Category:Christmas Beer

Christmas beers are usually a treat to be savored, allowing brewers to experiment with more unique and strong flavours. They often have a higher alcohol content (ABV) than you average beer, because this is the time of year when people are sipping, celebrating, and indulging — not smashing session beers.

Traditionally, Christmas beers are also darker and heavier in style, with ales being especially common. This style of strong beer is well suited to consumption in winter, which aligns with Christmas in the northern hemisphere. Cold weather calls for rich, malty, warming beers — like spiced ales, strong Belgian styles, and winter warmers.

In the southern hemisphere, traditional Christmas ales are still popular with beer enthusiasts despite Christmas falling in summer. Lagers, session ales, and other easy drinking styles are popular in the warm weather, but these are not typically Christmas specific beers. IPA's can deliver both strong flavour & ABV, while still being easy to drink in warm weather - making them good Christmas beers in the southern hemisphere.

What Makes a Beer a “Christmas Beer”?

There is no strict definition, but most Christmas beers share a few common traits:

• Higher ABV – stronger than standard releases, and often closer to special-occasion beers
• Christmas flavours - cinnamon, nutmeg and clove
• Richer flavours – more malt, more body, and sometimes added spices
• Seasonal intent – brewed specifically for Christmas, or marketed as a festive release
• Limited availability – many are released once a year and disappear quickly. Lack of consistency between each year is seen as a positive.

Some breweries go all-in with spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, or orange peel. Others keep things simpler, letting malt sweetness, yeast character, or higher alcohol do the heavy lifting.

American Christmas Beers

Australian Christmas Beers

Belgian Christmas Beers

Other Christmas Beers