The Jar of Destiny handed me a Winter Seasonal Beer in the 17th round. It’s 30C on the ol’ BJCP list. This style leans into cold weather, holiday flavors, and festive spice character.

In response, I wanted to brew something drinkable, balanced, and true to the season. Instead of guessing, I worked from a Harpoon Winter Warmer clone recipe.

My goal was simple: present spice without overwhelming the base beer. Here is my response to this JOD homebrewing challenge!

John’s Harpoon Winter Warmer Clone Recipe

Water:
SO4-2: 91 PPM
Cl- : 78 PPM

Grains:
9.5 pounds of Rahr American 2-Row Malt (4.3 Kg – 78% of grain bill)
2 pounds of Briess 90L Crystal Malt (0.9 Kg – 17% of grain bill)
8 ounces of Briess 20L Crystal Malt (226 g – 4% of grain bill)
2 ounces of Weyerman Carafa Type II Malt (56 g – 1% of grain bill)

Hops:
1 ounce (28g) of Saaz hops (6.5%AA) at 60 minutes to go in the boil

Spices:
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon (0.65 g)
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (0.3 g)

Yeast:
1 packet of Safbrew S-33 Ale Yeast

Instructions:
Mash the grains at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes.
Boil for 60 minutes, then cool, aerate, and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C) for 1 week. Chilled for a few days. Then, add cinnamon and nutmeg in a keg when racking. Carbonated to 2.5 volumes.

Statistics:
Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBUs: 29
SRM: 31°
ABV: 6.04%

How Did It Turn Out?

The finished beer poured a deep mahogany color with a rich aroma with cinnamon and nutmeg leading immediately, but not aggressively so. The aroma came across like holiday cookies or fresh gingerbread.

Flavor followed the same path with a strong malt backbone underneath. Crystal malts played a huge role in body and perceived sweetness. The spice balance worked perfectly without becoming cloying or sharp. Mike picked up ginger and even some vanilla-like impressions. We think those notes came from the malt structure enhancing familiar flavor memories. The yeast added a subtle fermentation character that supported the profile.

The result was a beer that felt festive, but still very drinkable. It avoided the common trap of being overly sweet or heavily spiced.

This batch proved that balance is everything in a winter seasonal beer. Small spice additions go a long way when paired correctly. In this recipe. crystal malts were essential for building body and flavor depth. The beer hit a sweet spot between holiday character and drinkability.

This is a style I usually avoid, but this version changed my mind. Next time, I would brew it earlier to have it ready for December and make it a gift for people.