What do you imagine when you think of Christmas beer? Quite likely what comes to mind are strong, darker ales with warming notes of alcohol and possibly holiday spices. These types of beers hearken to the traditions of the winter warmers of England as well as the spiced Bières de Noël of Belgium; during the Yuletide season breweries released these special beers for their favored customers as a âthank youâ for their loyalty throughout the year.
The traditional American craft brewing template for holiday beer is Anchor Brewing Companyâs Christmas Ale, first released in 1975. Itâs a darker, spiced holiday ale with a secret recipe that changes each year along with the label.