It’s that special time of year when the lights begin twinkling,  sweaters get uglier, and beer lovers await the most magical of traditions — the annual countdown of holiday brews.

So welcome to American Craft Beer’s 12 Beers of Christmas and if some of them seem familiar, they should, because in the world of beer, they’re all classics.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

A Belgian classic that spans decades kicks off the season. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a complex !0% ABV dark Belgian Strong Ale (Quadrupel style) that is brewed annually for the holiday season. This is the unapologetic “Mother of all Christmas Beers” that pairs perfectly with the season.

Tröegs Mad Elf

Tröegs Mad Elf is also a popular, Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale brewed by Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Brimming with rich cherry and honey tones. It’s like someone liquified fruitcake in the best possible way. Warning: only one required to start believing in elves.

Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA

Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA is an iconic, full-bodied American India Pale Ale (IPA) and a classic winter seasonal beer, renowned for utilizing freshly picked hops from the annual harvest. It is distinct from most holiday beers because it features no added spices, relying instead on the intense, natural flavors of Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

The Great Lakes Christmas Ale is an iconic American holiday beer, categorized as a spiced “Winter Warmer.” A bold balance of spices and sweet honey flavor swirl together like a sled in fresh powder. Ideal for cookie exchanges or pretending you know how to ice skate.

Deschutes Jubelale

The Deschutes Jubelale is a beloved American “festive winter ale” known for its complex, robust malt profile featuring notes of toffee, cocoa, and spice, balanced by significant hop bitterness. It has been a seasonal staple since 1988 and is unique for its annually changing label artwork by a different artist each year. Moody and malt-forward with caramel and cocoa notes, this beer is your “sit by the fireplace and question your New Year’s resolutions” beer.

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale is a 6% ABV, English Winter Warmer renowned for its complex malt character and balance. It is vintage-dated each year and is a cherished holiday tradition for many beer enthusiasts. English malt richness with a historic vibe. One sip and suddenly you’re wearing tweed and talking about medieval wassailing.

Prairie Artisan Ales Christmas Bomb!

Prairie Artisan Ale is a highly anticipated, limited-release Imperial Stout that is a festive variation of the brewery’s popular flagship “Bomb!” stout. It is known for its rich, complex flavor profile combining stout characteristics. Imperial Stout meets cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao. It’s spicy, velvety, and has more ‘oomph’ than Santa’s sleigh after a Red Bull.

Goose Island Bourbon County Original Stout

The most sought-after stocking stuffer. This 14.8% ABV classic is aged for about a year in a mix of bourbon barrels from distilleries like Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill. Rich, barrel-aged, it boasts the kind of depth you only achieve after three months of reading Dickens.

Bell’s Christmas Ale

The defining characteristic of Bell’s Christmas Ale is its focus on pure malt character rather than holiday spices, which sets it apart from many other Winter Warmers. A 7.5% ABV Scotch Ale with smooth caramel, earthy hops, and subtle spice, this beer is perfect for wrapping presents right before realizing you forgot the tape.

Surly Darkness

For the metalheads of Christmas cheer., Surly Darkness is a massive Russian Imperial Stout from Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A black-as-midnight stout with roasted bitterness and dark fruit tones.. Each year’s packaging features unique, limited-edition art by a different featured artist.

Southern Tier 2XMAS

Southern Tier 2XMAS is an 8% ABV spiced Winter Ale brewed by the Southern Tier Brewing Company, known for its festive flavor profile inspired by the Swedish mulled wine tradition called “Glög.” A spiced ale that tastes like mulled wine crashed into a spice cabinet. Figs, orange peel, and holiday chaos in a glass.

The Bruery’s 12 Drummers Drumming

The Bruery’s 12 Drummers Drumming is a rich, complex Belgian-style Quadrupel ale blended with bourbon barrel-aged Old Ale, the twelfth and final annual release in their “12 Days of Christmas” series. Inspired by figgy pudding and Belgian quad traditions. Rich, boozy, and celebratory — it’s the grand finale of your beer advent calendar drinking.

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