To meet the difficulties of preservation, breweries traditionally made their beers to the rhythms of crops. In October, breweries in northern Europe used all their old barley and hops reserves to make a beer to be consumed at the end of the year (Christmas beers were originally called October Beer).
Christmas beers benefit from cooler autumn temperatures and can age quietly for several weeks. They reach full maturity around Christmas time to become an ale-type beer, strong and dense. They pair perfectly with the season's festive dishes, from the most traditional to the most sophisticated. Sometimes these beers were offered as a new year's present to employees and the best customers; Nowadays these seasonal beers are brewed specially for the Christmas market and are available to be purchased each December.
Christmas beers are smooth, well-rounded, full-bodied beers with a deep amber colour and a creamy rich head. Blended with the finest malts (pale malts for strength, and roasted malts for flavour and colour), they are slightly more caloric and more flavorful than other beers. The alcohol content is also slightly higher than most beers (6%).
Brewers generally indulge their creativity when preparing their Christmas brews, adding individual little touches such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger or honey. The distinctive characteristics of Christmas beers are a dark colour, from amber to brown with a fine, dense foamy head and a very aromatic, fruity nose; the palate is very rich, with caramel and fruit flavours.
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