Essentially, Christmas beer isn’t a style; it’s a tradition. Unlike pilsners or bocks, which have specific criteria, Christmas beer has no confines. Unless, of course, you refer to the guidelines from the Beer Judge Certification Program, which states its aroma should be “reminiscent of Christmas cookies,” appearance of amber to dark brown, and must taste “rich and malty.” The guidelines state “spices are required.” However, BJCP cites some brands as leading examples of Christmas beers that contain no spices. So now, how do we define Christmas beer? Simple — it’s a beer that was brewed as a gift. It may be any style, any flavor, any name if it was given and received as a gift. Gift giving is the most essential part of the holiday. The significance of gift giving is that it is an act of sharing, a mindful transaction between the giver and the recipient. No everyday beer will do because a gift is special. It must be brewed with better ingredients or spices or to greater strength or have a holiday theme. Therefore, Peaks & Pints presents a present to you — a in-house flight of holiday IPAs — the hoppiest of holiday beers. Most Christmas IPAs lean toward the malty side, but some ride the Christmas tree flavor — pine, spruce, or fir. Bundle up and stop by for Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Christmas IPAs.

Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Christmas IPAs

Narrows Griswold Hazy IPA

6.8% ABV, 45 IBU

Narrows Brewing holiday beer, Griswold Hazy IPA, is brewed with 2-Row and malted wheat. The Tacoma brewery decided to double dry hop with Citra and a touch of Strata at six pounds per barrel resulting in an aroma of orange, strawberry, and a little coconut for the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f—ing Kaye.

Varietal Jangle

7.4% ABV

Jangle Bells serves as an elf at the North Pole for Santa Claus’s operations in the Rankin/Bass animated special The Year Without a Santa Claus. Along with his buddy Jingle Bells, he is sent into the outside world by Mrs. Claus to see if there are any people out there who still believe in Santa Claus. Jangle discovered plenty of holiday spirit and belief at Varietal Beer in Sunnyside, Washington. In fact, Varietal became so fond to Jangle they named their retro-modern winter IPA after him. Jangle, the beer, is brewed with Chinook and Centennial hop flavors boosted with Columbus Cryo for a citrus-forward IPA with dank, resinous pine notes.

Gigantic The Cat Ate My Stash & Pissed On The Christmas Tree

7.5% ABV, 85 IBU

Ben Love and Van Havig had the pedigree when they opened Gigantic Brewing Wednesday May 9, 2012. Havig spent 16 years brewing at Portland’s Rock Bottom, and Ben Love held down posts at Pelican Brewing in Pacific City and Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland. Together, the two produce a year-round IPA and a wide variety of rotating seasonals, specialties, and one-offs, including The Cat Ate My Stash & Pissed On The Christmas Tree IPA. Inspired by the enigmatic John Mallett of Bell’s Brewery, this festive IPA is loaded with the dankest, sticky, drippy, and piney hops the Gigantic brewers could get their hands on.

Evil Twin Before, During, and After Christmas Beer

8% ABV

“The first batch made of (Before, During, and After Christmas Beer) was in fact 10% ABV. That batch was made last winter and only sold in Europe. I then changed the recipe to 8% to lighten it and make it easier to drink. That is what the beer will be from now on and the bottles in the US are the 8% version,” explains Evil Twin Brewing founder Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. A revamped edition of an original, this hazy, double dry-hopped double IPA has big juicy notes of tropical fruit and orange zest.

Fat Orange Cat Baby Elves

9% ABV

The holiday edition of Fat Orange Cat Brew’s Baby Kittens, Baby Elves is a big double IPA brewed with Galaxy, Citra, and Simcoe — just like Baby Kittens but with more hops. The Baby smells like orange and mango with a dankness and earth tones. On the tongue, expect rich, overripe, mango citrus balanced by sweetness and a sustained bitterness that adds to its complexity.

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