It’s time to start packing on that extra “holiday weight.” It’s November. Halloween laid a solid foundation of high fructose corn syrup, but now it’s time to do the heavy lifting with extra helpings of sweet potatoes during Thanksgiving. And pies. Don’t forget the pies. And rich, decadent beers from your favorite craft breweries. ‘Tis the season for barrel aged porters and stouts and imperial everything. Get ready to loosen your belt.



Hopworks Urban Brewery

Portland, Oregon

HUB puts out their regular Abominable Winter Ale, which is super hoppy but still has those winter spices about this time every year. But they’re also releasing the burly Motherland, a Russian imperial stout that leans on the hoppy side of things, while also delivering a rich, chocolaty, spicy stout built for cold winter nights. It’s no joke at 9.8%, so buyer beware. Pick it up from November through February in 22-ounce bombers or on draught.



Dogfish Head

Milton, Delaware



Photo via Dogfish Head/Facebook

Okay, you might not automatically think “pilsner” when you’re heading into winter beer territory, but Dogfish Head gets weird with this pilsner, adding White Pear Tea and pear juice to the mix for a spicy Czech pilsner that has a definite sweet side. Look for the beer to be released in late November. We like the bawdy artwork, too.



Flying Dog

Frederick, Maryland

Flying Dog is introducing four new cookie-inspired beers for the holidays, a Saison brewed with sugar cookies, a Belgian Pale with “orange white chocolate chip cookies,” a cranberry IPA with lemon cookies and a fig and fennel stout with oatmeal raisin cookies. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a fig and fennel stout before. Look for the beers in combination 12 packs starting right about now.



Half Acre

Chicago, Illinois

Daisy Cutter is Half Acre’s flagship pale, so Double Daisy Cutter is a more badass version of the pale, which the brewery has labeled as both a “double pale ale” and an “Imperial IPA.” We don’t care what style box you check, we just want to get our hands on some. Half Acre releases this big beer every quarter. It hit the shelves for the winter season on November 6 in 22-ounce bombers. Go get it.



Dry Dock Brewing

Aurora, Colorado



Photo via Dry Dock

Dry Dock brewed this big porter in collaboration with Coda Coffee in Denver, adding the coffee to the brewery’s Whiskey Barrel-Aged Naked Porter. Okay, so what you got here is an imperial porter, aged in whiskey barrels and brewed with coffee. This is serious business. The results are roasted, chocolaty, whiskey-ey, and goody. Look for the bottles to hit shelves throughout Colorado in mid November. In other words, can we hitch a ride to Colorado in mid November?



Natty Greene’s

Greensboro, N.C.

Take your standard red ale brewed with caramel malt, then add ginger, orange peel and cinnamon and you get Red Nose, a beer brewed specifically for the holidays. From what I understand, it’s just a little bit sweet and all the way festive. I’ve actually never had the chance to try one of these, but I’m going to make a point to track one down this season. I’ll start hunting for it as soon as I’m done typing this sentence, because Natty Greene releases the beer in bottles this week.