Today’s Advent beer pick is a classic from the oldest craft brewery in Texas, Saint Arnold Brewing Company: Saint Arnold Christmas Ale. Saint Arnold brews this beer in the style of an English old ale, which is fitting as December 19 is also the day that Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was published in 1843.

Not that there is much crossover from a beer from Texas and a ghost story from Victorian England, but to my mind this is an ideal style of beer to sip and pair with the Christmas classic. Of the beer, the brewery says:

A rich, copper colored, hearty ale perfect for the holiday season with a malty sweetness and spicy hop character. The generous use of five different malts is responsible for the full flavor and high alcohol level of this beer.

This was the first seasonal we made. There has long been a tradition amongst brewers for making a special beer for the holidays. We decided on an old ale. The definition of this style has changed over the years. When we use the term, we use the old definition which describes big, malty, rich beers as they brewed in the olden days (as in a couple of hundred years ago–those olden days). Thus the name. (Today this name often implies a big beer that has been aged.)

Christmas Ale is 7.5% alcohol by volume with 24 IBUs, and is recommended to pair with fruitcake, Christmas pudding, and squash bisque. I’m pretty sure it will pair well with most other holiday dishes as well.

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