Try one of these 12+ Beers of Christmas from Louisville's craft beer scene

Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal
·10 min read
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"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me" ... 12-plus seasonal craft beers from some of the Louisville area's top craft breweries.

Ok, that doesn't really rhyme, but this gift doesn't disappoint like the original song. (Who wants that many birds anyway?)

From holiday milk stouts to winter IPAs to ciders and everything in between, this year's 12+ Beers of Christmas list on Louisville's craft beer scene has something for everyone. Cheers!

3rd Turn Brewing

Seasonal beer: Polar Bear Fell On Me, ABV: 6.2%, Holiday Milk Stout that contains lactose

10408 Watterson Trail; 6300 Old Lagrange Road, 3rdturnbrewing.com. Hours vary by location

3rd Turn Brewing has released its winter beer called "Polar Bear Fell On Me,", a milk stout was made with Hershey's white chocolate and chocolate mint tea for a subtle mint note beneath a bed of white chocolate.
3rd Turn Brewing has released its winter beer called "Polar Bear Fell On Me,", a milk stout was made with Hershey's white chocolate and chocolate mint tea for a subtle mint note beneath a bed of white chocolate.

3rd Turn Brewing's 2022 version of Polar Bear Fell On Me is an update to its holiday milk stout and contains lactose. It's a nod to one of the team's favorite Patrick Swayze movies, "Roadhouse." Polar Bear Fell On Me is made with Hershey's white chocolate and chocolate mint tea for a subtle mint note beneath a bed of white chocolate.

This year, expect a healthy dose of roasted grain for a dark coffee layer to balance out the sweet chocolate notes in this brew. Layer up this winter, the head brewer says, and snuggle up to this polar bear.

Against the Grain

Seasonal beer: BLK PILS, ABV: 5.0%, Black Lager

401 E. Main St.; 1576 Bardstown Road, various retail outlets, atgbrewery.com. Hours vary by location. 

BLK Pils is the session winter beer we've all been waiting for. This smooth, medium-bodied lager was brewed using dark malts to provide a beautifully balanced bitterness that will make your taste buds go bump in the night. It's brewed by Against the Grain
BLK Pils is the session winter beer we've all been waiting for. This smooth, medium-bodied lager was brewed using dark malts to provide a beautifully balanced bitterness that will make your taste buds go bump in the night. It's brewed by Against the Grain

BLK Pils is the session winter beer we've all been waiting for. This smooth, medium-bodied lager was brewed using dark malts to provide a beautifully balanced bitterness that will make your taste buds go bump in the night. Against the Grain brewmaster, Jerry Gnagy, was so committed to making this beer as dark as it is crushable, that it was brewed "by blindfolded brewers with the lights off for absolute darkness from our brewery to your glass," the team told the Courier Journal.

BLK PILS is a refreshing alternative to heavy imperial stouts that "will most likely put you to sleep and/or the overly sweet, adjunct-rich holiday creations that will give you diabetes," said AGT's Jesse Valenciana. At 5.0% ABV, BLK PILS is approachable and enjoyable enough that "you'll be crushing and sharing these with family all holiday long," they added.

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Apocalypse Brew Works

Seasonal beer: Lou-Who Cider, ABV: 4.8%, semi-sweet cider with cranberry, orange and fresh ginger

1612 Mellwood Ave., apocalypsebrewworks.com Hours: Monday 4-7 p.m., Thursday 4-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4-10 p.m., and Sunday 2-7 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Louisville's Apocalypse Brew Works has released 'Lou-Who Cider," 4.8% semi-sweet cider with cranberry, orange and fresh ginger.
Louisville's Apocalypse Brew Works has released 'Lou-Who Cider," 4.8% semi-sweet cider with cranberry, orange and fresh ginger.

The Lou-Who Cider holiday seasonal brew from Apocalypse Brew Works is a 4.8% semi-sweet cider with cranberry, orange, and fresh ginger. The orange is for sweetness and citrus, cranberry for tartness, and ginger for a bit of spice for the holidays. It's the perfect beverage for Cindy-Lou Who when she grows up to share with the Grinch and put a smile on his face, says brewmaster Leah Dienes.

