An Expert’s Guide to the 5 Best Beers to Enjoy All Winter Long
The right beer will warm you up and make you appreciate the chill in the air
While beer feels like a perfectly refreshing choice on the hottest days of summer, and perhaps you associate beer with the fall and Octoberfest, the truth is, beer is a great choice in the winter as well. In fact, there are seasonal winter beers you should seek out and with temperatures falling, there’s no better time to check out the best beers for winter. The right beer will warm you up and make you appreciate the chill in the air.
What makes a beer “winter”? Well, while most winter seasonals lean in on darker beer styles and higher alcohol, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. There are a lot of new styles being explored (hello Cold IPA!) to barrel aged options to Belgians. Winter is a great time to try some new beers while you watch the snow pile up. As always, my philosophy is drink what you want and drink what you gravitate towards. Whatever that beer may be, it is the right decision.
Deep Wood series beers by Revolution Brewing
Chicago based Revolution churns out their Deep Wood series starting in the summer in four pack 12 oz cans and finishes the releases in January. These barrel-aged beauties are complex, high ABV and are unique without being too much of a good thing. If you live in the midwest, these are worth seeking out. The Straight Jacket barleywine (15% ABV) is a caramel bomb while the “deth by'' series highlights additions to their popular Deth’s Tar BA imperial stout. This year was currants!
It’s back! The Firestone Walker 8.3% ABV black IPA was pulled as the beer style’s reign faltered in the mid 2010’s but demand was strong, so they brought it back to much cheer and rejoicing. Bready rye meets roasty cocoa meets aggressive pine and grapefruit. It’s great to see black IPA’s back on shelves.
Do we need more IPAs? The answer is always yes. Hershey, PA based Troegs brews a “winter IPA” that’s 6.4% ABV with a flurry of American and Australian hop varieties. A great break from the thick winter options and a good “snow chore” beer. We shovel our sidewalks for our neighbors and this would be a good beer to accompany that activity.
Released on Black Friday, the variants usually fly off the shelves but the traditional straight bourbon barrel aged imperial stout batch is usually easy to procure even in the New Year. Oil thick, 14.3% ABV and decadent, the 500mL bottles are great to share and are perfect after dinner.
Christmas Ale—Your choice!
Yes, it’s okay to drink Christmas beers in January - There are a LOT of Christmas beers and most are hearty, dark or Belgian options that age really well. Beers like St. Bernardus Christmas, De Dolle Stille Nacht, Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale or Bell’s Christmas Ale will taste great with a few months of age on them.