Every winter, breweries put out their finest special releases to celebrate the season with winter beers and holiday ales. It’s a chance for them to make unique beers that take advantage of the cooler weather, crafting beers that are often stronger, darker or more complex than their usual fare.
In part, that’s to entice new customers who maybe haven’t tried their beer yet. But it’s also because those are the kinds of beers that taste best when the thermometer drops. Winter is when you want a beer that warms you from the inside, something loaded with flavor that’s not just a simple thirst-quencher. You want a beer you can sip by the fire and sit with in gratitude for the holidays, contemplating and reflecting on the past year and the new one that’s just beginning.
A number of Bay Area breweries make great winter beers, and many more are brought in from not only around the country but also overseas. Honestly, there’s a plethora of seasonal beers each year for the holidays, and you should have no problem finding something you’ll love. Here are a few of my favorites.
Now that Anchor Christmas Ale is in hibernation (though hopefully it will return next year — fingers crossed), probably the oldest modern American winter beer still being brewed is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, which made its debut in 1981. It’s one of the first IPAs in the craft era and is now considered a fresh hop ale. Using Cascade and Centennial hop varieties, it packs a hop punch of pine and citrus aromas and flavors.
While 21st Amendment Brewery has closed its doors, it did brew one batch of its Fireside Chat Winter Ale, a 7.9% ABV spiced ale that’s also brewed with cacao nibs. But you’d better hurry if you want to pick up some before it’s all gone.
Easily my favorite happy accident, Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga was originally created after a batch of beer went wrong and in the middle of the night had employees clearing out local grocery stores of every bit of brown sugar they could find in order to try and fix the beer. The result was the deliciously sweet Brown Shugga, which is now made on purpose each year to the delight of everybody who’s ever tried it. It’s out this year as Shugga’ Original Recipe.
Another local classic is Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, which has been brewed every winter since 1990. It’s always included hints of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and other seasonal spices, making it ideal for winter sipping. Alameda’s Faction Brewing, known for its bold IPAs, makes Faction Winter IPA.
Richmond’s East Brother Brewing’s winter seasonal is a Munich Dunkel, a great, often overlooked style for winter. Brewed with local Admiral Maltings barley, its aroma is warm toast, and the flavors include cocoa, gentle coffee beans, and malty goodness.
Moonlight Brewing’s Tipple, a wet hop winter ale, usually doesn’t stick around very long and is best when it’s fresh. It was released on Nov. 14.
From outside the Bay Area, several prominent national brands send us their winter beers, such as Bend, Ore.’s Deschutes Jubelale, which changes its artwork from year to year and features a new local artist on each season’s label. This year’s art is by Susanna Bemetz, who’s from Coquille, Ore. Her work complements the liquid art inside that’s malty with a hint of spices, toffee and dusted cocoa.
Others to keep an eye out for include Samuel Adams Winter Lager, a perennial favorite, plus they’ll also have a Samuel Adams Winter Break Variety Pack that will have three cans each of the winter lager, plus Cold Brew, Old Fezziwig and Winter White Ale. From Texas, there’s Shiner Holiday Cheer, brewed with pecans and peaches, and from Maine, Allagash Ski House, a winter White Ale. From Colorado, there’s Great Divide’s Hibernation Ale, an English-style old ale.
One of the best traditional Christmas ales from Belgium is from St. Bernardus, which comes in a large 750 ml bottle and at 10% ABV is perfect for sharing and sipping. Also look for Delirium Noël, a big holiday ale from the Belgian brewery famous for the pink elephant on its label.
Several Belgian breweries create big bottles meant to share, for the holidays. A few you should be able to find are Gouden Carolus Noel, from Het Anker, Val Dieu Winter Ale and Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend from Brugge. Or if you really want to make an impression, there’s the 1.5-liter Magnum bottle of St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel.
Another European favorite, based on traditional English Wassails, is Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale, which has been imported each year since 1990, making it the first imported winter beer. Brash and malty, this year’s edition is meant to evoke the brass bands common in the coal mining regions of northern England, who roamed neighborhoods playing Christmas carols.
Great Britain’s Ridgeway Brewery does a series of novelty holiday beers that are all done in good fun, such as Bad Elf, Very Bad Elf, Santa’s Butt Winter Porter and Lump of Coal Holiday Stout.
Contact Jay R. Brooks at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com.