John Zelazny said “choose a beer style that is malt-oriented hops are not the king here.” One recipe is mine (my first best-of-show, incidentally), and the four others are from Ben VanderMeer, John Zelazny, Dean Priebe and Reed Vander Schaaf.Īll the brewers agreed on using darker malty styles as the base for the recipe, several of them choosing stouts of some type. The four brewers who won those open competitions are represented here congratulations to them, and I thank them for their help in this article.
Of those, only eight beers were Christmas ales, and four of those were in winter beer competitions. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) database lists 1,161 best-of-show winners since these records have been kept. To explore the style, I’ve found five Christmas ale recipes that have won best-of-show awards in sizeable competitions. They are all completely different beer styles, but all have that special holiday gift theme that makes them both rare and enjoyable. Bernardus Christmas and my personal favorite, De Dolle Stille Nacht (Silent Night, or Christmas Eve) which is primed with honey. I like the Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux (with the best wishes), DeKoninck Winter Koninck, Jenlain Bière de Noel, St. Some are spiced, and orange seems to be a popular flavoring. Spices should be noticeable but not overpowering.īelgian winter beers are often named Noël/Christmas or Hiver/Winter, and can be based on any style.
Many examples have a flavor similar to gingerbread cookies. Anchor’s Our Special Ale is a classic example, but is unusual in that it uses a different recipe every year. Additional fermentables - molasses, honey, dark candi sugar, treacle, Lyle’s Golden Syrup - are often used to add another flavor dimension. Spices that are associated with Christmas cookies, potpourri and mulled cider are common - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, orange peel and others. Some of my favorite examples are Young’s Winter Warmer, Harvey’s Christmas Ale, Hook Norton Twelve Days and Fuller’s Old Winter Ale.Īmerican Christmas beers can be based on a variety of styles, but are often an amber or darker-colored malt-focused beer. Beers of this profile are sippers - it’s hard to drink them quickly. As the name implies, a winter warmer should have some alcohol warmth. In general, they are not roasty but feature dark caramel and dark fruit flavors. Flavors typical of English Christmas puddings are common - figs, molasses, toffee, caramel, raisins, prunes, dried fruit and so on.
NOTTINGHAM YEAST CIDER MAPLE SYRUP FULL
I find most English winter warmers to be very malty with a full body and sweet finish. Perhaps it’s best to just say they are seasonal offerings that have something “special” about them - stronger, darker, spiced, hoppier - basically whatever the brewer wants to do as a gift for customers and that is somehow suitable for the winter season. It’s difficult to describe winter seasonal beers in traditional style terms, since it’s always possible to find exceptions to any description. If they are spiced, the spicing is usually more subtle than American versions.
Belgian winter beers are often slightly stronger (by 1–2% ABV) versions of flagship beers. American winter beers are usually called Christmas or holiday beers, and are almost always spiced. English winter beers are normally called winter warmers, and tend to be dark, full in body, sweet and stronger than average (5.5% ABV and up). Brewed stronger, richer and more full-bodied, these beers taste great alongside a roaring fire or when hoisting the holiday cheer with friends.Įvocative of the season, winter ales have a tradition in the US, the UK, Belgium and elsewhere. When the weather turns cold, it’s time to seek out the king of all seasonal beers - winter ales.
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