Finland’s national author Aleksis Kivi describes splendidly the Christmas Beer in his book Seven Brothers in 1870:
”The beer they had brewed themselves, carefully recollecting their mother’s methods of preparing the beverage. They had brewed it stronger, however, than ordinary peasant ale. Dark red it foamed in the pail; and wert thou to swallow a can of it, thou wouldst not fail to feel a slight dizziness in thy brain.” (Kivi, Aleksis: Seven brothers. New York: Coward-McCann,1929, p. 141)
Olutseura Olviretki has awarded Christmas beer certificates since 2002 to beers sold in Finland that meet the Christmas beer regulation. See: Seitsemän veljeksen jouluolutreglementti
The certificate to Harvey’s Christmas Ale in 2003. It was in John Harvey Tavern (Barry Taylor). It has been on the labels since 2014, and it has been mentioned in many reviews, such as:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/who-still-drinks-christmas-ales.543327
The Sun, September 2019:
”5. Best festive winter beer
This festive ale from Harvey’s is a Christmas favourite that captures the taste and aroma of everyone’s favourite fruitcake in a bottle.
Among its many accolades, this is our favourite: it’s the recipient of Finland’s Olutseura Olviretki award for ’excellently fulfilling The Christmas Beer Regulation’ described in Aleksis Kivi’s 1870 novel Seven Brothers, which states:
’The beer they had brewed themselves, carefully recollecting their mother’s methods of preparing the beverage’.
They had brewed it stronger, however, than ordinary peasant ale. Dark red it foamed in the pail; and if you were to swallow a mug of it, you would not fail to feel a slight dizziness in your brain.’ Sounds about right.”
The sertificate is mentioned in Harvey’s Brewery Product Guide 2020, p 16. and on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter and in The Advent Beer Calendar 2020 of The Brew Site.
Christmas Ale 50 years in December 2022: The certificate on Harvey’s home page, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Will Hawkes on the history of Christmas beers (2024)
12-beers-of-christmas-2024-5-harveys-christmas-ale
Christmas beer regulations in other languages:
A karácsonyi sör szabályzata a Hét testvér-ből 🇭🇺
De sju brödernas julölsreglemente 🇸🇪
De sju brødres juleølsreglane 🇳🇴
De syv brødres juleølsreglement 🇩🇰
Die Weihnachtsbierverordnung der sieben Brüder 🇩🇪
Het Kerstbierreglement van de Zeven Broers 🇳🇱
Jólabjórreglugerð sjö bræðra 🇮🇸
La definizione della birra natalizia dei sette fratelli 🇮🇹
La kristnaska bieroregularo de la Sep Fratoj (esperanto)
O regulamento da cerveja de Natal dos Sete Irmãos 🇵🇹
Le Règlement de la Bière de Noël des Sept Frères 🇫🇷
El reglamento de la cerveza de Navidad de los siete hermanos 🇪🇸
Regulae cerevisiae natalicia Septem Fratrum (lingva latina)
Regulacja piwa bożonarodzeniowego siedmiu braci 🇵🇱
Seitsemän veljeksen jouluolutreglementti🇫🇮
Seitsme venna jõuluolureglement 🇪🇪
Septiņu brāļu Ziemassvētku alus reglaments🇱🇻
Septynių brolių kalėdinio alaus reglamentas 🇱🇹
Vánocní narízení sedmi bratrí 🇨🇿
Vianočný pivný reglement Siedmich bratov 🇸🇰
See also: https://olviretki.com/beer-related-quotations-of-aleksis-kivi/