Tonight is Krampus Night, which in central European folklore celebrates Krampus, the companion of St. Nicholas who punished children who misbehave. Krampusnacht occurs on the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6, during which Krampus appears on the street to dispense coal and bundles of birch branches. As a nod to the tradition of a mischievous companion to St. Nick, today’s Advent pick is Merry Monkey from Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing Company.

Merry Monkey joins the other Belgian-styled beers in Victory’s “Monkey Bunch” which started with Golden Monkey, a Belgian-styled Tripel. It’s a specially spiced Belgian-style ale, and on Facebook Victory wrote, “His warm and magnetic energy makes him the center of every gathering as loved ones cozy up by the fire to hear of his latest adventures. Gather ‘round and let Merry Monkey light up your holidays with this special, limited time release.”

Laurence Cormier, the brand manager for the brewery, shared this tidbit about the beer: “Merry Monkey is an infinitely drinkable 10% Belgian-style Ale with cranberry puree, orange peel, nutmeg and cinnamon, perfect for the holidays.”

This is a big beer, with 10% ABV and 35 IBUs to perhaps inspire a little mischief on this Krampus Night.

Find Victory Brewing Merry Monkey on:

• Victory’s Beer Finder
• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook

Image credits: Top image, Facebook; other, website