You’d think after all these years covering the latest beer news that the American Craft Beer crew would have it all figured out. Spoiler: we don’t. And honestly, that’s half the fun. Beer is a deep, weird, endlessly surprising world—and winter seasonals are no exception.

Which brings us to the Winter Warmer, a cozy, centuries-old style with British roots and a soft spot for spice.

The Basics

“Winter Warmer” is really just a catch-all term breweries use for a whole range of cold-weather seasonals. If summer is all about crisp lagers and easy drinkers, winter flips the script with malt-forward beers built to feel like a sweater in a glass.

Historically, two styles form the backbone of what we now call Winter Warmers: the spiced Wassail and the Strong English Ale. The big divider? How they bring the flavor.

Wassails lean into traditional holiday spices—nutmeg, allspice, clove, that whole cozy-kitchen vibe—while Strong Ales typically stick to hops for their punch. Of course, brewers love to blur the lines, so any “rules” here should be taken with a grain of… cinnamon.

Trying to pin down an origin story for these beers is basically a fool’s errand—they’ve been around in one form or another for centuries. Today, you’ll see them labeled as Christmas Ales, Winter Ales, or just another seasonal release. Some are barrel-aged, plenty are sweetened with ingredients like molasses, maple syrup, raisins, or plums, and almost all are brewed with the holidays in mind.

Winter Warmers often stand on their own as a seasonal treat, but they also pair beautifully with the classics: roasted turkey, glazed ham, prime rib, or your lineup of spiced pies. ABV usually lands somewhere between 6% and 8.5% ABV and you’ll start spotting them as early as October. They tend to stick around through early January—just long enough to ease us through the holiday chaos before we return to normal levels of seasonal coping.

Widely Available Winter Warmers

Great Lakes Christmas Ale is an immensely popular, 7,5% ABV spiced holiday  brewed by the independent, employee-owned Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a highly anticipated holiday classic in the Great Lakes region that deftly balances honey, cinnamon, and ginger flavors with a robust malt body.

Deschutes Jubelale is a classic, highly-regarded festive winter ale known for its rich, malty character and balanced hop profile. It is a seasonal beer released annually by Deschutes Brewery, a staple of American craft brewing since 1988. Jubelale is celebrated for its complex and layered flavor profile that balances strong malts with a distinct hop bitterness, often described as having a “spiced gumball” essence.

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale is a 6% ABV English-Style Winter Warmer with distinct honey, toffee, baking spices, and apple notes released annually by the independent Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster) in England

Odell Isolation Ale is a 6% ABV Winter Warmer brewed by Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is distinct from other holiday warmer in its balanced, malt-forward profile WITHOUT the addition of typical holiday spices.

Our Take

At American Craft Beer, we’re all about variety—and Winter Warmers deliver that in spades. After spending most of the year swimming in hop bombs, these malty, spice-kissed brews feel like a welcome change of pace. The style is so broad that it’s almost impossible to pin down exactly what a Winter Warmer is, which is part of the charm. They’re built for cozy nights, big meals, and holiday gatherings, and honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way..