Em Sauter’s 10 Favorite Holiday Beers to Enjoy this Season
Holiday beers just make the season merrier and brighter. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or are just enjoying the winter spirit, holiday beers are for everyone who wants to feel the warmth of the season, even when the weather outside is frightful.
Here are some of my favorite Holiday beers
Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA
While most holiday beers are higher in alcohol and tend to feature spices or an expressive yeast strain, Celebration is a fresh hop IPA, meaning the hops were used within hours of being picked from the bine. Brimming with fresh citrus pith and spruce bough, this is an old-school IPA with great drinkability. One of the best beers on the market and one you can imbibe throughout the season at 6.8% ABV.
Troegs Mad Elf Ale
People all over look for Mad Elf, the 11% six-pack Belgian style ale made with cherries and honey. The fact that it's in the six-pack will make it last throughout the holidays (or great for a holiday party where everyone can feel a little too merry- responsibly of course). Troegs website proclaims it’s not the Holidays until you have your first Mad Elf and I’m inclined to agree. Pair with friendship and gift-giving. (Editor’s note: check out how Mad Elf helped saved a Pennsylvania creamery!
St. Bernardus Christmas
I’m obsessed with Belgian Christmas beers. There’s something special about them, I’m not sure what it is but I gravitate towards them, especially when temperatures dip and nights turn silent and dark. A quad style and 10% ABV, quads are wonderful in the winter. Warming, like a hug from a favorite aunt, St. Bernardus Christmas is perfect for after dinners in front of the fire.
Two Roads Holiday Ale
Two Roads released their Holiday Ale as a present for employees and family in 2012 and it was so popular with everyone (including myself who was working there at the time), that the brewery released it as a winter seasonal. A Biere de Noel, which is a Christmas offshoot of a French Biere de Garde; this beer is made with French malt and hops. Holiday Ale is malty, drinkable (surprising at 7.3% ABV) and great with all manner of holiday fare, particularly roasted poultry and meats.
De Dolle Stille Nacht Belgian Strong Golden
I love how the De Dolle website calls this beer “high density.” It certainly is that- 12% ABV. Stille Nacht is made the old fashioned way, using a direct fire kettle and cooled in a Baudelot cooler (look up here for more info) while fermented in open copper vats. It’s a great beer to hold for Holidays in the future and would make a great digestif. There’s a lovely pineapple note to this beer that’s downright delightful.
A holiday favorite since it was released over 40 years ago. Each year the Christmas beer features a different, elegant tree design (this year it’s a Western Joshua tree). The beer has changed over the years, it’s now a spiced dark 7% ale that’s always a good decision. They also release it in magnum-sized bottles which makes a handsome gift for the beer geek in your life.
Bell’s Christmas Ale
Bell’s Christmas is a classic American holiday beer. Bell’s Christmas Ale is a Scotch ale, a perfect malty and rich brew that goes well with ham, pecan pie, gingerbread cookies and other Holiday goodies. At 7.5%, a good food beer or a great Christmas party beer as it comes in six packs. I love Scotch ales and it’s always nice to see them on the shelves.
Sam Adams Holiday White Ale
This is a version of what used to be their spring seasonal White Ale, the beer that got me into beer in the first place, way back in 2007. Brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg now for full Holiday effect instead of the usual witbier spices, this white ale is a great, refreshing contrast to heavier holiday ales. At 5.8%, perfect with salmon or lighter fare, or pair with sugar cookies.
Corsendonk Christmas Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Corsendonk Christmas is a classic Belgian holiday beer, albeit a little lighter at 8.1% ABV. One of my favorite things about Belgian beers at Christmas is many of them package them in multiple sizes. This beer is sold as a four-pack but also as a lovely 750mL bottle, which makes it a great dinner beer option for splitting with family or friends. Strong darks go great with many foods including Christmas dinner and all the trimmings- roast beef and this beer would make a perfect pair for sure.
Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout
There’s nothing little about this beer (I feel like you are legally required to say something like that, the beer being 9.5% ABV hahaha). California-based Port Brewing makes this classic Imperial stout, and it’s just an imperial stout, with no additives here, which adds to its charm (although I’ve seen a hazelnut/coffee version of this beer as well so read your labels!). In a time where stouts are laden with a bevy of dessert and other flavors, Port Brewing’s Holiday beer is a no-nonsense Imperial Stout, perfect with all manner of confections and when all the gift opening is done and you just want to relax. Excellent with a few years of age on it too so hold on to a few bottles for future holiday gatherings.
Cheers and Happy Holidays from The Alcohol Professor!