i use the london ale or english dry ale yeast from white labs for this.

usually ferments out in 2.5-3 weeks and bottles out in 1-1.5 weeks.

it's my baseline recipe...strong...good for testing hops.

[Beerconnoisseur]

I'd recommend the extract Berry Beer Kit (http://www.morebeer.com/detail.php3?pid=KIT130) from MoreBeer. It's a good party beer, and more palatable to the uninitiated masses than some of the spice X-Mas beers out there.

[axis714]

My first homebrew was a batch of christmasbier from belgium i believe Brewferm makes it. I remember it well because i thought i was a genius...lol 2 cans of liquid extract and a packet of dry yeast it ferments fast bottles quick and cures out remarkably in a couple weeks...although i never made it again i recently saw it at www.wineartindy.com $34.95 for 2 cans its my suggestion for a quick stout _ you mentioned guinness is what made me remember this.