Favourite Christmas Ale Recipes

[Jabhead]

Hi all,

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us and as I have a brewday planned next weekend I was thinking I've just got enough time to get a winter warmer together for the holiday period.

Does anyone have any favourite recipes that they could recommend? It's not a style I've yet brewed and I know a lot of Christmas beers use spices in some form so would be good to do a tried and tested recipe first for fear of overdoing it.

[RobWalker]

one thing you might struggle with is rounding the spices off in time, I used to brew mine 6 months in advance for that reason...

a good way around is to steep the whole spices in directly rather than adding powdered. they take on a much more forgiving flavour in my experience.

avoid clove this late in the year....

[Ben711200]

I must be in a minority in wanting to brew light easy drinking things this time of year to 'cut through' the masses of rich food

[Clibit]

I must be in a minority in wanting to brew light easy drinking things this time of year to 'cut through' the masses of rich food

Makes a lot of sense! My dad used to drink Long Life light ale at Christmas! And Double Diamond. Many years ago. In fact he introduced me to brewing, prior to a gap of about 3 decades, we used to knock up kits together in the 70s. Which probably explains the 30 year hiatus!

My Stressful Arizona single malt mega IBU IPA should cut through the stodge this yuletide...