December 17 is the beginning of the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which likely influenced early European Christmas traditions. Though there’s no particular pagan theme in mind, today’s Advent beer pick is Boulevard Brewing’s classic Nutcracker Ale, a hearty Midwestern winter warmer.

Boulevard was founded in 1989 and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Nutcracker Ale dates to 1995 and is a seasonal favorite. The brewery says:

Nutcracker Ale is Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. This hearty, warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color, with hints of molasses balanced by the spiciness of Chinook hops.

At 7.8% ABV and 38 IBUs this malty and toasty addition to your holiday beer lineup. Cheers!

Find Boulevard Nutcracker Ale on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook

And for your enjoyment, here’s a video about the beer from a number of years ago, back when it was apparently a fresh hop ale (no, I didn’t know it was, either):

Top image credit: Boulevard’s Facebook page