Toy Soldier Christmas Lager

Review Date 12/30/2025 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Spiced   Brewery: Jack's Abby   Country: USA   State: Massachusetts   $ Per OZ: $.20 (B)   ABV: 7.8%

For me, beer and music are inextricably linked, at least most of the time. I can often be found enjoying a few beers in my office while streaming music over my two Amazon Echo Studio speakers, complete with subwoofer. In warmer weather, I might be out on the patio, again listening to music over my Bose Bluetooth speakers.

Now that I have started with that theme, it may seem strange to you, dear reader, that I did not listen to music while enjoying a can of Jack’s Abby Toy Soldier Christmas Lager. Rather, the beer was my opening beverage for the New England Patriots game against the New York Jets on December 28^th of 2025. What Toy Soldier did inspire, though, was a memory of the 1989 song Toy Soldiers by Martika which I had not heard for quite some time but now cannot get out of my head.

Be that as it may, it’s the beer you want to hear about, and I can assure you it did not disappoint.

Jack’s Abby says:

Indulge in holiday cheer with ‘Toy Soldier,’ a Christmas Lager crafted in the spirit of a Grand Cru. This festive lager features the warming embrace of honey and rye, harmoniously spiced with orange zest, ginger and nutmeg. Raise a stein to the season and let ‘Toy Soldier’ march your taste buds into celebration!

Jack’s Abby Toy Soldier Christmas Lager has an alcohol content of 7.8% by volume and I paid $5.49 for a pint single from Half Time and Total Wine sells it for $12.99 a 4-pack in Norwalk, Connecticut. My can is stamped 0/17/25 on the bottom. I am assuming that should have been a 10.

Jack’s Abby Toy Soldier Christmas Lager pours to a bright reddish color with a thick fizzy short-lived head and a nose of bright citrus and spice. Taking a sip the beer is medium in body with crisp malt and tart orange fruit. It quickly pops with a hint of spicy rye malt, pungent ginger and a dry spicy nutmeg finish. There’s bitter orange peel at the last as well. The honey adds richness, but I do not really get a lot of flavor from it. It seems occluded by all the other things going on.

Jack’s Abby calls this a lager inspired by a Grand Cru, and while that style is spiced as this beer is, it also usually gets a lot of character from the yeast. This is not going to happen in a lager. I will call this a spiced beer, because that is what I get most of. You could call it a Roggen and not be wrong. However you peg it, though, I do hope it comes back next year, because I for one would love to drink it again. Maybe while listening to The March of the Toys or The March of the Wooden Soldiers by John Williams or Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops next time. No offense, Martika. We will fit you in again as well.