The Spirit World

Belgium isn’t the only country making Christmas ales. Here in the States we have a thirty year tradition of brewing Christmas ales. True to American tastes our Christmas and Winter beers feature a strong hoppy character. Three of the most widely available are from Sierra Nevada, Anchor Brewing, and Red Hook.

The Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is more strongly hopped and more alcoholic (6.8% by volume) than their signature Pale Ale. Some people say this isn’t an especially Christmasy beer, but that depends on your perspective. Not all Christmas beers have to be spiced or dark. It has a golden color with a tinge of ruby. This beer is an easily drinkable, refreshing beer. Once you get used to drinking Celebration Ale during the winter months you might find it difficult to go back to the normal Pale Ale.

Anchor Brewing Company brews a dark spiced beer every year. Each year the beer is a little different, a fact signaled by the yearly change in the design of the label. This Anchor Christmas Ale is the thirty-first incarnation. It’s a pleasing full bodied beer with a satisfying bitterness. Since it’s a higher alcohol beer, you’ll be able to put back a few bottles in your beer cellar for several years. That way you can compare the stylistic variations in the beer from year to year. Of course, the beer’s character changes with time, so your bottle of 2004 Anchor Christmas Ale will taste different in December 2005 than it did last year. This is one of the wonderful aspects of beer. Since beer has live yeast in it, the beer is literally alive, and continues to develop as it ages. (A warning. Some beers are not intended to be put back. Most lower alcohol varieties should be consumed soon after bottling.)

Red Hook’s Winterhook (5.52% ABV) is also dark and hoppy. Winterhook has a light body. It reminds me of a dark English style Pale Ale. The bittering hops impart an almost tea-like flavor. My preference is to drink the Winterhook colder (at or below 55°F) as this tempers the bitterness and allows the malt character to come through better, but your palate may differ.

These are just a few of the Christmas and Winter Ales you might find at your local beer retailer. Keep an eye out for anything on the shelves that has a Christmas or Winter theme label. Buy it and try it (especially it is from a local/regional brewery). Let me know if you find something you like. I’d love to hear what your favorite Christmas ales are.