It's on tap at the brewery's Fallout Shelter taproom starting Dec. 12 and it will be available in pints and crowlers.

Atrium Brewing

Seasonal beer: Yuletide Joy, ABV: 6%, a Blonde Stout featuring cacao nibs, coffee and Christmas spices

1154 Logan St., atriumbrewing.com. Hours: open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day

Atrium Brewing is serving up Yuletide Joy, 6% ABV Blonde Stout, for the 2022 holiday season.
Atrium Brewing is serving up Yuletide Joy, 6% ABV Blonde Stout, for the 2022 holiday season.

Atrium Brewing is again serving up Yuletide Joy, 6% ABV Blonde Stout, for the 2022 holiday season. Indulge in some Yuletide Joy this holiday season at Atrium Brewing with its Blonde Stout featuring cacao nibs, coffee and Christmas spices.

“My favorite uncle Max was a sailor, so the only time I got to see him as a kid was when he came home for Christmas. He would dress as Santa and hand out beers to all the adults," Head Brewer Spencer Guy told the Courier Journal. "With this Blonde Stout, I wanted to recreate the magic I felt when he returned from sea. I really want everyone to drink this and truly feel Yuletide Joy.”

Yuletide Joy will be available on draft and in 16-ounce four-packs in the taproom.

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Gravely Brewing Co.

Seasonal beer: Holiday road, ABV: 6.3%, seasonal lager; That Cherry Bomb, ABV: 5.1%, cherry stout

514 Baxter Ave., gravely.com. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m., Friday, 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, 12 p.m. to midnight, Sunday, 1-9 p.m.

Holiday Road from Gravely Brewing Co. is brewed in a manner consistent with the a German Weihnactsbier (Christmas Beer).
Holiday Road from Gravely Brewing Co. is brewed in a manner consistent with the a German Weihnactsbier (Christmas Beer).

Gravely Brewing Co. is launching two craft beers just in time for the holidays. First up is Holiday Road, a fresh take on our annual Holiday Lager. It's brewed in a manner consistent with the German Weihnactsbier (Christmas Beer). Since the style is German in origin, it's different than a lot of other craft "Christmas Beers" that are spiced ales, says Nathaniel Gravely.

"Ours is a clean, crisp, cold-fermented lager that's subtly spiced with the festive flavors of ginger and pear. It's full of flavor while remaining light enough to enjoy a few," he said.

It's named after a great song by Lindsey Buckingham called "Holiday Road" with "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" origins, he added.

Second is a Cherry Stout called "That Cherry Bomb" that's a fan favorite, scratching the itch of the dark and roasty Stout seekers but flavored with the semi-tart sweetness of cherries, Gravely said. "It's a dynamite blend and one we only release in the winter to get us to the warmer months."

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Falls City Beer

Seasonal beer: St. Nicholas Day Barrel-Aged Barley Wine, ABV: 12.2%, Barrel-Aged Barleywine

Falls City Taproom, 901 E. Liberty St., fallscitybeer.com. Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 4-10 p.m., Thursday, 12-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 12-11 p.m., and Sunday 1-8 p.m.

Falls City Beer is launching is seasonal St. Nicholas Day Barrel-Aged Barley Wine in December 2022. It has an ABV of 12.2%.
Falls City Beer is launching is seasonal St. Nicholas Day Barrel-Aged Barley Wine in December 2022. It has an ABV of 12.2%.

For the past four years, Falls City Beer has celebrated Saint Nicholas Day by brewing a special beer and releasing it on the special day with unique boot-shaped glassware. This year, the Falls City Brewing 2022 St. Nicholas Day Beer is a barrel-aged barleywine.

With caramel notes, a dark fruit character, light oak, and honey sweetness, the 2022 St. Nicholas Day beer will knock your stockings off, said sales manager Greg Nichol.

It also "pairs amazingly well with the quintessential 1945 Bing Crosby album ‘Merry Christmas,'" he added.

St. Nicholas 2022 will be available in the taproom in four-pack 12-ounce cans and on draft beginning Dec. 10.

