A Winter (Beer) Wonderland

Are you ready for winter beer? If you're like me, the answer is a resounding no. I mean, it’s still fall, right? But breweries tend to force our hands by releasing pumpkin ales in July and winter ales in October and we have to make with what’s due, unfortunately. But hey, it’s still craft beer and as soon as you crack open one of these hearty ales... there will be no more complaints.

While winter beer is usually known to be malty, sweeter, and on the heavy side, there still is a lot of variety and different takes on the winter styles. On one side of the spectrum, Troeg’s Mad Elf, personifies lighter bodied, flavorful winter ales – the honey, cherry and Belgian yeast really add a huge complexity to it. Despite its lighter, spritzy mouth feel it will be sure to warm you up on a cold night. The other side of the spectrum you’ll find Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice Ale, which showcases a massive malty sweet backbone with a body full of winter spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Taking it a step further, Sierra Nevada offers up their Celebration Ale – which is easily one of the better IPAs on the market. There’s nothing “winter” about it – no spices, no excessive sweet maltiness – just a straight-up deliciously hoppy IPA. But you’ll find yourself looking for Celebration every year come November/December.

The amazing thing about winter beers is that they can be one of so many different beer styles – old ales, winter warmers, Belgian strong ales, Baltic porters, Dubbels, and even American IPAs in Sierra Nevada’s case. I personally find that great to see, where fall seasonals for example are almost always confined to Marzens, pumpkin ales, or amber ales. Variety is the spice of life and winter beers bring the variety. And regardless of what styles of winter beer you’re looking for, you’ll have plenty to choose from over the next month or so. Here are some of my top choices: but remember to act fast, they sell out very quickly.

Avery’s Old Jubilation
Avery just never fails to impress with any of their offerings. Their 8.3% ABV winter warmer offers flavors and aromas of nutmeg, mocha, ginger bread – and here’s the kicker – with no additional spices. Everything you taste and smell in this beer is from a blend of 5 different malts. Pairs perfectly with holiday dinner fare like roast duck or chicken - this is truly a work of art.

Brooklyn’s Winter Ale
Following the same technique as Avery – Garret Oliver perfected this brew using no extra spices. Considered to be a Scottish Ale, cool(er) fermentation really brings the malt bill to the forefront and shelves some of the fruitiness you’ll find in tradition Scottish Ales. At 6% ABV, this is a winter beer you can feel at home with drinking a few with family at the dinner table. The toasty caramel and bready malts pair perfectly with that hearty stew or soup you’ll find yourself with at times over these cold months.

Great Divide’s Hibernation Ale
This multiple award winning Old Ale is one of my favorite beers in general – not just winter beer. Great Divide is forced to cellar this monster for 3 months after bottling just to tame the flavors a bit. Patience is rewarded in this case, as the sweet malt and huge hop bill blend perfectly together in boozy harmony to create a beer that absolutely craves to be paired with artisan cheeses or dessert. This beer is the epitome of a massively complex but extremely easy-drinking – drink it too fast and you’ll find yourself riding some of Santa’s reindeer.