Cold winter nights bring out the big boozy season beers, and boy do they ever deliver. Brewers from across Canada start brewing these months in advance in anticipation for a season full of dark nights, cold days and thirsty drinkers.
There is no shortage of stouts, porters, bocks, double IPAs, spiced beers and more to go around, so to help you navigate the landscape, we’ve put together a small list of seasonal beers that should absolutely be in your fridge when you need something to drink this winter.
Vancouver Island Brewing- Hermannator Ice Bock
Hermannator is a beer that is worth looking forward to every single year. This beer takes over three months to produce spending significant time at subzero temperatures to create a rich malt body, with notes of chocolate, coffee & brandied plums. It’s won a ton of awards, and now that it comes in cans, there’s no reason it shouldn’t have some shelf space in your fridge.
Lighthouse Brewing- Nightwatch Coffee Lager
For something totally different, Lighthouse’s Nightwatch Coffee Lager offers a cleaner drinking option than most seasonal releases. With a massive hit of coffee notes on the nose, it’s surprisingly light and well balanced. This is a very good option when you’re total done with stouts and porters and need something on the lighter side.
Parallel 49- Toques of Hazzard
If you’re looking for a double IPA to knock your socks off this season, then P49 has the beer for you. Toques is an Imperial IPA made with wheat to keep the beer light bodied and a hazy white. But that doesn’t mean they compromised on flavour; there’s big hop flavours and aromas of tropical fruit and gooseberries from the Citra and Hallertau Blanc hops.
Big Rig Brewing- Midnight Kissed My Cow
This double chocolate milk stout is a surprisingly easy drinker. A healthy helping of Belgian chocolate enriches its body, while English chocolate malts provide its dark-as-night colour, and creamy milk sugar creates a velvety mouth feel.
Cannery Brewing- Darkling Oatmeal Stout
If Oatmeal stouts are more your style, then Cannery is the way to go. This oatmeal stout balances smooth mouth feel with bittersweet roasted flavours for an excellent dark stout that has won multiple awards over the years.
Ale/Sessions 