The holiday season and winter weather is upon us. If you are a beer aficionado, now is the time to consider to something more adapted to the dropping temperatures. Maybe something which warms you from the inside out. Belgian brewers have a long tradition of making stronger, darker and sweeter ales for drinking during the cold winter months. They are also often flavoured with spices and other seasonal ingredients such as ginger and cinnamon.
Fremont Brewing Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale and Winter Ales
Two for the price of one brewery! The Bonfire ale warms your belly with a dark mild hop recipe, while the Winter Ale (formerly known as Abominable Ale), a barrel-aged version of the brewery’s winter ale, is robust and rich, complimented with caramel and vanilla notes. Fremont is a northwest treasure
Deschutes Jubelale
A deep, dark winter ale with joyous imprints of toffee, cocoa and dried fruit, this seasonal pleases craft beer nerds and their unsuspecting families alike. Perfect for setting out on a big dining table for your big dining family.
Sierra Nevada Celebration
This Chico, CA brewery does things a little different when it comes to the winter season. Their holiday beer, first brewed in 1981 (everything from the 80’s is good, right?), is a hop-forward concoction with citrus and pine aromas stemming from the bright west coast hops the brewery is famous for utilizing.
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Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale
Anchor’s Christmas ale is spicy with a lovely malt spine. Anchor is know for capturing the mood and this ale is good for those 4pm sunsets.
Ninkasi Sleigh’r
One of the Pacific Northwest’s most popular holiday beers, this brewery (named after the Sumerian goddess of beer) produces a hopped winter beer that pairs well with duck and candied yams. You can practically hear the jingling bells of Santa’s ride shaking away as you sip.
Athletic Brewing Co. Lodge Life Non-alcoholic Ale
A stout-inspired campfire brew crafted with cinnamon, vanilla and cacao nibs. It has a smoked malt undertone and light hint of s’mores that make it deliciously decadent yet easy to drink. With roasty aromatics and a full-bodied pour, it’s reminiscent of nights by the fire with hearty brews in hand.
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Sam Adams Holiday White Ale
This is perfect when you want to slip a bit of classic holiday cheer. It is crisp and zesty, with holiday flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dusting of orange peel.
Maui Coconut Hiwa Porter
Nothing says the holidays quite like a beer brewed in Hawaii. For some, the holidays means traveling to warm weather destinations. For others it just means drinking beers from them. And Maui Brewing’s dark porter uses the ingredient the island may be most famous for: coconuts! So, replace the chestnuts roasting on an open fire with the gift from the thriving island’s palm trees.
Mele Kalikimake with the best ales to usher in the cold weather and the holidays!
