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We end our socially distant month of holiday seasonal beers with the festively bright green and red and festively spiced coffee stout from 2SP Brewing Company. Something to give you a nice jolt for any last minute gift wrapping.
In a Brewing label world that likes to steal intellectual property, it is good to see a brewery be clever and respectful while also using the word tripel as a pun. Great Lakes Brewing Co. not only goes Belgian instead of IPA but graces the label with the havoc causing Bumpuss pack of canines.
As we get near the end of another holiday beer season, time to break out a new IPA style, the WHIPA! Here is how Schlafly describes this hoppy offering, “blend malt, wheat, and oats with pounds of Idaho 7, Strata, and Sabro hops for a beer that results in a winter white out you can pour in a glass. After a hefty double dry-hopping process, this limited release IPA embraces the haze and packs a massive wave of juicy hop flavor.”
We stay in Oregon for a stout from Goodlife Brewing in Bend, Oregon. Now I drove over the “pass” from Salem to Bend in November and there were moments where my hands were glued to the wheel for sure. A stout beer at the end of the journey would have been welcome indeed.
Columbus, Chinook and Cascade hops define this hearty winter warmer from Baerlic Brewing in Portland, Oregon named for a noted PDX beer personality.
Next up in our holiday seasonal parade of beers is a brewery only release from Fremont Brewing in Seattle who are bringing the chocolate to the season.
I don’t know if it is the lack of snow but there are not too many Christmas beers coming from SoCal. Los Angeles Ale Works is changing that with a double holiday release with one hoppy and one Belgian. Available at their Hawthorne brewery to-go.
Wherever you land in the pastry stout debate, you have to admit that a candy cane is a quintessential Christmas flavor which makes it perfect for inclusion on the list of ingredients for any holiday beer. DuClaw has whipped up an imperial stout to balance out the mint.
Rounding out our trio of Winter beers is a lager filled with Carolina grown malt. The maltsters are name checked on the label of Winter Bock from Hi-Wire Brewing.
Let’s stay with the winter theme with a classic California seasonal from Anderson Valley.
Described by the brewery as having “Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter.”