OKC is having a snow day today! This generally means there’s a light dusting of snow on the ground. While much of the country has real snowfall issues right now, Oklahoma would much rather allocate its tax dollars toward something probably problematic rather than actually paying for salt for the roads. I digress.

Snow days are all about the beer, for me. Who wants to go outside and be productive? Far too cold for that. At some point though, it’ll be getting warm soon and we’ll all be doing things like going outside and moving on to beers that aren’t thick and dark. Here’s what you should be drinking until then:

1. Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat

(beerinfo.com)

Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Stout is a delicious milk stout infused with vanilla beans — and the vanilla flavor is really obvious. It manages to be sweet without being cloying. The regular Buffalo Sweat Stout is super good as well, but the vanilla bean version manages to be my favorite stout of the season.

2. Great Lakes Christmas Ale

(greatlakesbrewing.com)

Great Lakes Christmas Ale is a Winter Warmer that tastes of cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves, and perfection. This stuff is super hard to find before Christmas, and disappears quickly afterwards (much to my chagrin). Great Lakes Christmas Ale tastes exactly like what Christmas would taste like, if it had a taste. I would drink this stuff year round if I could, even if it would feel strange to crack one open in the middle of July. It’s gingerbread in beer form, and it is amazing.

3. Avery Lilikoi Kepolo

(talkbeer.com)

It’s rare that I will ever endorse a witbier, but this one is perfection. This super rare standout is passion-fruit flavored (and that flavor is foremost among the other, varying notes), and I was fortunate enough to try it at Oak & Ore in OKC during the small window of time that they had it in stock. Fruity witbiers happen to be somewhat popular during winter as an alternative to the thicker, darker stouts, porters, and warmers that generally characterize the season. If you’re going to go with a witbier this season, this would be the way to go.

4. Roughtail Polar Night

(beeradvocate.com)

Roughtail Polar Night is a hopped stout that tastes of chocolate and coffee with an alcohol warmth at the end that makes it perfect for a cold, winter night. The citrusy hops kind of make it similar to a chocolate orange! Bonus points for being local, but it doesn’t need bonus points whatsoever — it stands on its own, and it is excellent.

5. North Coast Brother Thelonious

(beerinfinity.com)

Do you like to get drunk? Do you like to get drunk very quickly? I do. This 9.40% ABV Belgian strong dark ale is not for the lightweights in the room and even better, it’s absolutely delicious — like a boozy caramel treat, with notes of molasses and toffee. The alcohol content lends itself to a nice, warm finish — more comforting than abrasive or off-putting. This is one of my favorite beers year-round, but especially when it’s cold outside and I’m looking to forget my own name.