One of the best of the bunch is Delirium Noël, a strong ale brewed by the fine folks at Brouwerij Huyghe in Melle, Belgium. The minute you see the team of pink elephants towing Santa’s sleigh, you know this one’s gonna be a fun time. Pouring a regal russet colour, topped with a fluffy, snow-like head, it almost seems to glow. Now, we could be imagining things, but in its magical mélange, we seem to notice hints of almost every Christmas flavour under the tree: a bit of rich caramel here, some orange tang over there; a rummy kick; a sweet hint of hard candy; a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg spice. Is that sugarplums? (Dunno. Never had ’em.) This much is true: at a toasty 10 percent ABV, it sure is, uh, festive.