 NDtex
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If there is one season that I’m not well versed on in beers it would be the winter. My fridge is running out of fall brews so it will soon be time to switch gears.
I would prefer to drink more than Coors Light and Miller Lite all winter long, so throw out some of your favorites. I have a good beer market I can go to that has more than the usual fare, so I may just be able to find anything thrown out.
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 itstripp
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I’m a big fan of stouts during winter. I want something that warms me up, not chills my teeth when I drink it. So some stouts and some that just seem weird to drink in warmer weather. I also prefer roasted barley and malty beers rather than hoppy stuff. Personal preference. My list:
Guinness Foreign Extra
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Highland Brewing Co. Oatmeal Porter
Innis & Gunn Cask Ale (or Oak Ale)
Brooklyn Brewing Company Cuvee Noir (amazing if you can find it)
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 cwilk
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Winter is a time for warming beers, porters, stouts, english ales, barleywines… Here are a few of my favorites.
Great Divide Hibernation Ale [BA A-]
This is a staple for me in this season… if by staple I mean I bought it last year and bought it again this year.
New Belgium Snow Day [BA B]
New to the scene this year… I would buy a case of this and leave it out on the back porch until it drops below freezing.
Founder’s Backwoods Bastard [BA A-]
Pretty fantastic this year. Highly drinkable, which is dangerous, because this guy clocks in at 10%. Definitely improves as it warms up.
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout [BA A]
Haven’t had this in a while, but I have a bottle of it waiting for the right time. Solid oatmeal stout.
= Christmas Ales =
As many as possible. Great Lakes is my personal favorite.
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 trey
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I echo what the others here say. If it’s thick and chewy, it’s good for the winter. I like Shiner Cheer and Frost as well. Theyre not as thick as Guiness, but they’re both very flavorful and warming
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 ShamRockNRoll
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First of all, never buy Coors Light again.
I’m usually a big fan of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. However, I just tried this year’s and they decided to do an IPA. It’s decent, but it’s not what I love about a seasonal Christmas release. If you can find one at a liquor store from a previous year’s batch, I’d give that a shot.
I’m a big proponent of Stone Brewery. They don’t release a “Christmas Ale,” but they do have an excellent stout and a smoked porter which suit the season quite well. In fact, Stone has occasionally released their Smoked Porter made with vanilla bean, and also one with chipotle peppers. Get your hands on one of these for an interesting and delicious winter treat.
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NDtex
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First of all, never buy Coors Light again.
Hey man, sometimes you just need to get wasted on alcohol water.
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 deaconblus
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I also head back to Stouts and Porters in the winter-time. I can’t touch the stuff in the summer. I really liked Southern Tier’s Mokah as a dessert beer — you could definitely toss a small coop of high quality vanilla ice cream in this one. I’ll echo ShamRockNRoll, Stone’s smoked porter is really nice and can sometimes be found on draft where it is a real treat. The special varieties sound great. I’ve also been know to drop an ounce of bourbon into Left Hand’s Milk Stout for instant barrel aging. Tread carefully here, that’s the equivalent of like 5 Miller Lites.
In the past, I’ve enjoyed Anchor’s xmas offering (slightly different every year) and am a sucker for Samuel Adam’s winter mix-case at Costco, mainly because I like that a beer is named Old Fezziwig, clearly the best character in A Christmas Carol.
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 kyndfan
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@ndtex since you’re from Texas, why aren’t you swimming in the Shiner brews? Also, winter is a great time for sipping on bourbon and coke. Just sayin.
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cwilk
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Samuel Adam’s winter mix-case at Costco, mainly because I like that a beer is named Old Fezziwig, clearly the best character in A Christmas Carol/
+1
The coffee porter in there isn’t half bad either.
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NDtex
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@ndtex since you’re from Texas, why aren’t you swimming in the Shiner brews? Also, winter is a great time for sipping on bourbon and coke. Just sayin.
I definitely do both, but I want to try out some different brews this winter.
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NDtex
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I’ve also been know to drop an ounce of bourbon into Left Hand’s Milk Stout for instant barrel aging. Tread carefully here, that’s the equivalent of like 5 Miller Lites.
YES
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trey
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You cant really go wrong with a good Shiner. The only time ive flat out disliked a Shiner label was their Oktoberfest from this year. Just was too weak and not really up to their usual high quality.
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 Matt Q. (DMQ)
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Brooklyn’s Chocolate Stout is definitely going to be one of my regular winter warmers this year.
Also think I really like Great Divide’s Hibernation Ale. An English-Style Olde Ale. There’s plenty of hops in it, but I’m enjoying the lower profile of the hops in favor of malt flavors as a nice switch-up from my IPA-heavy summer months.
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NDtex
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You cant really go wrong with a good Shiner. The only time ive flat out disliked a Shiner label was their Oktoberfest from this year. Just was too weak and not really up to their usual high quality.
Wow, really? I was a fan. Was my baseball playoff brew of choice.
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 KGIRISH88
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Old Man Winter Ale by Southern Tier is pretty great.
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