You will need beer after long Christmas shopping excursions or during the present opening madness of the day itself, so here is a “Nice” list of seasonal winter warmers that you should have in the ‘fridge this holiday season…with a twist: these Christmas ales are all non-American.

Samuel Smith – Winter Welcome

This seasonal beer is a limited edition brewed for the short days and long nights of winter. The full body resulting from fermentation in “stone Yorkshire squares” and the luxurious malt character, which will appeal to a broad range of drinkers, is balanced against whole-dried Fuggle and Golding hops with nuances and complexities that should be contemplated before an open fire.

St. Bernardus – Christmas Ale
St.Bernardus and their Christmas Ale has been around a long while, brewed in the classic “Quadrupel” style of Belgian Abbey Ales this seasonal “offers a spicy, mint-like flavor profile exuding the tastes of warming alcohol, fermented molasses, apricots, licorice and marzipan that are highlighted by the perfect balance of brewing sugars.”

Evil Twin Brewing – Christmas Eve At A New York Hotel

Technically, Evil Twin is a gypsy brewer who brews in both the United States and Europe and yes the name references New York but this Imperial Stout has roots in the colder climes and will be perfect for the night before.

St. Feuillien – Cuvee de Noel

Another Belgian offering that goes the herbs and spices route and combines with caramelized malts to create a dark brown beer with “perfect balance.”

(I have to add one local to the list, this year’s batch of All Your Oats Winter IPA from Eagle Rock Brewery is just bursting with citrus and tropical notes and puts other Holiday IPA’s to shame. Buy a 4-pack today and drink it while the hops are fresh!)

The Beer of the Week is brought to you by the number 1,000. Angel City Brewery is celebrating their 1,000th batch of DTLA beer with the new Quadratic Formula. This Belgian Quadrupel was aged for five months and “has sweet notes of raisin, plum, molasses and stone fruits” and a dry finish of this darkly hued aromatic beer. Thanks in part to Dark Belgian candi syrup plus Belgian candi sugar. This 12% ABV beer will bring visions of sugar plums.

Saturday, December 10, Brewyard Beer Company of Glendale is celebrating one year of their distinctive hybrid vision of craft beer with a huge party at their under the overpass location just off of San Fernando Boulevard. They will be expanding outward to create an outdoor drinking patio, two food trucks will be on site and their special Cat’z Pajamaz beer will be on tap and on cask and in bottles with limited supply of a Bourbon barrel version.

Find more of Sean Inman’s writing on his blog, Beer Search Party.