Holiday and celebration beers have been around as long as humans have been brewing. Brewers — who once were just farmers and regular folks — would make a special beer to celebrate weddings, births, and events like the winter solstice. I love the winter solstice, or as it is commonly known today, Christmas. Well, I enjoy all of the non-religious aspects of this time of year. In fact, I think beer, holidays, and religion should only mix when you are talking about Belgian monks. Anyway, I like thinking about the pagan holiday celebrations, with their grand feasts and festivals lasting several days or weeks.
The winter solstice would, of course, not be the same without Santa Claus, and Santa has had a rich and varied past. All over Europe there are unique tales of the jolly old elf, from Holland's Sinterklaas (and his sidekick, the kid-stealing Zwarte Piet) to the wild Belsnickle of Germany. Today we have a homogeneous Santa, a creation based primarily on the poem "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." But I am not here to talk up Santa Claus or my views on Christmas. I am here to give you beer insight. That insight today is on Christmas beer.
Christmas beer has a history as rich and interesting as Santa Claus, and holiday brewing traditions vary throughout Europe just like the big guy. It doesn't matter if you talk of Stille Nacht from Belgium or Mahr's Christmas Bock from Munich or Ringnes Julebokk from Norway, one thing is true: People await the arrival of holiday beer every winter like kids on Christmas morning. Traditionally, special holiday beers were stronger and more flavorful than standard beers. The strength helped you get through the cold, dark nights, and the extra flavor, such as cinnamon or other exotic spices, showed the importance of the holiday since these additives were both rare and expensive.
In North America, we sadly do not have as long a tradition of Christmas beers. Noche Buena of Mexico, in 1938, is generally considered to be the first mass-marketed holiday beer in North America. Some came and went after that, but it wasn't until 1975 that Fritz Maytag, owner of Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, California, started a lasting tradition of brewing Christmas beer, a concept that has now stuck and grown. His Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Our Special Ale (which we tried in this tasting) has been sold for 34 years.
There is no Christmas beer formula that must be followed — "Christmas beer" is not a specific style, as with porter or stout, but rather a generic name for these beers. However, they are generally higher in alcohol content, darker in color, and fuller in flavor. They can be made with just the four normal beer ingredients (as Sierra Nevada brewing does with its Celebration Ale), relying on special hops to create its distinct flavor. Or they can add spices to the mix, as Sly Fox does in creating its holiday offering.
I feel that microbrews often try too hard, and at first I carried this bias over to the Christmas beer. But the more I tried and thought about the beers, the more I like and admire all the effort. Christmas may be the one time that brewers really should try going over the top to create something special and unique.
One final thought before the tasting notes: When buying Christmas beers for the beer lover in your life, please skip those lame gift boxes that give you one each of several different brands or styles. First of all, no beer lover loves all styles of beers, so there will always be one left. Secondly, no one wants a single bottle of a beer they like — beer is meant to be enjoyed in some quantity. Get a whole six-pack of one of the favorites below, or a couple of the larger bottles, if that's how it's sold. After all, you would spend $20 or more on a bottle of wine, so why not on beer? When celebrating you don't want the celebration to end early, you want it to last well into the dark night...maybe long enough to run into Santa himself.
Scaldis Noel – Red Amber Ale — 13% ABV — 25-ounce corked bottles, $14.99 each.
The Brasserie Dubuissonin in Pipaix, Belguim, brews this beer and bottles it unfiltered. This had a nice Belgium lace and copper color, a nutty nose and flavor that was dry and extremely drinkable, with a slightly bitter finish. Despite its high alcohol content, it was lighter in flavor and finish than most of the other beers. Some of my fellow drinkers did find the alcohol too much, but this was by far my favorite of all the Christmas beers we tried. It's called Bush de Noel in Belgium, but they are not allowed to use the Bush name in the U.S. (think Busch).
Sly Fox Christmas Beer 2008 — Red Ale — 6.5% ABV — 750 ml corked bottles, $5.99 each.
This Royersford, Pennsylvania brewery releases its holiday beer the night before Thanksgiving. I doubt the college kids out that night enjoy it, but beer geeks seem to flock to bars that serve it on tap. The label claims it's made with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. This is definitely a sweet and flavorful beer with a nice head, but I do not taste the flavors that they mention. I found it to have a chocolate smell and felt it finished clean for the explosion of flavor that you get at the beginning of your sip. Several of my fellow tasters disagreed and thought this was a wonderfully balanced blend of spices and traditional ingredients. One thought it was as close to a European spiced holiday ale as you’re likely to find in the U.S. This beer (as well as the Anchor Beer) change every year and are can be cellared.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Our Special Ale — Christmas Ale — Six-pack of 12-ounce bottles, $11.99.
