Best Christmas Beers to Bring You Cheer!

Looking for the best Christmas beers of 2025? We’ve got you covered with a list of just a few to get you started.

At the first sight of snow, some run for skis and snowboards, some run for shelter in fear of the season to come, others… run for their favorite Christmas beer. You can guess where we would land on that spectrum (beer, along with a bit of snowboarding thrown in for good measure). When the temperature finally goes below that 40 degree mark, the first thing in our hands will be the perfect winter beer.

Or Christmas beer, or spiced beer, or holiday beer, or winter warmers. Fall got us primed, but oh the decadence at Christmas is in full swing!

What are Christmas Beers?

Whatever you call them, you can bet our hands are wrapped around one of them – gloved though they may be. So, what actually makes a beer a Christmas beer? In all reality, a Christmas beer is whatever you want it to be.

But if you insist on some guidelines, Christmas beers (or holiday beers or spiced beers…) are generally dark in color, bold in flavor, and have a high ABV. Many of them are spiced with flavors of the season, reminders of decadent desserts, spiced ciders, and that divinely made cup of hot cocoa. 

Christmas Beers to Bring you Cheer!

If you’re familiar with Christmas beers, then you’ve heard of Anchor’s Christmas Ale (which was sadly shelved in 2023, as Anchor’s parent company closed the doors and put it up for sale) and Sierra Nevada’s Celebration. These have long been two of the most popular and best Christmas beers around. And while these classics are holiday traditions for many, why not try some new ones, too. Keep on scrolling for a few more of the best holiday beers to get you in a festive mood.

Keep in mind, though, some of these beers are limited releases and may only be available in the taproom for a set period of time. If that’s the case, use these beers as a guide to get you started and head out to your local craft brewery for their Christmas beers.

Spiced Beers

When we show up for Christmas dinner there are a few things we expect. Things like sharing greetings with long missed family to deep political arguments (yes, we do that). The greatest of all though is the wafting scent of dessert spices. In these beers you’ll find a brilliant array of cinnamons, vanillas, and many more holiday spices!

Christmas Ale

Christmas Ale @ 7.5% ABV
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Cleveland, OH

“Do not open ‘til Christmas? Whoever coined that phrase obviously hasn’t tasted Christmas Ale’s fresh honey, cinnamon, and ginger flavors.” (Great Lakes Brewing Co)

Hoppy Holidays

Imperial IPA with Citrus & Spruce Tips @ 9.2% ABV
Block 15 Brewing Company
Corvallis, OR

“This yuletide IPA is brewed with a sleighful of hops, orange zest, and foraged spruce tips. 250 Pounds of Spruce tips went into the beer, which were hand-foraged by our staff at Starker Forests in the Coast Range. 100 pounds of orange zest add the perfect amount of fruity flavor.” (Block 15 Brewing Co)

Milk Stouts

If there is anything one mustn’t forget, it is that Santa isn’t the only one deserving of a creamy treat this Christmas. These milk stouts bring an exquisite dark beer experience to the holidays with a perfect balance of creamy sweetness. You might even consider dunking a cookie in them.

Kentucky Christmas Morning

Bourbon Barrel Aged Milk Stout @ 11.5% ABV
Hardywood
Richmond, VA

“Our original Gingerbread Stout takes an initial transformation through months of aging in Kentucky bourbon barrels, reaching new levels of maturity with layers of vanilla, coconut, and toasted oak.

Before bottling, the barrel aged stout is cold filtered through heaps of freshly cracked locally roasted coffee beans from Blanchard’s Coffee Co, showcasing the nostalgic joys of Christmas Morning. Treat yourself, it’s been a long year.” (Hardywood)

Churro Stout

Milk Stout @ 6% ABV
Cervecería Colorado
Denver, CO

“This sweet stout embodies the flavors of one of Mexico’s favorite treats. We brew our Churro Stout with chocolate malt, roasted barley, oats, and lactose sugar. The sweet stout is then aged with cinnamon and vanilla beans, creating a delightful beer with a smooth finish. Created in collaboration with Cerveza Cru Cru in Mexico City.” (Cervecería Colorado)

(Not Hot) Chocolate 

There is nothing more cozy than a perfect cup of hot cocoa on those cold winter nights we all know and love (and sometimes hate). Whether you want something simple and chocolaty or complex, these adult “hot chocolates” will help you reach peak coziness.

