(Cleveland, OH) – Great Lakes Brewing sent out this release on the success of Christmas Ale sales in Q4 of 2011.

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With 2011 sales data hot off the press, Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) is pleased to announce another stellar year for Christmas Ale, a holiday ale available only eight (8) weeks out of the year. From industry Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) data, sales from the last 13 weeks of 2011 ranked Christmas Ale as:

· #1 in brand sales for total craft/import beers in Cleveland, Ohio
· #2 in brand sales for total craft beers in the Great Lakes region
· #10 in brand sales for total craft beers nationwide (note: the brands above Christmas Ale are available across the US; Christmas Ale is only available in twelve (12) states and Washington DC.)

Christmas Ale is a holiday ale brewed with honey, spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon, and only available in November and December. Approximately 296 batches of Christmas Ale were produced in 2011, which utilized over 178,000 pounds of honey (over $400,000!) and 6,000 pounds each of ginger and cinnamon.