By now the cold winter’s nip has reached us all and shaken our confidence in the hope that ice cold beer can solve all problems. Every day has led to colder, icier, and more bone chilling nights that lead to increased eggnog or bourbon. But wait! We beer lovers cannot retreat inside and pass up on our favorite malty beverage! And so the days after Thanksgiving came and with it the unsure look on the beer lover’s face. Must we all turn to Guinness? Are we as Americans so unfamiliar with dark, winter beers that we retreat to that fail safe? Absolutely not. The greatest part about being American beer drinkers is that we have perhaps the largest variety of beer styles of any country in the world.

The first sign of winter is the moment when we set aside the Oktoberfests and Pumpkin Ales for a more Christmas toned beer. The Christmas season should bring excitement for beer drinkers. It is the one time of year when breweries reach out and touch the souls of their consumers by providing a brew that is designed to bring people together in the season of joy. My advice is that for every Christmas season, branch out and try as many microbrewery seasonals as possible. Most of you are probably thinking one thing: Samuel Adams. It’s true, they come out with a pretty standard and yet well designed holiday variety pack. For instance, the Old Fezziwig Ale is perhaps one of the Boston Beer Company’s better beers ever. Variety packs like this one are a great way to get yourself started in this style of beer. From there, let your instincts take you through some beer adventures. Which breweries do you already like and trust? Which ones have you never heard of but really grab your eye? Whether at the bar or the store, these are the questions you have to think about. For the Atlanta Beer Reviewer, one Christmas Ale in particular jumped off the shelves and could not be put back. Abita’s Christmas Ale, a hopp y, yet dark and malty ale gave the tones of a Christmas tree and the warmth of a fire on Christmas Eve. Looks can be deceiving though. Some of the most highly rated, expensive Christmas ales can disappoint the taste buds. Anchor Steam Brewing Co., one of the first microbreweries, releases a Christmas Ale every year with a different recipe. For 2012, this ale promised to be much like Abita’s surprising winner, but instead it turned out to be overly hopped and lacked that dark wintry taste that you hope for in your favorite Christmas beers. Always keep in mind, Christmas has a certain aura around it that brings people together. When choosing your favorite holiday beer, the flavor should bring everyone around you that same aura.

2013 has begun and yet where did all of our holiday beers go? Is it not still blisteringly cold outside? We as beer drinkers still crave the warmth of a good winter beer and yet our eyes turn back to the old stand-by’s as though there are no seasonal beers for Janua ry or February. Never fear, the Winter Warmer is here! The winter warmer is a style that originated centuries ago in order to bring flavor and filling to the cold winter months. Brewers would begin in the fall by accruing plenty of spices, hops, and malts to bring a flavorful beer into the winter. Most winter warmers are spicy, much like any Christmas Ale, but typically have a much heavier consistency than other holiday ales. If you gain nothing else from this post, keep the winter warmer style in the back of your mind during your next trip to the pub. You will almost definitely find a few on draft or in bottles and your friends will be impressed by your bold choice.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, whether it be Christmas, New Years, or just a cold winter night with close friends or that special someone who just so happens to be a beer connoisseur as well, it is indeed a time to be thankful for the brews that keep us warm. Keep and eye out for those charming Christmas labels and the beautiful winter warmer scenes on your favorite bottles this year. Beauty, whether on the label of your beer or on your taste buds, is in the eye of the beholder and so in this post I leave you with the hope that you will find beauty in your warmth this winter and perhaps find a beer that you can look forward to every year. Happy Winter beer mates!

By Bob Tuttle