A big, dark winter seasonal, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is one of my favorite holiday beers, whether it’s on draft or fresh from the bottle.

But this year, it’s available in four-pack cans, too. And while some traditionalists have lamented the updated packaging — even calling it “sad” and “undignified” — I’m in favor of a format that helps preserve the quality of the product, and makes it easier to store.

So Happy Holidays, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (in cans) is this week’s Beer Pick.

Beer Pick

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Brewery St. Bernard, Watou, Belgium

Available on draft, in 750 ml bottles, and four-packs of 11.2-ounce cans

Profile

Described as “an intensely dark beer with a full, yet slightly fruity flavor,” St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a strong 9.8% seasonal produced in the classic quadrupel style of Belgium’s abbey and Trappist breweries. Get into the holiday spirit with the signature aroma of the brewery’s house yeast strain, which conjures the famous St. Bernardus Abt 12, and gives way to a winter-warming alcohol presence, with notes of chocolate and candy sugar.

Pair with

Brewery St. Bernard recommends pairing its Christmas Ale with “a wide variety of desserts, and especially those made with chocolate.”

Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter

Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta's Truist Park, site of the 2025 MLB All-Star game on July 15, debuted eight concessions this year at Outfield Market, the stadium's open-air food hall on the right field concourse. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Featured

Scott Jackson (right), business service consultant for WorkSource Fulton, helps job seekers with their applications in a mobile career center at a job fair hosted by Goodwill Career Center in Atlanta. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC