Think of your beer fridge this season as a lively holiday party or a well-stocked closet of stylish sweaters: There’s enough variety and distinction to suit every sensibility, starting on the official first day of winter and coasting into the months ahead.
There are utterly delicious beer options aplenty out there, from warming, roasted stouts finished in whiskey barrels to more easy-drinking Amber lagers and a range of hazy IPAs designed to cut through savory winter meats and cheeses with bright hop character. Special-edition four-packs can co-exist in delicious fashion alongside Imperial stouts and the most covetable seasonal releases.
Whether you stock your cooler this week or opt to save the good stuff for the post-holiday rush, the best winter microbrews of 2025 are ready to savor right now.
Allagash North Sky Stout
Allagash is perhaps best-known for its category-changing, era-defining Allagash White, and that same sense of flavor and layered complexity courses through its North Sky Stout. With cues nodding toward traditional Belgian stouts, this stout is surprisingly light and dangerously drinkable. $13.99/4-pack of 16oz. cans
Eckhart Beer Co. Czech-Style Amber Lager
The latest addition to Brooklyn’s buzzing craft beer scene is one of the strongest brewery debuts in recent memory, in large part a result of its focus on old-world European-style lagering techniques. For the brisk winter months, an amber lager with Czech malt character and backbone should prove a welcome addition to your beer fridge.Price Varies/4-pack
Sierra Nevada Celebration 2025
The glorious thing about sipping Sierra Nevada Celebration is that it meets the moment of the season perfectly: That’s by design, as its fresh-hop brewing process packs delightful, welcome and memorable flavor with each can cracked open. Take heed, because this could become the most popular beer at your next winter or holiday shindig. $10.99/6-pack
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack 2025
Fans have been clamoring for the return of Wookey Jack, the Black Rye IPA produced sporadically in small batches in recent years by the famed California brewery. Its return is a wonder in your beer glass, featuring plenty of malted black rye flavor cut through with dank hops like Amarillo and Citra. It’s a remarkably drinkable beer given its 8.3 percent ABV, so sip with care this season, savoring each one all the while. $10.49/6-pack
Threes Brewing Familiar Distance Imperial Stout
The coast of California might seem an unlikely source to find a partner well-suited to collaborate on a heady Imperial Stout, but this Threes Brewing collaboration with Orange County’s Everywhere Brewing Co. says differently. Brewed with no less than 200 pounds of toasted coconut, this beer uses Amburana wood, complete with plenty of spiced characteristics, to condition this richly crafted Imperial Stout. $24/4-pack
Brooklyn Brewery x Four Roses ‘Black Ops’ 2025
Under the watchful eye of acclaimed Brewmaster Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery has turned into a brewery for all seasons, as you’d be hard-pressed not to find everyday staples like Brooklyn Lager in just about any bar worth its salt. Its Black Ops release harnesses roasted stout notes and brewery innovation, fusing that beer with an utterly pleasing and delicious Four Roses barrel-aged finish. This year’s release carries on a partnership dating back to 2019, and ought to perfectly complement a chocolate-forward winter dessert. $17.49/4-pack
Bell’s Christmas Ale 2025
No one does seasonal beer releases quite like Bell’s: The brewery’s citrus-forward Oberon welcomes spring with a refreshing buzz, and offerings like Hopslam and variations of its famed Two Hearted IPA are perfectly crafted for the crisp climes of fall. Its Christmas Ale, with Scotch ale roots complemented by caramel notes and a lingering finish, is a booze-forward sipper primed for enjoyment around a roaring fire. $13.99/6-pack
Falls City Hazy Hipster 2025
Once the preeminent beer in the hard-working town of Louisville, Falls City has undergone a rough-and-tumble journey over the years: They once tried to brew a beer to gain the approval of President Jimmy Carter’s beer-drinking brother, Billy. Now though, the company has been reinvigorated, providing a hops-forward way to cut through a dram of bourbon in Kentucky and beyond. This hazy IPA nails the hallmarks of the style for sudsy holiday sipping. $12.99/6-pack
Dogfish Head Covered In Nuggs 2025
Make some room in your fridge alongside other perennial Dogfish Head favorites, like the seriously hopped-up 60 or 90-Minute IPA. An even greater dose of the good stuff made its way into this seasonal brew featuring custom artwork. Notes of evergreen and citrus make for a brew that leans heavily on, rich, luscious flavor and aroma notes from the likes of Simcoe, Citra, Centennial and Amarillo varieties. $13.99/6-pack
Garage Beer Lime Beer
Not every holiday or winter beer sipping occasion calls for something ultra-boozy and hopped up. Leave it to former NFL star Jason Kelce, a man known for crushing a cold beer or two, to come out with an ultra-drinkable beer that adds a shot of citrus to your beer fridge rotation. The best part is, you can snag this refreshing, remarkably drinkable beer in easy-access 15-packs. $16.99/15-pack
Harpoon Winter Warmer 2025
Harpoon’s flagship IPA is a hardy complement to brisk New England nights, but its Winter Warmer 2025 edition offers an even richer sense of malty warmth, caramel flavor and a slight touch of booze. Call it a “beer jacket” in bottle or can form, complete with nutmeg and cinnamon for a brew Santa very well might enjoy on Christmas Eve. $12.49/6-pack