Winter Seasonal Beers: Winter warmers, Christmas beers, and holiday treats
I’ve written previously about winter seasonal beers, but only as a survey of competition winning beers. Here I’ll focus on the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style 30C, winter seasonal beer, but also speak a bit about how it is related to other spiced beers and seasonal beers. The BJCP style is part of the spiced beer category, so winter seasonal beers are specifically the spiced versions most common in the U.S.
Certainly not all Christmas or holiday ales are spiced, but from a competition standpoint, there are other places where these beers can be entered. Many British beers are produced for cold weather, and they often are called winter warmers, Christmas ales, or other similar names. They are rich, malty, and stronger than normal beers but are generally unspiced. However, they often have rich flavors from darker brewing sugars and malts. These beers can be entered as British strong ales under the BJCP guidelines.
Belgium is another country that often produces winter beers, many of which are just a stronger and richer version of their flagship beers. Some of these beers are spiced, but many of the base beers in Belgium are spiced or use brewing sugars anyway. So some Belgian versions can fall into this category, but only if they are spiced. I’ve seen beers from Germany, Mexico, and elsewhere that are designed for the winter season, but they are usually just maltier, darker, and stronger versions of existing beers.
Why does this matter for the style? Well, remember we are talking about beers for competition. One goal of the style guidelines is to make competitions easier to judge by grouping similar beers by style. Winter seasonal beers are a type of specialty beer, so some brewer creativity is expected. But it doesn’t work well for judges to have long flights of radically different beers, so we have tried to subdivide these types of beers to assist with the process. That’s all — it doesn’t imply that some beers are more “Christmas” than others. That would be an incorrect interpretation of the guidelines.
Winter seasonal beers are an artificial construct for judging purposes that takes some subset of Christmas beers (the spiced ones) and allows for additional fermentable sugars. To do well in this style, the brewer should describe the beer, and identify the spices included. A base style should be declared, but it doesn’t have to be one of the identified classic styles (like pale ale or porter). Specialty beers are about the balance of ingredients and drinkability, so brewers should avoid describing them in a way that confuses judges or disadvantages them.
Winter Warmer’s History
It’s hard to describe the history of a style that is a specialty category since it is more of an entry category than a true beer style. However, brewers have long produced special beers for cold weather or the holiday season. Sometimes these beers have been sold commercially, and sometimes brewers just used them as special gifts for friends, partners, or special customers.
As I said in the introduction, winter beers have a tradition in the UK, Belgium, Germany, and the U.S., and elsewhere. Americans and Belgians tend to use more spices, but that is reflective of their brewing traditions in general rather than being specific to these beers.
Anchor Brewing Co.’s Our Special Ale, first produced in 1975 at the dawn of the craft era in the U.S., inspired many American craft Christmas beers. It has the features we are describing, with a dark beer of around 7% that is spiced. The recipe (and the label) changes every year, making this beer a nice Christmas gift worth anticipating. As with most beers of this type, it is a seasonal offering only available in winter months.
Seasonal beers are a popular craft offering, from the seasonal pumpkin and harvest beers of the fall, to the heavier-spiced sipping beers of the winter, to the spring bocks and stouts, to summer wheat and fruit beers. Many smaller craft producers have made a name producing one-off beers and special offerings, while seasonal beers last a few months. I enjoy waiting for Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Celebration and Bigfoot, which are winter seasonal offerings but not spiced beers.
Sensory Profile
Since this is a specialty category, writing a sensory description is tricky because every sentence would begin with “it depends . . .” So it’s best to start with the general theme and then try to get more specific. Winter seasonal beers are specialty spiced beers for the winter season and should have a suggestion of an accompaniment for a cold winter night or a good fireside beer. There is any number of beer styles that fit this mold, so we need to get a bit more specific.
The general characteristics for this style are that the beer is somewhat strong; with a rich body, and a full, warming finish; that it is dark; and that it contains spices. But we can’t stop here because you could construct a beer that fits that description that wouldn’t fit the style. So let’s take a look at each part of that statement.
“Somewhat strong” and “warming finish” means the alcohol should add a warming element to the beer; it shouldn’t be hot or burning. These beers aren’t usually huge, about the strength of an IPA to a double IPA, I’d guess. We aren’t usually talking barleywines or imperial stouts, although if you age them enough, spiced versions of these beers could fit the bill.
“Rich body” and “full finish” means that it should be medium to full, chewy even. Rich, malty flavors are pretty much required but the beer doesn’t have to be sweet. They can be malty-sweet, but that is often due to restrained hopping rather than overt sugary sweetness. The balance is not often hoppy since that can interfere with spices, but brewer creativity shouldn’t be discounted. There are probably hoppy versions with spices that could be quite interesting.
