The Christmas beer is not a new phenomenon, rather it is deeply rooted in Danish history where for centuries people in the countryside brewed a particularly tasty beer around Christmas time which could match the rich food in which they indulged during the festive season. Over the years, this particular beer developed into the sweet Christmas brew which was - and still is - enjoyed with traditional rice pudding.

In 1905, Carlsberg Brewery launched a special, high alcohol content Easter Beer (Påskebryg) which saw the birth of the first strong seasonal beer in Denmark. The new beer became a success and several breweries followed their lead. In 1958, the now closed brewery Carlsminde introduced the first strong Christmas beer to Denmark. The beer had an alcohol content of 7.6 percent and in order to help customers more easily distinguish the new, strong beers from the traditional pilsners, the new beer was called "bryg" (brew) instead of "øl" (beer). A number of other Christmas beers have since entered the market; Tuborg's Christmas beer, also called the "Snow beer", is probably the most well-known. Its alcohol content is the same as the Danish "Gold" premium beer at 5.6 percent.

Whereas "seasonal beers" have become household drinks in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia, it is interestingly enough still an almost unknown phenomenon in the rest of the world. 

The Danish Christmas beer is usually brewed on large quantities of dark - often caramelised - malt and hops, and often English liquorice is added to the brew. The dark colour, the powerful taste and not least the high alcohol content that characterize the Danish Christmas beers are achieved by adding extra large quantities of the individual raw materials. Another distinctive feature of the Danish seasonal beers is the often very colourful beer label which in a creative way tries to illustrate the relevant season.

The annual Christmas beer launch day is also known as "J-day". It always takes place on the first Friday of November and the official release happens at precisely 20.59 when many pubs and bars across the country make a special event out of the launch. Previously, "J-day" was held the second Wednesday of November, but a number of business schools asked for it to be changed since many young people failed to turn up for school the day following the launch of the brew.