Every year Anchor Brewing puts a different tree on the label to represent the renewal of life that the winter solstice symbolizes. I like their nod to the ancient customs; big points from me. I also like that they change the ingredients and secret recipe every year. Spices are added, but no one is ever sure what. This year's, their 34th annual Christmas ale, is a good one, with a dark brown color and moderate head. And I would guess there is a hint of evergreen or spruce somewhere in the mix. This was a favorite of most everyone I was tasting with. Even the youngest member of our tasting thought it was just the right amount of flavor without being too much. I enjoyed it but thought that the roasted flavor stayed with you a little longer than, say, the Scaldis. It's suggested that you cellar a little of each year's Anchor to compare to the new ones over time. I imagine it would be hard to cellar a six-pack away before your guests drink it. You may want to keep the combination to the cellar as secret as the company's recipe.
Sam Adams Winter Lager — Winter Lager — 5.8% ABV — Six-pack of 12-ounce bottles, $7.99.
This winter lager, says the company, is brewed with wheat and winter spices and has an orange citrus flavor. I felt that it came up a little short with not much spice or flavor at all. It had a nice brown color, but there were no hints of spices or citrus. The aroma is very nice, but if I gave you a bottle of it in March, you would just think I gave you a strong lager — nothing special. Sam Adams also produces several other holidays beers: a Holiday Porter, an Old Fezziwig ale, and a White Ale with unfiltered wheat. I would go for these more robust selections over the Winter Lager.
Celebration Ale — India Pale Ale — 6.8% ABV — Six-pack of 12-ounce bottles, $7.99.
This hoppy Christmas beer is what you would expect from Sierra Nevada Brewing. Its golden honey color and creamy head have a nice hop aroma. I like the flavor — it reminds me of their Pale Ale. The tasters who like IPAs and pale ales certainly enjoyed this. This beer is perfect for a festive gathering or a quiet night by the fire. As you can imagine, the brewery did not use any spices or fruit to get the flavor they are after. Sierra Nevada is one of the United States' older craft breweries, and what may have seemed too hoppy or extreme a while ago now just seems like a nice drinking beer.
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve — Red Ale — 6% ABV —650 ml bottles, $6 each.
The Rogue Brewery makes this same beer annually and the website mentions it's a variation of their Saint Rogue Red, only with double the hops. Instead of outside spices, Rogue uses more and different hops to get the winter flavor that they want. They even have a "mystery hop" that the brewmaster calls Rudolph. The beer had a very strong aftertaste that left some mystery as to what exactly the flavor was. I also noted a roasted-coffee-like flavor. One taster liked the flavor, and noted that the bottle mentioned Pacman Yeast. I am not sure what Blinky or Pinky taste like, but if it is like Rouge Santa's Private Reserve, I will pass.
Very Bad Elf — English Ale/ Bitter — 7.5% ABV — 500ml bottles, $4.99 each.
Brewed by the Ridgeway Brewing Company in Oxfordshire, England, the Web site mentioned that this beer is based on a 1795 recipe, so I thought this would be much better than its American counterparts. It is not. This is part of a series of Bad Elf beers which includes a Criminally Bad Elf — I think that maybe they need to worry more about the liquid than dumb names for it. Someone suggested it smelled like a Very Bad Elf may have farted in the bottle. The beer was the lightest gold in color and had a white head. Its flavor was just too nondescript compared to the other beers we were trying. Maybe in a different category this would be fine, but it felt sort of weak as a Christmas beer.
Gritty's Christmas Ale — Extra Special Bitter — 6.2% ABV — Six-pack of 12-ounce bottles, $8.99.
Its nice dark color and minimal head — as well as the fact that Gritty's company spokesman, Gritty McDuff, is dressed in a Santa outfit on the bottle — do not disguise this very bitter beer. The Web site makes sure to point out that, made with only hops, barley, water and yeast, it’s "a good honest ale" with no fruit or spices. Honestly, this not my cup of beer. It's just too bitter and stays with you even after you are finished your glass. Someone during the tasting said it gave them goose bumps, but not in a good way. Someone else mentioned that it was like an iced coffee. I would pass.
Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale — Spiced Winter Warmer — 6% ABV — Six-pack of 12-ounce beers, $6.99.
Made by the Michelob brewing company as part of its craft brew line, this was my least favorite beer of the tasting. The company says it’s brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans and then aged in oak bourbon casks. I tasted the oak and bourbon residue, but where is the vanilla? My wife pointed out a bad smell, but I think that is the bourbon scent coming through. Some noted that it had an "orangey" flavor, as well. Yes, it was a bad fake-orange taste. I don't expect much from Michelob’s craft division, and they met my expectations. But as I was throwing away the six-pack holder, I noticed a bio and photo of brew master Eric T. Beck. It even listed his favorite movie, Tommy Boy. Well I can't agree with his brewing skills, but Tommy Boy on DVD would be a fine gift for me.
Tyler Wilson drinks beer. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Header photo by mrbula via Flickr (Creative Commons), "The Brew" photograph from Flickmor via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Bottle" photograph from istockphoto.com.