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Top 10 festive beers from UK breweries

By Sophia Moss

Are you sick of mulled wine? Take a break from traditional Christmas drinks with this list of the top 10 festive-themed beers, all brewed in the UK.

Beer may not be the first thing that crosses your mind when you’re looking for festive-themed drinks, but at this time of the year many breweries up and down the country are busy creating unique craft beers with a festive twist. Many of these brews will only be around for a limited amount of time, so you need to discover them whilst you can!

Those unfamiliar with craft beers, stout and ale may think that beer is just beer and any variation of a standard pint is pointless, but beer is a versatile and exciting drink which comes in many forms. Craft beer isn’t just strong, dark and bitter, there are tons of varieties of different strengths, hues and tastes just waiting to be discovered.

England has a huge brewing culture and this small country is packed full of small, medium and large breweries. Some have been going since the 1600’s and some are very new, but all have something unique to offer.

Whether you’re in the mood for rum infused hopps or a mulled spice stout you’re bound to find something that tickles your fancy (even if it’s just because of the outlandish name or wacky logo) so get yourself into the festive spirit by scrolling through these Christmas-themed beers.

Bah Humbug: Wychwood Brewery

Image: Wychwood Brewery

They may be best known for the popular Hobgoblin brew, but the Oxfordshire based Wychwood Brewery has more to offer. Their December only seasonal beer is Bah Humbug, the drink which acknowledges that Christmas can be annoying.

This festive beer with a twist is a great choice for anyone who just cannot listen to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ for the 80000th time. The Bah Humbug brew from Wychwood is one of the better known festive beers and you’ll probably stumble across it one night during a bar crawl, so why not embrace your inner Scrooge and warm your frosty heart with some fruity spiced ale?

Christmas in the Baltics: Zero Degrees Brewery

Image: Zero Degrees

Zero Degrees opened their first onsite brewery/pizza restaurant in Blackheath, South East London in 2000. Since then they’ve opened three new venues in Bristol, Reading and Cardiff and they’ve established a range of regular and speciality brews for all occasions. Zero Degrees currently has two speciality small batch beers which will only be available for a limited time.

If you fancy a vicarious trip to Eastern Europe this Christmas why not try to get your hands on Christmas in the Baltics? This festive brew is one of three Christmas-inspired beers created by the brewery/restaurant and it combines ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice in dark porter concoction which at 8.5% will leave you as merry as a drunk elf.

Christmas Crack: Humpty Dumpty Brewery

Christmas Crack Norfolk beer from the Humpty Dumpty Brewery! Would The Pub Landlord approve @ajhmurray? pic.twitter.com/IL8ucgNu

— Lee (@gypsyleeo) December 13, 2012

This micro brewery was founded back in 1998 in Norfolk. Over the past nineteen years it has created and supplied many unique beers and it runs a seasonal range which will only be available over the Christmas period.

Christmas chores getting you down? This 7% Christmas Crack dark brown ale will help you forget your Christmas woes and warm your heart with American-style hops.

Christmas Quackers: Fuzzy Duck Brewery

 

This eight barrel micro brewery began as a home business in 2006 which quickly established itself within the Lancashire region. Amongst their regular brews the Fuzzy Duck Brewery has created the Christmas Quackers brew just for Christmas time.

Love rum? Love beer? Why choose between them! The Christmas Quackers brew has a spicy taste, a fruit twist and a hint of rum to get you in the spirit of things.

Festive Star Christmas Mocha Porter: Northern Monk Brew Co.

Photos by: http://www.facebook.com/tomjoyphotography • Instagram/Twitter: @tomjoyphoto

This traditional brewery follows in the footsteps of ale brewing 7th Century monks to create a mixture of high quality traditional brews without shying away from modern innovation.

The Festive Star Christmas brew, which is described by the Northern Monk Brew Company as “mulled wine in beer form”, is a festive mixture of beer, coffee beans, nutmeg and cinnamon. When it’s a little too late for coffee but a bit too early to start on the beer why not compromise and combine the two with this 5.9% ABV Christmas in a can drink?

Twelfth Night: Abbey Ales

Image: Abbey Ales

Abbey Ales brought the art of brewing back to Bath when they opened their flagship store in 1997. Since then the brewery has expanded to include four permanent venues within the historic city, the ‘beer of the festival’ award in 2001, and numerous signature ales.

Their Christmas themed 5% ABV ale ‘Twelfth Night’ is described as ‘Christmas Pudding in a glass’ and is bound to warm your bones with some old fashioned malty goodness.

Festive Panther:  Panther Brewery

Image: Panther Brewery

This Norfolk based brewery has expended to supply ale outlets in Cambridge, Suffolk and London. Their seasonal beer, a 4.5% dark ale called ‘Festive Panther’,  is brewed with mulled spices for a beery alternative to mulled wine and cider.

Hook Norton: Twelve Days

Hook Norton is a Cotswold-based family run brewery which began its life in the 1850s. They run brewery tours, have their own steam engine, and sell a range of traditionally brewed beers.

Their award winning festive beer ‘Twelve Days’ combines chocolate malt and strong port flavours and is described by its creator James Clarke as ‘Liquid Christmas Pudding’. The rich dark body and frothy top may not be ideal for larger or pale ale lovers, but it’s a good choice for anyone who wants rich warming Christmas flavours and at 5.5% ABV it’ll have you feeling merry in no time.

Solstice: Three Tuns Brewery

The Three Tuns Brewery, which was first licenced way back in 1642, is brewed in a Victorian tower before being fermented in a medieval brew house, so you’ll be able to taste the history amongst the malt. This traditional brewery has a great range to choose from including their two festive editions. The Solstice brew is a light (3.9%), fruity straw coloured beer which is a great alternative to those of you who would like to escape the Christmas overload and take a moment to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

Frozen Deep: Cheddar Ales

Image: Cheddar Ales

This Winchester-based brewery opened in 2006 and is steadily growing as a micro brewery with a weekly capacity of 30,000 pints.

They have a range of unique ales including their 4.5% ABV seasonal addition ‘Frozen Deep’, a sweet pale ale infused with citrus fruits and available in gluten free varieties.

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