Christmas Ales: Tradition or Style

‘Tis the season, whether you want it to be or not. And whether you’re prepared for it or not. But it might just be easier to get excited for it – or at the very least – prepared for it if you had some holiday ales in hand.

By: Living a Stout Life

What is a Christmas Ale?

But what exactly are holiday ales or Christmas Ales, as they are commonly called? Are these beers an actual defined style or are they crafted based on individual styles and traditions?

Before we can give you a proper answer, there’s a history lesson.

Historical Traditions of a Christmas Ale

Thousands upon thousands of years ago, long before Christianity was even in existence, people still celebrated holidays through religions. Granted, those religions weren’t focused on one god nor were they the major religions of today.

Wondering why these even need to be brought up at all? Because in a roundabout way, the holiday ales from today came from those ancient religious-type rituals. Solstice festivals were a result of celebrating the completion of harvest and the rebirth of the earth. In its simplest form, these celebrations meant plentiful food and plentiful fermented beverages.

And nothing but the best of the best was used for these fermented beverages (the beer of today) including spices – which were not as plentiful nor as widely used then as they are now. And grains – ample amounts of them. The stronger the flavor, the stronger the brew, the better. It was a celebration, after all. And one that only happened a couple of times a year.

So, it goes to say, that all across the globe, for thousands of years, a sun god was worshiped and a tradition of celebrating the end of a season occurred within many civilizations. Even the Romans – actually, the Roman cults – celebrated the birthday of the Invincible Sun known as Sol Invictus. Which so happened to be on December 25th.

Now this isn’t a history lesson on the beginnings of Christmas. We’ll leave that lesson to other experts. We’re simply here to fathom the existence of the beers that came about from the flavors of a celebrated season.

Which seems to be more tradition based rather than a specific style. Or is it?

Is a Christmas Ale a Defined Style?

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) states that there is a defined style for Christmas beers. In years past it was actually labeled as a Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer. In the current guidelines, the label has changed a bit. According to the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines a Christmas Ale is technically defined as a Winter Seasonal Beer (Category 30C).

“Winter seasonal beers are beers that suggest cold weather and the Christmas holiday season, and may include holiday spices, specialty sugars, and other products that are reminiscent of the festive season. It is a stronger, darker, spiced beer that often has a rich body and warming finish suggesting a good accompaniment for the cold winter season.”

Seems to define it pretty well.

Christmas Ales: Tradition and Style

But the BJCP guidelines also recognize the importance of tradition within this style of beer, going so far as to state, “The winter holiday season is a traditional time when old friends get together, where beer of a somewhat higher alcohol content and richness is served.”

We may not agree upon whether or not holiday ales are brewed for tradition or from a more defined style, but we all seem to agree that these brews are usually darker in color, stronger in ABV and flavor, and spiced in one way or another. It’s those characteristics that bring about the warm, cozy feelings we expect around the holidays.

The Flavors of Christmas Ales

Even the BJCP understands that. Spices are required to be an official BJCP judged beer in the Winter Seasonal Beer category. While they don’t go so far as to require specific spices, in fact creativity in this category is encouraged, they do reiterate that most holiday ales include those that are reminiscent of the holiday season. Spices and ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, citrus fruits, molasses, maple, and more.

Enter Anchor Christmas Ale. We started this fun fact by mentioning that thousands of years ago, the holiday ale may have its origins in religious traditions. Fast forward those few thousand years to 1975, when Anchor’s first Christmas Ale appeared on the market and reinvigorated a long lost art of holiday beer traditions.

Inspired by a trip to England, previous Anchor Brewing owner, Fritz Maytag, came back to the states with a goal to make something true and traditional. First brewed on November 17, 1975, and bottled December 16, a tradition that inspired many other brewers was reborn. According to Fritz, “[At that time] it was the only real Christmas brew in the world. The tradition had recently disappeared. I think, even in Scandinavia, where it had lingered.”

Christmas Ales and Gratitude

Today, Christmas ales, holiday ales, winter ales, and spiced ales are a part of holiday traditions around the world once again. For that, I think we can all give a bit of gratitude to the sun god, or at least, the sun.

The goal is to create a glass full of traditions.

As long as you do that, you’ve pretty much nailed it.

Christmas Ales and Their Malts

Since holiday ales can originate from a variety of base styles, there’s no malt that defines a holiday ale. However, since most of these are darker beers such as a brown ale, a porter, or even a doppelbock, malts most commonly used need to provide full flavors with toasty sweetness, and even hints of chocolate, caramel, or toffee.

Here at Malteurop we pride ourselves on our high quality and diverse malts. Malts that are a perfect match for your holiday ales and all the beers you diligently work to perfect. Click here to learn more.

“Malt should not be something that somebody has to worry about. That’s our job as maltsters. We produce something consistent and to specification every time and take that off of your plate.” (Joel Grosser, Director of Operations for North America)

Premium grains from field to flavor.

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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC

Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America—specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries.

With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet.

Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs.

Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.

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https://allaboutbeer.net/article/holiday-beer