Now Beer This: Christmas Ale Time!

I know, I’m all “bah! Humbug!” this time of year, but there is one thing that I’m not mad at about X-mas time: the Christmas Ale.

Generally speaking, chucking weird stuff into beer normally sets me on edge, but there’s something about the Holiday Season and the typical mix of Christmas Ale adjuncts that just warms my icy-cold, shriveled up heart.

Christmas Ales tend toward malty. For you non-beer nerds, that means they’re more sweet than bitter, focusing on the malt-derived sugars than on hops. Depending on the brewery, you might get a calm biscuity sweetness, or maybe a slightly amped up toffee-like candy flavor. Some brewers will toss a bit of more roasty grains in there, which at this time of year brings to mind chestnuts roasting, open fires, and all of that. Then the wackiness begins; most Christmas Ales are loaded with spices. I’ve seen cinnamon, cardamom, ginger… the list goes on and on. But wait, there’s more! Often times, cherries become part of the mix, and other fruits aren’t forbidden, so who knows what you’ll find.

Maybe that’s what I like about these beers… just seeing what’s in there and how they taste is kind of like a little beer present under the tree for me.

If you’re looking for a Christmas Ale to try, examples abound at your local stores, and even more so at bottle shops. Bell’s Brewery, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, Great Lakes, and Troeggs all have stellar and unique examples to try. If you’re looking more locally, I know for a fact that Craftboro Brewing in Carrboro have a Holiday Ale on cask right now, but cask ales are meant for immediate consumption, so if you’re interested, get out there ASAP.

I hope you find some great beers this holiday season, whether they’re holiday-themed or not. Cheers to Next Year!

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