Origin of Christmas Beer

santaheaderI love Christmas beer.

As December 25th nears, caring brewmasters around the world release special beers to celebrate Christmas. I find them and enjoy them. Actually, I often age them for a few years in my cellar, then enjoy them.

This blog is about – if you couldn’t already guess it – Christmas beer.

My First Christmas Beer

My real name is Nicholas of Myra. Years ago I was the bishop of Myra, which is in what we now call Turkey.

While it’s difficult to picture me as a young man, I was once. I met the future Mrs. Claus – yes, we bishops could marry back then – one snowy night when she offered me a winter ale that she brewed herself. It was love at first sight – for both the future Mrs. and her winter ales.

How I Got My Gift-Giving Job

I began helping families of young women by giving them wedding dowries so their daughters could marry. Something happened and God granted me the ability to give gifts to everyone in the world.

I relocated and set up shop at in the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland to keep the paparazzi away, although my secret location is not so secret anymore. I now travel the world each year to spread the joy that began in a stable in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

The Origin of Christmas Beer

The word got around about my love of Mrs. Claus and winter ales. With my growing fame, my favorite brews became named after my favorite day – Christmas!

While Mrs. Claus still brews the best Christmas beer in the world, I keep trying the others, just in case. *wink*

On my travels, I collect bottles of my favorite Christmas beers for aging back at the North Pole. I have my favorites. And my traditions.

On Christmas Eve I begin the celebrations with a De Dolle Stille Nacht. After a long night of work, on Christmas day I look forward to my namesake now brewed in Austria: Samichlaus.

These days Christmas beer is made in a variety of beer styles. Beer is essentially hops, malts, yeast and water. From there similarities end. For how these ingredients are combined, brewed, what else is added, all effect the final product. There is Indian Pale Ale, Barley Wine, Dopplebock, Stout, Lager, Red Ale, Abbey Dubble, Tripel, Quadrupel, Belgian Ale, and each of the above with the word “Strong” in front of it.

I want to share with you some of my favorites throughout the Christmas season and beyond. Some Christmas beers are released in July and if you don’t buy them then, you won’t find them in December. I’ll let you know which ones those are. Make sure you subscribe to receive each post by email. That way when July rolls around you’ll hear from me.

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