Superior Christmas Ale All Grain Recipe Kit

Superior Christmas Ale - Great Lakes Christmas Ale Clone

‘Tis the season for spiced holiday beers! Our Superior Christmas Ale beer recipe kit is a classic take on the style. Modeled after the quintessential Great Lakes Christmas Ale, it features ginger, cinnamon, and honey to create a malty beer with a warm spice foundation that finishes with a fairly dry ginger-heat snap. Superior Christmas Ale is a brilliantly red ale with layers of spice. Perfect for fireside sipping, festive holiday parties, or bringing winter comfort any time of year.

Watch our Superior Christmas Ale full brew day video and Pints with Pros interview with Great Lakes Brewing Company head brewer Mark Hunger for additional information on and tips for brewing this unique style of beer.

Brewing Notes:

• Style: Winter Seasonal Beer
• Fermentation Range: 60-72°F
• Original Gravity: 1.074
• SRM: 12
• IBU: 25
• ABV: 7.6%

Tasting Notes:

• Aroma: Sweet malt notes with a hint of earthy hops. Moderate aromas of balanced cinnamon and ginger.
• Appearance: Red in appearance with mahogany and ruby hues. Khaki foam head upon pouring, but dissipates quickly.
• Flavor: Moderate sweet malt quality with low to medium bitterness subsiding to gentle flavors of ginger and cinnamon.
• Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

Looking for the Extract Version?

Notes from Brad, Northern Brewer Head Brewer:

“Taking inspiration from a seasonal beer brewed near Lake Erie, I have had the pleasure to brew Superior Christmas Ale (get it? Superior is a great lake…) Additions of cinnamon sticks and ginger root paired with a dose of honey gives this beer its signature flavor. It starts out as a delicious Amber Ale and the additions of spices and honey turn it into a different beast altogether. This smooth, albeit strong ale is the makings of a fantastic evening around the firepit or just sipping with a delicious home-prepared hearty meal. Or, you could just sip on this one year-round as it is not overly spiced, and still serves as a great sipper month after month.

For brewing notes, I was a little suspicious about boiling the ginger and cinnamon for the entirety of the boil, but man, it worked. I was initially a bit anxious about how it would turn out and was worried that boiling for that long would extract unpleasant qualities out of the spices. Nope. All of that fear was merely an exercise of futility. Once the boil has concluded, gently stir in the honey and proceed as normal. The honey will provide gentle flavors to compliment the beer, and will also serve to raise the original gravity as well and help the beer to attenuate a bit more than it would without the fermentable bee-provided addition. I hope everyone has a Superior holiday season!”