The holidays are upon us. Maybe you live somewhere blanketed by snow, and the wintry sheen makes the holiday lights look even brighter. Or perhaps you have a decorated palm tree in your yard, and there isn’t a hint of snow in the forecast. Either way, you’re probably in a festive mood, which means Christmas beers are definitely on the menu.
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can’t argue with the appeal of these rich, tasty beers on a chilly winter night. For the uninitiated, a Christmas beer is a seasonal beer created to be enjoyed during the holidays. While there’s no set definition (and brewers have their own unique takes), they’re usually malty, dark, and loaded with flavors that normally belong in a fruit cake: candied orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, and other wintry spices.
There’ve been some shakeups in the beer world this year, meaning that previous top picks—like Anchor Christmas Ale—are no longer available. To help you spend the next few weeks imbibing the best seasonal brews, we’ve rounded up our favorite Christmas beers of the year. ‘Tis the season to crack one open.
Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.
1. Allagash Snow Report
Courtesy Image
Snow Report is a perfect example of why Allagash is renowned for their mastery of Belgian-style beers. Dubbed a “celebratory saison” by the Maine brewery, this golden ale finishes sweeter—thanks to a helping of wildflower honey in the recipe—than the typical dry saison ale. It’s also a bit bigger, at 8.6% ABV, but true to the base style it’s dangerously drinkable. The honey character is complemented by lavender and sandalwood with a lightly toasted malt backbone.
2. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
Courtesy Image
One of the best Christmas beers ever made comes from Belgian brewery . This 10 percent ABV quadruple is loaded with hints of toffee, toasted almonds, dried cherries, gentle yeast, and wintry spices.
3. Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve
Courtesy image
Rogue Ales fans eagerly await the brewery’s Santa’s Private Reserve offerings every holiday season. This year, Rogue teamed up with Honey Mama’s ( a company that makes cocoa truffle bars) for a tahini, tangerine, and chocolate-flavored stout.
4. Avery Old Jubilation
Courtesy Image
Yet another eagerly awaited beer, Avery Old Jubilation is an 8.3 percent ABV strong ale brewed with Black, Chocolate, Bonlander Munich, and 2-Row malts as well as London ale yeast and Bullion hops. The result is a different type of Christmas beer: It’s not spiced like many other beers, but it offers notes of caramel and chocolate along with a nutty sweetness.
6. Tröegs Mad Elf
Courtesy image
There might not be a more aptly named Christmas beer than Tröegs Mad Elf. This 11 percent ABV ale is brewed with Chocolate, Munich, and Pilsner malts as well as spicy Belgian yeast. It gets its flavor from the addition of honey and several varieties of cherries.
7. Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Courtesy Image
Great Lakes is one of those breweries that seems to brew a banger for every season. Its Christmas Ale is no exception. This 7.5 percent ABV Christmas ale gets its seasonal flavor from the addition of honey and spices. The result is a sweet, malty, rich beer with notes of cinnamon, honey, caramel, and ginger.
8. Delirium Christmas
Courtesy Image
It’s quite clear that in addition to making some of the best beer in the world in any season, Belgian brewers know how to craft delicious, memorable Christmas beers. At 10 percent ABV, ale is loaded with sweet yeasty flavors of caramel candy, dried fruits, and holiday spices, and it’s rounded out with a warming, subtly bitter finish.
9. Deschutes Jubelale
Courtesy image
Deschutes’ foray into the world of winter warmers is its Jubelale. It has a great mix of hops and malts: Pale, Crystal, Carapils, and Extra Special malts as well as roasted barley pair with Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Us Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings hops. This results in a malty, sweet, caramel-filled beer with a nice hoppy backbone.
10. Southern Tier 2XMAS
Courtesy image
Southern Tier is well-known for its holiday-centric beers. One of its newest and best is its 2XMAS. This eight percent ABV spiced double ale gets its seasonal flavor from being brewed with orange peels, figs, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and ginger root. The result is a spicy, robust, sweet beer that’s ideal for cold weather drinking.
11. Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Courtesy Image
It makes sense that a brewery located in a city known for its prodigious snow would make a solid winter warmer. This malt-forward ale has notes of chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, and just a whiff of orange. A total crowd-pleaser, Breckenridge Christmas Ale is something you can share with friends and family this holiday season (but we’ll doubt you’ll want to).
12. Bell’s Christmas Ale
Courtesy Image
Generally speaking, Scotch ales are big, bold, overwhelmingly malty, and a bit heavy (hence their alternative name, “Wee Heavy”). That’s not the case with this Christmas Ale from Bell’s. Simple, well-balanced, and supremely drinkable (impressive considering it has a 7.5 percent ABV), it’s a beer you can sip all evening without falling over.
13. Shiner Holiday Cheer
Courtesy Image
Christmas ales are usually characterized by the addition of warming spices (think cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and star anise), but Shiner is based in the heart of Texas, and the brewery does things a little differently. Brewed with local pecans and peaches (the dominant flavor in this brew), Shiner Holiday Cheer is perfect for those who live in a warm-weather destination (or maybe those dreaming of one).
14. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Courtesy Image
Chicago’s Goose Island releases its massive bourbon stout and its variants (five for 2023) on Black Friday, making it a perfect salve for the crush of holiday shopping. This year’s Bourbon County Stout weighs in at 14.6% ABV. And while the character varies year to year due to the unpredictability of barrel aging, the flagship retains its hallmark chocolate and bourbon-vanilla character.
15. Hardywood Kentucky Christmas Morning
Courtesy Image
This boozy (10.6 percent ABV) offering from Hardywood will definitely help you get through a gathering with the in-laws. To make Kentucky Christmas Morning, the brewery takes its Gingerbread Stout and ages it in Kentucky bourbon barrels, a process which adds notes of vanilla, coconut, and rich toasted oak. It’s also cold-filtered through coffee beans before bottling.
16. Athletic Brewing Co. Lodge Life
Courtesy Image
This non-alcoholic oatmeal stout-inspired brew brings the comforting body of a big, dark ale. Athletic designed this beer to recall the flavors of s’mores around a campfire, adding cinnamon, cacao nibs, and marshmallow and vanilla flavoring.
17. Three Floyds Alpha Klaus
Courtesy Image
Alpha Klaus, a veteran of craft beer Christmas ales, has been around more than two decades thanks to its timeless yet unique character. Alpha Klaus combines the bitter citrus hops of a classic American IPA with the smooth, roasty chocolate of a porter. Three Floyds also adds a touch of Mexican sugar to the brew, which lightens the body in a similar fashion to tropical stouts like Lion or Dragon Stout.
18. Ayinger Celebrator
Courtesy Image
With a recipe descended from the original doppelbocks brewed by 17th century Bavarian monks, Ayinger is a modern classic that every beer lover must try—in any season. However, the rich, dark fruit flavors and subtle roasted barley make Celebrator an ideal beer pairing for big, savory holiday meals.
