There are a lot of products that stock shelves for each holiday, but none quite fill the shelves as when it’s time for the Christmas season. A lot of these items are definitely just a way to capitalize on the season, but who’s to say that these products might not be some of the best to be sold…especially when it comes to beer.

Holiday brews start to hit the shelves around mid-November, after the pumpkin ales are cleared off the shelves. Lining them in their place are heavier and richer brews that capture the holiday spirit that comes with late November to December.

These beers are reminiscent of the holidays since the flavor profiles capture the main tastes of the season, such as chocolate, cinnamon, and even winter fruits to other styles of beer such as porters, doppelbocks and stouts that are made for a quiet and cozy night by the fire with someone special.

For a long time, this season has been celebrated, starting with Scandinavian countries where they would brew stronger and heavier brews in order to prepare for a December festival, which celebrates the Norse God Jolner. The beers became known as Julöl. When the English began to do this, they called the brews Yule Ale.

Over the years there have been significant changes of course. Different fruits and spices have been added such as ginger and cranberries. With this said, there are some certain beers that should be on your list to try this year:

Great Lakes Christmas Ale:

This winter brew is warmer, rich in ginger, cinnamon, honey and clove. This rusty red amber is sure to satisfy and help to celebrate the season.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale:

This Belgian beer is sure to satisfy around the holidays but may be relatively hard to find. This rich beer is filled with chocolate and cherry flavors mingled with cinnamon, clove, gingerbread and molasses.

Anchor Christmas Ale:

This Christmas ale has been around since 1975, but each year, the formula is a little different. On the pour, it’s a deep ruby red, and reflects a creamy pinkish hue and releases wafts of prunes, brown sugar, and chocolate.