Gallant Fox 

Seasonal beer: "Sh*tter's Full Christmas Ale," ABV: 7.5%, Seasonal Ale

2132 Frankfort Ave., gallantfoxbrewing.com. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 3-11 p.m., Sunday 1-7 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Gallant Fox's Sh*tter's Full Christmas Ale is brewed with enough Sweet Orange, Honey, Ginger and Cinnamon to smack you in the face with holiday cheer.
Gallant Fox's Sh*tter's Full Christmas Ale is brewed with enough Sweet Orange, Honey, Ginger and Cinnamon to smack you in the face with holiday cheer.

This Christmas Ale is brewed with honey, ginger, cinnamon and sweet orange. Essentially, "it's a holiday in a glass," said co-founder and brewer Roger Huff. This beer takes its name from the holiday classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

"So jump in your RV and head down to Gallant Fox brewing for the hap-hap-happiest Christmas brew of all time," Huff added. It's available in the taproom and in cans. Also, keep an eye out around the city as many local bars and restaurants will have it on tap, as well.

"Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here.. and the only real cure is Louisville's most famous Christmas Ale," said co-owner and brewer Patrick Workman.

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GoodWood

Seasonal beer: Shoot Your Eye Out. ABV: 6.9%. Chocolate milk stout 

636 E. Main St., goodwoodbrewing.com. Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m., Friday- Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Shoot Your Eye Out, inspired by "A Christmas Story," is aged on cocoa nibs. This rich holiday stout has lactose added for a silky mouthfeel and a sweet finish. It's brewed by Goodwood.
Shoot Your Eye Out, inspired by "A Christmas Story," is aged on cocoa nibs. This rich holiday stout has lactose added for a silky mouthfeel and a sweet finish. It's brewed by Goodwood.

Shoot Your Eye Out, inspired by "A Christmas Story," is aged on cocoa nibs. This rich holiday stout has lactose added for a silky mouthfeel and a sweet finish.

"This beer perfectly pairs with family and friends gathered around a fireplace. Just be careful or you'll shoot your eye out," brewer and COO of Brewing and Bourbon Quinton Nolan told the Courier Journal.

Hi-Wire Brewing Co.

Seasonal beer: Elated Winter IPA, ABV: 6.2%; Indian Pale Ale

642 Baxter Ave., hiwirebrewing.com. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 12 p.m. to midnight, Sunday, 12-9 p.m.

The Elated Winter IPA (6.2% ABV) by Hi-Wire Brewing provides a balanced and hoppy ale perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire or getting outside on a brisk day.
The Elated Winter IPA (6.2% ABV) by Hi-Wire Brewing provides a balanced and hoppy ale perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire or getting outside on a brisk day.

As the winter chill creeps in, Hi-Wire Brewing's seasonal Elated Winter IPA provides a balanced and hoppy ale perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire or getting outside on a brisk day. Celebrate the holiday season with an India Pale Ale with pine and citrus peel notes from Michigan Chinook & Idaho 7 hops balanced by sticky caramel and toasted bread flavors from a carefully crafted malt bill.

"It’s like that feeling you get when you see the first snowfall of the year, when you sit down to dinner with your whole family, when you land that first ski jump – elated," said Javier Bolea, Hi-Wire's creative director. "Our Elated Winter IPA is the embodiment of the season and all the good feels that come with it."

Bolea said if you bring a six-pack to a party, be prepared to share. "This is an IPA that's made to be shared with friends and family. So sip it slowly as you reflect upon the year that was. It's our favorite fire pit reflection ale."

Find Elated Winter IPA through December in six-packs of 16-ounce cans at shops and tap houses across Kentucky, plus get Elated on draft and in package at Hi-Wire Brewing Louisville.

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Mile Wide Beer Co.

Seasonal Beer: A Major Award, ABV: 7.5%, Holiday IPA

636 Barret Ave., milewidebeer.com. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m., Friday, 2-11 p.m., Saturday, 12-11 p.m., Sunday 12-8 p.m. Closed Monday.

A Major Award at Mile Wide Beer Co. in Louisville is a “Midwestern" IPA perfect for a cold winter's night. Brewed exclusively with Chinook hops, it is full of piney, resiny goodness that recalls a simpler time.
A Major Award at Mile Wide Beer Co. in Louisville is a “Midwestern" IPA perfect for a cold winter's night. Brewed exclusively with Chinook hops, it is full of piney, resiny goodness that recalls a simpler time.

