Beer Advent Day 24: Bad Santa Bürgerbräu

The best for Christmas Eve

Today is the last day of the Beer Advent. We are celebrating Christmas Eve with a special specialty. Let us surprise you and enjoy - in delightful small sips - Bad Santa Edition 2024. Merry Christmas.

Santa goes Gypsy Brewing

For six years, Bad Santa has been traveling from one brewery to another, always in search of a beer that will brighten up his Christmas Eve. This year, his journey took him to Baden-Württemberg. He found what he was looking for at the Ladenburg brewery. He brought us a pale wheat bock.

“Bad Santa” is a very special beer. Only those who have the original Kalea beer calendar can enjoy the strictly limited bottles. The Christmas beer is brewed by a different brewery every year. The beer style also varies from year to year.

Who brewed this year?

Bad Santa has chosen Bürgerbräu Bad Reichenhall.

Brewing has been going on at the site of today's Alpenbrauerei since 1494. This is proven by a documentary reference from that very year. However, it is not known what the brewery was called back then. What is certain is that August Böhm, a councillor of commerce and an ancestor of today's brewery, bought the “Gaßlbräu” in 1901 and turned it into the “Bürgerbräu Bad Reichenhall”. Today, his great-grandson Christoph Graschberger runs the business, while his son Markus is also part of the team and is responsible for sales management. 

A look at the product range shows that Bürgerbräu is not only a master brewer, but also has a knack for modernity. The “Alpenstoff” brand was introduced in 2005. With a modern, alpine design and its own website, the “beer of the mountains” - it is an export - is intended to appeal to mountain lovers and hikers. The trademark is the large edelweiss. 

Bad Santa 2024 - Dark Doppelbock 

Today, on Christmas Eve, we get a heavyweight in our glass. Please don't drink it too cold. The aromas of this wonderful doppelbock develop best at 10 to 12°C. Then we catch the scent of wonderfully intense caramel and roasted aromas. The first sip is strong, we perceive a pleasant sweetness and feel the warming fullness with every sip.  

Bad Santa - the limited Christmas beer

A special beer for a special evening - that's the idea behind “Bad Santa”. Illustrator Robert Rottensteiner designed the label with a twinkle in his eye. The Santa Claus on it is truly a “BAD SANTA”. His message is clear: “This year I'm not going on the arduous journey. I'll make myself comfortable at home and enjoy my good beer instead!”

BeerTasting wishes you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful and BEER-sensual celebration!

Chronology of Bad Santa

2016: Festive beer (Schnaitl brewery, Austria)
2017: Heller Bock (Hirschbräu, Germany)
2018: Dark wheat double bock (Ried brewery, Austria)
2019: Heller Weizenbock (Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei, Bavaria)
2020: Heller Bock (Flötzinger brewery, Bavaria)
2021: Dark bock (Schnitzelbaumer private brewery, Bavaria)
2022: India Pale Ale (Raschhofer brewery, Austria)
2023: Pale wheat bock (Ladenburger Brewery, Baden-Württemberg)
2024: Dark Doppelbock (Bürgerbräu Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria)