Christmasbeer/Winterbeer
Night falling early, snow slowly swirling down, wood crackling on the hearth... The ideal time to uncork a delicious Belgian Christmas beer and warm yourself up sip by sip. Fan of slightly higher alcohol levels and spicy flavours? Then these winter beers are for you.
Christmas beers are traditionally dark and heavy, but you will discover many other Belgian winter beers below. Choose your traditional end-of-year beer or try out a new Christmas beer. Add it to your shopping basket and order easily online. We ensure fast and 100% insured delivery. Any questions? Do not hesitate to contact us.
Brewing Christmas beer
Abbey beers are brewed in an abbey and are officially recognised. For Christmas beers, there are no strict rules that a beer must meet to call itself so. They usually have a higher alcohol content, around 8-10%. This extra alcohol warmth makes the cold end-of-year days a bit more bearable. Furthermore, they usually contain 'winter' spices such as cloves or cinnamon. The addition of caramel aromas and roasted malt gives a warm, sweet touch.
Christmas beers, however, are primarily a specific kind of seasonal beer. They are traditionally brewed in limited quantities for the end-of-year period and drunk during winter and the holidays. This is why we also call Christmas beers winter beers, end-of-year beers or party beers. Each brewer makes its own version and there are also non-alcoholic varieties. The result: the large selection in our webshop above.
The origins of Christmas beer
Heavy and dark winter beers have been brewed and drunk for decades. According to some theories, they originated in Britain and crossed over to continental Europe in the early 20th century. That there are quite a few Christmas beers among Belgian beers is no coincidence. British brewer John Martin made the first commercial Christmas beer in Antwerp in the 1930s. His Gordon Xmas is still a Christmas classic in our range.
From Christmas beer to standard beer
Christmas beers are brewed exclusively for the holidays. Sometimes they are so popular that they survive the end-of-year period and become part of the standard range. This is how Blue Chimay was marketed for Christmas in 1948. Today, the fathers simply brew this delicious trappist year-round. And Stella Artois was named after the poinsettia, but after its launch in 1926 grew into the best-selling lager of Artois brewery.
The many possibilities of winter beer
Christmas beers and foodpairing
Special beers brewed for the end of the year are especially popular in Belgium. In France, they taste slightly different, more spicy and hoppy. The Dutch and Germans are more into bok beers, which are especially popular in autumn. Winter beers are ideal for warming up during the darkest and coldest days of the year.
A Christmas beer is a nice gift for yourself, but it is also perfect as an end-of-year gift for beer lovers. Our tip: replace the traditional wine at the table with a Christmas beer sealed with a cork so you can open it festively. And use your festive beer as an ingredient in your party menu. Add it to your roast, your game preparation, your stew, your sabayon or your mussel preparation. Or make desserts with it, for example the batter for deep fried doughnut balls.
Serving Christmas beer is how you do it
Fully enjoying the flavour experience of a Christmas beer is done by serving it the right way. Some tips from Belgian Beer Heaven:
- Choose the matching beer glass, which brings out the aromas and flavours in the best possible way. Choose the glass the brewery made for winter beer, or go for a tulip glass, chalice glass or Trappist glass, which are ideally suited for speciality beers.
- Serve the festive beer at a slightly higher temperature than standard pilsners. 10 to 12°C is perfect for most Christmas beers, the heavier or darker varieties can even handle 12 to 14°C.
- Pour the Christmas beer slowly and diagonally into the glass to avoid too high a head of foam. Top it off with a festive decoration, such as a sprig of holly or a Christmas napkin.
Buying Christmas beer at Belgian Beer Heaven
Christmas beers are perfect for the end-of-year celebrations, but you'll enjoy them just as much at other times of the year. Make your choice above from Belgian Beer Heaven's extensive range of winter beers. Order online quickly and easily and enjoy fast, 100% insured shipping. Questions about your choice or your order? Contact Belgian Beer Heaven, we are happy and knowledgeable to help.