“Dark” doesn’t mean black; it just means more than pale. Although the base style could make it lighter, beers that are coppery to brown are most common. Color is the least important aspect to this style, so judges shouldn’t claim a beer is out of style solely on color unless it is radically at odds with a declared base style.
“Contains spices” is the requirement for this style, but should be interpreted liberally. Spices that evoke the Christmas or winter season are most appropriate, but many combinations can fit this bill. Dried fruits or fruit peels, various dark sugars or syrups, and spices can all be used in combination, but there should be something more than just sugars. Brewer creativity can create interesting combinations between the base beer’s malts, the yeast, any noticeable hops, and the spices. Judges shouldn’t focus on a favorite commercial interpretation, and brewers should always try to explain their concept to the judges to get the best score.
Malt can bring some flavors like chocolate, caramel, toffee, and toasted nuts, depending on the style. Spices should be in balance, but noticeable. If you mention a specific spice in your description of the beer, judges will expect to be able to detect it. If you use a combination of several spices, sometimes it is best to give a name to the mix or to identify the associated food (mulling spices, gingerbread spices, etc.). Believe me, if you list ten spices, there are judges who will argue that they could taste only eight of the ten and therefore ding your score for the lapse.
Some of my favorite interpretations include those beers that evoke Christmas desserts, such as English-type Christmas pudding, rum cakes, eggnog, gingerbread cookies, and the like, as well as Christmas decorations, such as mulling spices, potpourri, and evergreen trees. Basically, if it makes you feel warm and happy and brings back good, childhood memories, you’ve nailed it.
Brewing Ingredients and Methods
Since the base style for this beer can vary, it’s hard to directly address how to brew it and what ingredients to use. I can make some generic statements like most of these are ales and since they don’t require high attenuation; a single infusion mash is appropriate. But isn’t that how you would have made it anyway if I didn’t say anything at all? I can see some cases where a decoction mash could make for an interesting beer, particularly if the base style is a malty lager. But in general, use the ingredients and methods as appropriate for the base style of beer.
Select malts that play up the flavors that are commonly found in this style. You are missing an opportunity if you use a simple base malt rather than one that brings bready, malty, or toasty flavors. I often use a blend of base malts for more flavor complexity, such as using pale ale-type malts and Munich-type malts. The same is true of specialty malts. Caramel and toasted malts can bring in toffee, caramelized sugar, and dark fruit flavors, and a light use of chocolate-type malts can bring in cocoa flavors if desired.
Sugars and other fermentables can add flavor complexity. Many English ales use brewing sugars like invert sugars of varying color to add flavors similar (but more intense) than flavors found in crystal malts. Honey, treacle, molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup, and other similar products can be used to add gravity points as well as flavor. Body in the beer can be gained through the use of a higher mash temperature, the use of starchy adjuncts such as flaked oats, barley, or wheat, or the use of dextrinous malts such as Carapils®.
Spicing can be just about anything, but it’s helpful to pick a theme. I like to think of food memories or certain cuisines to inspire spice choices. Some combinations are known to work together, and will help inspire flavor memories for drinkers. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, and mace can be found in holiday foods, but more exotic spices like star anise or cardamom can add a unique character. Vanilla should not be overlooked, since it can round out other spices. Be careful with clove, however, since many judges will mistake it for a fermentation flaw. Dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, figs, and dates can be used, as can the peels from various citrus fruit. Herbs are less common, but I’ve used thyme on occasion, as I know it has been used in some Belgian beers.
Spicing can be just about anything, but it’s helpful to pick a theme.
When using spices, I like to add them towards the end of the boil (10 minutes or less), or just put them in after heat is turned off and let them steep. I think spices need some heat to bring out their full flavor and aroma but too much will potentially drive off the more volatile of the aromatics. Too much exposure to heat can extract tannins from many spices (think about tea steeping too long), so I try to avoid this by putting spices in a mesh bag and removing them after they have steeped.
Spices are a perishable product, and the strength and potency of them can be quite variable. So take the listed amounts in recipes as a guideline. You have to adjust spicing to taste. I often intend to go light on the spices in the boil, knowing that I can increase them later if necessary. But if you overspice a beer, there is not much you can do (let it age, or blend it). I often steep spices in boiling water, like making tea; then I use the strained, cooled product to adjust the final spicing of the finished beer. I don’t like to add raw spices to finished beer since that can often give an unpleasant “dusty” flavor to the beer.
