Spiked cocoa and mulled wine are nice, but with craft beer enthusiasm at an all-time high–and so many wonderful local breweries nearby–it’s time to discover the spicy winter warmers, sultry stouts and hop-forward holiday brews handcrafted just in time for the season of good cheer(s).
1. The Brewery at Hershey has two beers sure to warm you this season. Naughty & Spiced is their annual holiday ale, brewed with a wee heavy Scottish ale base and loaded with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and orange zest. This winter warmer is intended to take the chill out of otherwise cold Pennsylvania evenings. ABV: 8.4%
2. Meanwhile, you’ll want to stay tuned to The Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey’s social media channels for announcement of a limited bottle release of Bourbon Mean Cup O’Stout. This wintertime stout is a tasty oatmeal coffee stout brewed with a proprietary coffee blend from Mean Cup in Lancaster. New for 2015: this year’s batch was aged in Smooth Ambler (WV) bourbon barrels for five months. A must-have. ABV: 5.8%
3. Liquid Hero in York honors “Pub Santa,” a local regular who drinks at area bars, including Liquid Hero Brewery, with their holiday seasonal. The Pub Santa winter warmer is a delicately spiced ale made with cinnamon, vanilla, and cherries. ABV: 7.4%
Note: If you’re in the York area, word is to keep a lookout for a barrel-aged beauty in the works for this holiday season as well.
4. Tröegs Independent Brewery’s Mad Elf is one of the best-known and highly sought-after holiday beers. But have you had their winter seasonal, Blizzard of Hops? Part of their Hop Cycle series, this is a Winter IPA designed around the annual hop harvest. Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado hops are featured, then the beer is dry hopped with Chinook and Galaxy hops for a perfect storm of pine and citrus notes. Serve this in a tumbler–or, new this year, straight from the can. ABV: 6.4%
For the indecisive (or equal opportunity) imbiber, Tröegs also revamped its Anthology Winter mixed 24-pack case for 2015. It now includes Perpetual IPA, Troegenator Double Bock, Blizzard of Hops Winter IPA and, for the first time ever outside of the brewery, a Scratch Series beer–this winter: Scratch Series Chocolate Stout. A perfect holiday gift.
5. Forget regular old milk, and instead leave Santa Lancaster Brewing Company’s Double Chocolate Milk Stout. Intense roasted malts and an infusion of cacao nibs create a velvety, chocolatey treat that is sure to win over the big guy. Just save some for yourself to pair with a spicy Mexican meal. ABV: 6.8%
6. What’s Better Than a Lottery Ticket? This beer: Moo-Duck Brewing Company’s Imperial Brown ale, brewed with orange peel and holiday spices. Serve this beauty in a goblet to take in the aroma of spices. The beer’s name comes from owner and brewer Mike Brubaker’s family tradition of exchanging lottery tickets as gifts for the holidays as well as just about any other occasion. One year, instead, Brubaker gave out this beer because he thought it was “better than a lottery ticket.” The name stuck! ABV: 7.5%
7. Moo-Duck is also offering a new Candy Cane Stout this holiday season. Brubaker brews a stout with peppermint leaves. After fermentation, he adds candy canes to the beer as it ages. Serve this in a pint glass, maybe even rimmed with crushed candy cane dust, if you’re feeling festive. ABV: 6.5%
8. Formerly known as Millbock, the reinvented Boneshire Brew Works will be open in time to release their annual holiday beer, The 12 Hops of Christmas. Each year, owner and brewer Alan Miller plans to create an IPA with twelve different hops that showcase a specific hop-growing region. This year’s version highlights the Pacific Northwest and will feature Amarillo, Ahtanum, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Columbus, Crystal, Mosaic, Nugget, Simcoe and Warrior. Look for this in cans, large format bottles, and on draft. ABV: TBD.
9. Originally in conjunction with the now-closed Lancaster tattoo shop Tattoos Ink, St. Boniface Brewing Company brews the “big and really dark” Black Currant Stout every holiday season. Brewer Jon Northup experimented with a variety of ingredients to attain this deep color–including squid ink and black raspberries–before settling on the black currants. We’re glad he went with the fruit instead. ABV: 9%
10. The brewers at Crystal Ball Brewing Company in York had a revelation: They hate pumpkin beers. To avoid this holiday phenomenon, they instead whipped up two winter wheats to get you through the cold season. Cold Weather Wheat is available October through February. A black wheat ale brewed with real cranberries, this is an exciting new style of beer perfect for cold winter nights. This begins with a tart cranberry flavor that washes out with smooth roasted notes and finishes with deep chocolate flavor. ABV: 8% Note: Watch for a tropical Jamaican style wheat coming in February.
11. In Lancaster, Spring House Brewery offers two holiday brews this year. Martians Kidnap Santa is an eggnog stout–rich and creamy. ABV: 8.3%
12. Two Front Teeth is a Belgian-style saison designed for the holiday season by Spring House Brewery. Sweetened with real cherries, this full-bodied beauty balances maltiness with a light hop nose. ABV: 9.4%