Alpha Klaus

Christmas Porter @ 7.3% ABV
3 Floyds Brewing
Munster, IN

“A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar, and tons of strange American hops. The pronounced hop bitterness gives way to flavors of molasses and chocolate from the roasted malt bill.” (3 Floyds Brewing)

STONE XOCOVEZA

Mocha Stout @ 8.1% ABV
Stone Brewing
California

“The inspiration came from Mexican hot chocolate combined with coffee. We love how wonderfully this beer showcases the spices, cocoa and subtle coffee roast flavors.” (Stone Brewing)

Winter Ale

While winter ale can be hard to give a strict definition to, we can definitely say that it has one purpose and one purpose only, comfort. These beers give us an optimum darker-than-average flavor and a hint of extra ABV to be the idyllic pairing when cozying up with your sweetie or your pups by the fire!

Jubelale

Winter Warmer @ 6.7% ABV
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

“Embrace the comforting warmth of tradition with this festive winter ale. Embodying the spirit of celebration since 1988, Jubelale features notes of spice, a robust malt character, hints of toffee and dusted cocoa.” (Deschutes Brewery)

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Quadruple @ 10.0% ABV
St. Bernardus Brewery
Watou, Belgium

“St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a dark, seasonal beer, full of wintery character and flavours that we brew every year ready for the festive season. Just like all of our beers, this brew bears the imprint of the unique St. Bernardus yeast (dating back to 1946), that gives it its own special complexity.” (St. Bernardus)

Check out our podcast episode highlighting Brouwerj St Bernardus.

There’s Always Room for Dessert Beers

Okay, we get it. Maybe we’ve already explored a few dessert beers at this point. But these beers deserve a category all their own with their rich dark chocolate, spiced caramel, and vanilla flavors. Just like at Christmas dinner, there’s always room for the best dessert beers.

Affogato World Wide Stout

Imperial Stout @ 15.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, DE

“This year’s iteration, Affogato World Wide Stout takes this beloved beer to the next level, with added notes of espresso and sweet vanilla for a liquid version of the well-known Italian treat. 

This ageable ale is made with a blend of 7 different grains and then infused with loads of locally roasted coffee and sweet vanilla.” (Dogfish Head)

12-ISH Days of Christmas Collection

Belgian Style Variety Pack @ 9.1 – 12.0% ABV
The Bruery
Placentia, CA & Meridian, ID

Save room for dessert…err, beer!

“12 years, 12 beers….almost.  Demand exceeded supply here and we have sold out of all 5 Golden Rings and 6 Geese-a-Laying bottles.  So instead of denying our fans the rest of these delicious beers we’ve made a couple substitutions.

This (very) limited edition collection includes a 2024 version of ten of our original 12 Days of Christmas Series releases plus an extra 7 Swans-a-Swimming and 8 Maids-a-Milking.” (The Bruery)

Christmas Beers for All!

Your holiday flavors can be found almost anywhere in one or more of the almost 10,000 craft breweries in the U.S. and thousands more across the globe. Whatever you choose to enjoy this Christmas, if you’re drinking it during the holidays, it’s a Christmas beer, and your options are endless. Start here for ideas, and then check out your local breweries, and find the perfect festive beers for your own festivities!

May your holidays be full of warmth and beer!

^{Wherever you spend your holidays, Cheers!}

2024 Holiday Beers

Curious as to what we had listed for holiday beers of 2024? Keep on scrolling to find out more. You may still be able to get some of these holiday beers for 2025.

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