On Estonia's largest island, Saaremaa, the tradition of brewing Christmas beer with water, yeast, hops, and malt is becoming less and less popular.

Putting your own homebrew on the Christmas table is a rarity these days, compared to the past, when beer was made in every country household, "Sunday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.  

This year, brewmaster Peeter Laum is making his Christmas beer the same way his ancestors did. He swears his technique has never failed or sent anyone rushing to the bathroom.

"I can say that maybe my success comes from the fact that my ancestors and grandparents brewed their beer in the same equipment. And I keep using it. Or maybe all the residue that has built up in those barrels over time gives the beer its proper flavor — who knows. I think they have been in use so long that what comes out of them won't let me down if I make the beer the way they did," Laum said.

His beer takes around four days to make and Peeter said it needs quiet, calm, and stable warmth during the fermentation process.

As for judging the quality of homebrew, two kinds of comments are often heard: "That's good beer," or "Eh, it'll do the job."

"Christmas beer was supposed to last until Candlemas in February. Well, it'll last — it'll last if you don't drink it all," Peeter joked.

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