Capn Jimbo's Rum Project Forum

It's time to grab a few ales laced with Christmas spices for the holidays. I had a pour of Southern Tier's 2XMAS (double spiced ale brewed in the tradition of Swedish Glögg) the other night. It had loads of cinnamon, clove, allspice... over spiced for me, but still good. I've also secured a couple of bottles of Christmas Bomb! (spiced imperial stout) from Prairie Artisan Ales (Krebs, OK) and a Winter Cider from Leprechaun Cider Co. (Houston, TX) that I plan to enjoy for Christmas.

Be sure to seek out some of the local creations in your neck of the woods and share your experiences with the crew. If you can't find any of those, there's always the perennial Anchor Christmas Ale. If you haven't had that one, you should give it a shot anyway.

Other than marketing a "Christmas" beer, is there any component or profile that defines one?

Capn Jimbo wrote:Other than marketing a "Christmas" beer, is there any component or profile that defines one?

They are typically spiced with Christmas baking spices as you would find in spiced ciders, wassail, etc. (cinnamon, clove, etc.). The base brew can vary from pale ales and lagers to porters and stouts and even Belgian trippels and quadruples. This is the time to seek them out and explore the variety. I would recommend picking up an Anchor Christmas Ale as a starting point, then explore the other offerings in your area from there.

Far and away my favorite is Gouden Carolus Noel, a Belgian strong ale . The spicing is very subtle, and it is actually one of my overall favorites.