A Major Award is a Holiday IPA, inspired by the classic movie "A Christmas Story." A malty, robust “Midwestern" IPA, A Major Award is perfect for a cold winter's night. Brewed exclusively with Chinook hops, it is full of piney, resiny goodness that recalls a simpler time.

“For A Major Award, we wanted to brew a beer that had all of the flavors and aromas of the holiday season, without using any actual spices or adjuncts," said co-founder Scott Shreffler.

The beer is available to go at the Mile Wide Taproom at 636 Barret Ave., as well as at various liquor retailers throughout the state.

Monnik Beer Company

Seasonal beer: Ma’amoul, ABV: 6.0%; dark farmhouse ale

1036 E. Burnett Ave., monnikbeer.com. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This year, Monnik Beer Company is treating customers to Ma’amoul, a dark farmhouse ale. It's inspired by a Turkish holiday cookie of the same name.
This year, Monnik Beer Company is treating customers to Ma’amoul, a dark farmhouse ale. It's inspired by a Turkish holiday cookie of the same name.

This year, Monnik Beer Company is treating customers to Ma’amoul, a dark farmhouse ale. It's inspired by a Turkish holiday cookie of the same name. This ale is conditioned on dates and spiced with a small amount of cinnamon and star anise to make it a perfect beer for the holidays.

New Albanian Brewing Company

Seasonal beer: Naughty Claus, ABV: 8.0%, Spiced Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale

3312 Plaza Drive, New Albany, newalbanian.com. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Sunday

Naughty Claus has been brewed at The New Albanian Brewing Company since 2009 and continues to be a seasonal favorite.
Naughty Claus has been brewed at The New Albanian Brewing Company since 2009 and continues to be a seasonal favorite.

Naughty Claus has been brewed at The New Albanian Brewing Company since 2009 and continues to be a seasonal favorite.

To create this indulgent, high-abv ale, the team adds honey to toasted and caramel barley malts which are then spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and Seville orange peels. The result is a deep-red beer with a flavor that evokes the smells and tastes of Christmas. It's also fermented with Belgian yeast, which imparts a mild fruitiness on the nose plus a slightly spicy finish that further adds to the complexity, says Elizabeth Minton, head brewer at New Albanian.

It's available at the Pizzeria & Public House in New Albany on draft and in growlers.

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Ten20 Brewery

Seasonal beer: The Machine, ABV: 10.4%, a Russian Imperial Stout

1020 E. Washington Street (Butchertown), 11505 Park Road (Anchorage), and 2200 Bardstown Road (Highlands); ten20brewery.com; hours vary by location.

The Machine is an ode to the vibrant manufacturing community in the Butchertown neighborhood, where the TEN20 flagship brewery and taproom are located. It's an enormous, full-bodied Russian Imperial Stout that is roasty and robust with tarry and oily notes.
The Machine is an ode to the vibrant manufacturing community in the Butchertown neighborhood, where the TEN20 flagship brewery and taproom are located. It's an enormous, full-bodied Russian Imperial Stout that is roasty and robust with tarry and oily notes.

The Machine is an ode to the vibrant manufacturing community in the Butchertown neighborhood, where the TEN20 flagship brewery and taproom are located. It's an enormous, full-bodied Russian Imperial Stout that is roasty and robust with tarry and oily notes. Expect it to be firmly bitter with aromas of coffee, and a citrus-forward American hop aroma.

"This rich, malty, hop-laced, alcohol-laden Stout is a roasty elixir with a robust palate. It has a fruity nose and a warming finish. It is an unfiltered black beer that is very complex and very full-bodied. It features an intense oily, tarry note that is the hallmark of the style. To balance the ample amounts of rich malt needed to attain such high alcohol levels we have used a ton of bittering hops as well as plenty of citrusy American aroma hops. This beer isn't filtered, still contains live yeast, and will continue to improve with age," said Robert 'Berto' Freeman, brewer at TEN20.

The beer is available on draft and to go at all TEN20 locations throughout the holiday season.

Reach Features Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 12 Beers of Christmas from Louisville craft breweries 2022