Hoppy Christmas beers

article written in collaboration with Alexandra Berry

When we think of Christmas beers, it's hard not to think of the big industrial brands such as Leffe de Noël, Mother Christmas from Delirium... Beers marked by their sweetness and their greed, with a touch of winter spices.

And yet, if we trace the origins of Christmas Ales, (or should we say "Jul" or "Yule" beers), they date back to the 10th century, when the Vikings paid homage to the gods during the winter solstice, which took place on December 21st.

This tradition continued when Christianity was introduced in Norway. King Haakon I (who reigned from 934 to 961 AD) is said to have imposed the brewing of a Yultide Ale every year in an attempt to encourage conversion to Christianity. The "Gulathing" laws later required that Yultide be celebrated each year with a special beer and a festival.

It is besides these Scandinavians who would have brought the tradition of the "Yultide" when the Vikings invaded England. The tradition of the Julöl (Ale of Yule) continued and mutated into 'Wassail': a warm ale. The origin of the word Wassail can be traced back to the Old Norse 'Ves Heil' or the Anglo-Saxon 'Waes Hael', which means 'of good health' or 'of good omen'. The term could also be applied to wine or hot cider.

An example of a medieval Christmas Ale is "Lambswool" which was brewed with roasted apples, cloves, ginger and honey. The name was inspired by the thick white foam that floated on the liquid during fermentation.

This tradition was developed throughout the continent, also allowing the use of all the unused barley, hops and spices after the summer season. In September and October, the brewers mixed all the leftovers and fermented them at room temperature during the fall, in order to obtain a beer ready for winter.

Scandinavian migrants then brought their dark, malty Christmas beers to the United States during the 18th century.

Official style recognition:

The first Christmas beers are officially recognized and promoted in the 80s with some first appearances in the Good Beer Guide of CAMRA(Campaign for Real Ale) published in 1986. A dozen seasonal Christmas beers are listed, including Greene King's Christmas Ale, first brewed in 1984.

SOURCE: Anchor website.

On the US side, Anchor Brewing produced the Special Ale for the first time in 1975 and continues to brew it with a different recipe every year.

These early drafts set the stage for the creation and popularization of a seasonal, festive style. The BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) formalizes the style, which should be "a spicy, stronger, darker beer that often has a rich body and a warm finish, a good accompaniment for the cold winter season."

The alcohol content or additions are not specified in Christmas beers and some can go up to 14°! (Christmas Bombs from Prairie Brewery in the US are good examples).

These are traditionally top-fermented beers, quite strong in alcohol and dense in sugars and spices. With an amber, copper or almost brown color depending on the recipe, Christmas beer is rich and tasty.

Commercially, the first brewery to sell a "Christmas Beer" would have been Stella Artois. With its small red star logo, the beer was created in 1926, a fusion between a Lager and a Scotch Ale.

In 1975, the famous San Francisco brewery, Anchor Brewing, promoted its "Our Special Ale for Christmas", a dark and spicy ale that offered a different recipe variation each year for the Christmas season.

Hops: another Christmas spice?

Everything is allowed (at least almost everything) in a Christmas beer! Cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, coriander... There are also fruits, morello cherries, orange peel, honey, Timut pepper... Everything that can contribute to flavour the beer is allowed in these festive brews!

Let's not forget that hops were first used as a spice in beer, so they have just as much place in the Christmas beer aisle! Usually, these Christmas beers are rich and sweet, but just like a good dry champagne, why not create a fine, dry and fragrant beer to accompany the holiday meals?

Not only will hops help preserve the beer longer, but depending on the variety chosen, they can add a lot of flavor and richness to the beer.

The famous Bons Vœux from the Dupont brewery is an excellent example of a greedy and fruity beer, whose richness is underlined by a delicate raw hopping! Elixkir Brewery has designed a Triple IPA to celebrate Christmas with their TIPAPA hopped with Mosaic, Ekuanot, Sabro, Talus for a juicy beer with hints of coconut.

Goose Island has produced a Christmas IPA whose choice of hops spices up and flavors this Christmas beer perfectly for a roundness of caramelized malt whose greediness is underlined by citrus and pine thanks to raw hopping with Chinook. This roundness is furthermore sublimated by a touch of Cashmere.

The Uiltje Brewery wanted to highlight the flavors of Nelson Sauvin in their Christmas beer: Some Nelson Before Christmas. This hop makes it a very tasty and festive beer, reminiscent of a little glass of champagne!

Why not also test chords within the brew itself... trying for example resonance chords that can sublimate a spice, through a fragrant bitterness... 😊

Ideas for pairing hops and spices :

Star anise with Brewers Gold

De Ranke's Santa Claus brewed with licorice and Brewers Gold for its spicy and dark fruit notes.

Black fruits with Challenger in a Porter or a Stout

Greene King's Rocking Rudolph offers a deliciously malty and coppery roundness. The Challenger & Target hops are there to offer both red fruit and spice that blend perfectly with the caramel notes of the beer.

Vanilla with Hallertau

Mongy Noël de Cambier: Madagascar vanilla, a beautiful roundness accentuated by the floral touches of Hallertau for more sweetness and delicacy.

Star anise or clove with Simcoe

Example: Mont-Salève's Christmas Beer 2022, a 7.2° Double IPA hopped with Simcoe to bring out the citrus flavors, with a resinous beer finish.

Honey with a touch of hops very Bittering type Golding

Example: New Belgium Honey Orange Triple, a honey and orange Seville Triple hopped with Styrian Gold and Nugget.

Oak chips or aging with Magnum

Example : Elixkir Nos Meilleurs Vœux : oak chips underlined by theBittering of the Magnum for a resinous roundness.

Cookie with Mandarina Bavaria or the Saphir for a typical Ale on the spicy and warm marmalade.

Brewdog's Mistletoe Mafia, a cookie Vienna Lager highlighted by Mandarina Bavaria hops, Saphir and Tettnang.

The possible combinations of spices and hops are endless and brewers have (fortunately!) free rein to let their imagination and taste buds run wild to create festive, original ... and hoppy Christmas beers!