Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews [Hardcover]

Don Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2008

Christmas beers, also known as Winter Warmers, are a tradition dating back at least 2,000 years, with the ancients making highly intoxicating brews to celebrate winter’s Saturnalia. This brewmaking evolved into a holiday celebration when medieval monks, the world’s first professional brewers, pulled out their finest ingredients to produce soul-warming styles for the occasion. Today brewers continue the custom, either with centuries-old recipes or newfangled concoctions with spices and herbs, enabling thirsty beer fans to put aside their everyday favorites each winter and deck the halls with the world’s most flavorful ales and lagers, brewed especially for the holidays.Beer expert Don Russell taps into holiday cheer with a look at the world’s best—unusual, exotic, rich, one-of-a-kind brews—detailing the styles and flavors that will leave beer lovers in a froth. From Smuttynose Winter Ale to Santa’s Butt to Troegs Mad Elf to Left Hand XXXmas, there’s a beer for everyone, even a Hanukkah beer, He’Brew Jewbelation. Including funny tales and trivia behind the beers, homebrew recipes and food recipes with Christmas beer as an ingredient, and instructions for building and cellaring your own vintage holiday brews so you can enjoy Christmas 365 days a year, Christmas Beer will put even the most curmudgeonly beer drinker in the holiday spirit. Cheers!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In your hunt for that perfect holiday elixir, there's a brand-new book that can help....He came up with an awesome selection. It's a great, informative read." ~The San Jose Mercury News

"Russell gives readers the lowdown on the best of these holiday offerings..." ~The Wine Buzz

“It is the first comprehensive collection." ~About Beer Magazine

"...a comprehensive look at holiday brewing history and tradition..." ~The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"The book is an entertaining history of holiday beer...” ~The Philadelphia Weekly

From the Inside Flap

Delirium Noël, anyone? Tap the yuletide cheer with this beer-by-beer guide to the greatest holiday brews from around the world. Since the beginnings of civilization, humans have celebrated the winter solstice with one of our most primal rituals: welcoming the returning sun with a strong drink. Many cultures throughout history indulged in the custom, crafting singular brews for the biggest party of the year. The tradition continues today with breweries the world over decking the halls with unique ales and lagers made seasonally as a gift to beer-lovers.

From Pittsburgh's St. Nikolaus Bock to Belgium's Stille Nacht, and from Seattle's Snow Cap to Japan's Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale, there's a Winter Warmer out there to put anyone in the holiday spirit. Don Russell has traveled the world sampling and celebrating, keeping a list of what's naughty and nice. Here he profiles the fifty greatest holiday brews as well as dozens of other beers that are sure to put a twinkle in your eye. Packed with anecdotes and trivia, tasting notes, and recipes for special holiday drinks and dishes.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa's Butt-it's a porter from South Stoke, England.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Universe (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789317966
• ISBN-13: 978-0789317964
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #766,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > General
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Insightful Holiday Cheer, November 30, 2008

By 

Carolyn Smagalski "Beer Fox" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews (Hardcover)

No one shares holiday cheer better than Philadelphia beer writer Don Russell, who celebrates the season with this newest book, Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Beers.

Snuggle into an overstuffed chair by the fireplace and revel in the charms of this delightful and insightful book. In the turn of each page, you will be immersed in traditions of Christmas past. Russell, alias award-winning author Joe Sixpack of the Philadelphia Daily News, seduces the reader with welcoming warmth as he alights on a journey across generations. He regales us with stories of wassailing and ancient yuletide raucousness. Among his many narratives, is the tale of a grisly butcher and the miracle of Nicholas, the bishop of Myra. He recounts stories of the European and Viking traditions of Sinterklass and relays the history of American Thomas Nast who gave us our image of that jolly old elf.

Russell takes us through Europe to Nordkapp Bryggeri, the northernmost brewpub in the world, located just 1,311 miles from the North Pole, and southward to Castle Eggenberg in Austria to see the blessing of Samichlaus Beer. We travel to America, into the little town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with its sassy Rude Elf Reserve, and westward to California, where Anchor Brewing celebrates the Christmas Beer of medieval villages and Shmaltz Brewing celebrates the Festival of Lights with He'brew Jewbelation.

Christmas Beer features more than 150 Winter Specialty beers that celebrate the season. Mr. Russell presents a chapter of "The World's 50 Best Christmas Beers," along with full-color photos that stimulate desire for a splash of malt and spice across the lips, accompanied by that warming sensation down the throat. Among this connoisseurs' cache are such beers as Mad Elf from Troegs Brewing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Avec les Bons Voeux of Brasserie Dupont in Belgium, Baladin Noel of Birrificio Le Baladin in Italy, and Mahr's Christmas Bock of Brauerei Mahr of Bamberg, Germany. Russell expands the list with 100 more holiday beers in the subsequent chapter. I was astounded by the breadth of choices available for the season.

For those of us who love trying our own hand in the kitchen, Mr. Russell includes recipes for crafting your own holiday brews and cuisine a la biere. He explains styles, serving temperatures and the aging process as it applies to Christmas Specialty Beer. He also includes a section on places to purchase or taste these superb beers. I wondered why no one had written anything like it before. Even the late Beer Hunter Michael Jackson would have been impressed with this brilliant little gem. This promises to be a valued stocking stuffer long after the tree and lights are put away for the season.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Reviews but no recipes, September 23, 2009

By 

Still looking (englewood, co. USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews (Hardcover)

I purchased this book thinking it had the beer recipe as well as the review, it contains reviews only. Nice little book but not what I was looking for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book that could use a few more recipes, December 23, 2009

By 

J. Johnson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews (Hardcover)

Good book portraying many of the both traditional and non-traditional holiday beers from around the world. Could use a few more recipes for brewing clones or types of holiday beer. Overall, an enjoyable read for any beer enthusiast.