Homebrew Example
I’ve been making Christmas beers since my fifth batch, which won my first best-of-show award (so it kind of has a sentimental place in my heart). It has several of my favorite ingredients and combinations, and is richly malty, complex, and spicy for the season.
To name names, I like to use Golden Promise as the primary base malt but any pale ale malt should work. I’m not looking for something overly bready, so this is why something like Maris Otter is a second choice. Several of the specialty malts are British, since they tend to add the deep caramelized flavors I like; the chocolate malt is really just for color and a little extra richness. I think too much roast flavor in this beer would get in the way.
To boost richness, I have dark Munich and aromatic malts; I often use these malts in recipes where I want significant malt flavors, like bocks and other strong German beers. I’m adding flavor and gravity points with honey (I tend to use orange blossom honey since the flavors are very compatible) and a little treacle adds dark molasses sugary flavors often found in Christmas desserts.
The flaked barley is to boost the body. Using oats, Carapils®, or other similar malts, could work as well for this purpose. I like some chewiness in these cold-weather beers. The spices seem Christmas-like to me, but I don’t like to have them add astringency so I tend to bag them, add them near the end of the boil, and then remove them. If the spicing is off to your taste, you can always make a tea from boiling water steeping the same spices (or a different mix to your taste) and dosing the finished beer with the tea. Note that I’m calling this infusion a tea, but that it doesn’t actually contain tea.
I like English ale yeast for this type of beer, especially ones that aren’t overly attenuative or that emphasize malty or fruity flavors. I’m not looking for yeast to bring any spicy flavors, so I try to avoid strains that produce phenols or minerally flavors. Calcium chloride as the water treatment emphasizes the malty, rounded flavors.
I try to keep the alcohol around 7% by volume because I normally make this beer in the early fall for holiday serving. If you make this too big, you might find the alcohol too sharp and then have to cellar the beer for another year. Talk about a lump of coal in your stocking . . .
Winter Seasonal Beers by the Numbers:
OG: varies by base style
FG: varies by base style
SRM: varies by base style, usually dark
IBU: varies by base style
ABV: varies by base style, usually over 6%
Gordon Strong’s Winter Seasonal Beer
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.068 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 24 ABV = 6.8%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) UK pale ale malt
1.75 lbs. (794 g) dark Munich malt
1.75 lbs. (794 g) aromatic malt
12 oz. (340 g) flaked barley
12 oz. (340 g) Caramunich® II malt (45 °L)
12 oz. (340 g) UK dark crystal malt (100 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
1.5 lbs. (680 g) honey
2 oz. (57 g) treacle or molasses
2 oranges, zested
2 vanilla beans, split, scraped
6 cinnamon sticks, broken up
12 coriander seeds, crushed
1 whole nutmeg, chopped
8 whole allspice, crushed
6.2 AAU UK Challenger hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 8.3% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Styrian Goldings hops (5 min.)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB), White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), or LalBrew London ESB Ale yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
This recipe uses a single infusion mash. Use enough water to have a moderately thick mash (1.5 qts./lb. or 3.1 L/kg). Mash the pale, Munich, and aromatic malts with the flaked barley at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Add the remaining specialty malts, raise the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) and recirculate for 15 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect 7 gallons (25.6 L) of wort.
Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe. Put all the spices in a mesh bag and add during the last 10 minutes of the boil, removing at the end of the boil. Add the honey and treacle at the end of the boil, and stir.
Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment. After two weeks, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.
Winter Seasonal Beer
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.068 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 24 ABV = 6.8%
Ingredients
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) pale liquid malt extract
2.3 lbs. (1 kg) pale liquid Munich malt extract
12 oz. (340 g) Caramunich® II malt (45 °L)
12 oz. (340 g) UK dark crystal malt (100 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
1.5 lbs. (680 g) honey
2 oz. (57 g) treacle or molasses
2 oranges, zested
2 vanilla beans, split, scraped
6 cinnamon sticks, broken up
12 coriander seeds, crushed
1 whole nutmeg, chopped
8 whole allspice, crushed
6.2 AAU UK Challenger hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 8.3% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Styrian Goldings hops (5 min.)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB), White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), or LalBrew London ESB Ale yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Steep the grains for 30 minutes in a mesh bag, then remove from the kettle. Turn off the heat. Add the malt extracts and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely.
Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe. Put all the spices in a mesh bag and add during the last 10 minutes of the boil, removing at the end of the boil. Add the honey and treacle at the end of the boil, and stir.
Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment. After two weeks, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.
