Yes, I admit it: I have actually watched it.

Watched what, you may ask?  Why, The Yule Log, of course!

There are few childhood holiday memories that stick out more in my beer-drenched memory than  that of the annual ritual before the television set every Christmas Eve.  At precisely nine o'clock in the evening, my mother and sister would fix themselves a glass of eggnog or wine and plump themselves down to watch the Yule Log on Channel 11, which broadcasts out of New York City .  Although it was never my first choice of programming, as a mere kid at the time I was pretty much a captive audience.  For the next two hours, our living room was treated to an assortment of Christmas carols while the phony fireplace in TV land burned brightly.  At first, I was actually naïve enough to believe that the presentation featured a real hearth burning live, until my brother Stuart astutely noticed that an identical         small flame would eject from the side of the fire at exact fifteen second intervals, thereby exposing the fireplace as nothing more than a taped loop.  Undaunted by that sobering revelation, my family would continue for many a year to sing and drink along with the looping log, until the show's eventual cancellation.  In recent years though, Channel 11 has become sentimental and has revived this sacred holiday tradition, no doubt in order to delight and enchant a whole new generation of die-hard Yule Log fans far across the land.  

Now in my middle-aged years, my childhood wonderment with the holiday season has admittedly given way to a certain degree of cynicism as I have watched with dismay at the insane rush of holiday shopping and commercial promotions.  However, rest assured that I have not quite yet devolved into a modern incarnation of Ebeneezer Scrooge.  There are still many methods available to capture the Yuletide spirit if one is willing to seek them out.  For me, one of the best ways to do this is through my yearly enjoyment of the wonderful brews that the season has to offer.  

Christmas beers pretty much run the gamut of styles and flavors; there are no hard-and-fast rules for what such brews are supposed to be, other than interesting and sometimes unique in character. They are typically higher in alcohol than conventional strength beers, although they are not always so.  As long as they  manage to evoke images of hearty cheer, peace on Earth and good will toward men, they have successfully accomplished their mission! 
One superb example of such a fermented holiday classic is the Corsendonk Christmas Ale brewed by Du Bocq of Belgium.  Corsendonk, the name brand of an excellent line of abbey-style ales, frequently feature on their beer bottles an etched picture of the Madonna and Child, giving their brews an almost religious imagery.  Once you've had the pleasure of trying their Christmas Ale it's easy to understand why.  Corsendonk's dark amber offering is beautifully rich and strong, with a profound bubblegum-like fruitiness balanced by a restrained hoppiness that is just enough to impart a touch of spiciness. I have even enjoyed this stellar ale on draught in the past and can attest that it is not to be missed, whether you are devoutly pious or just a wayward heathen looking for a heavenly taste experience!  

sb

If your tastes prefer a Christmas beer with a more secular theme, you might want to consider the heady Samichlaus beer of the Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg in Vorchdorf, Austria (formerly brewed by