These Are the 6 Best Winter Beers of All Time
These Are the 6 Best Winter Beers of All Time
Schmancy ski-town bars hawk mulled wine and spiced cider as ultimate winter warmers. Those drinks are fine, but the chefs we talked to said that no drink fortifies and replenishes better than a beer.
The right kind of beer, that is.
This is not the time for New England IPAs. This is not the time for pomegranate agave sours. This is not the time for a refreshing session.
Winter is the time for sturdy, solid beers that reinforce as they warm—that restock the calorie deficit acquired through snow shoveling (note: not snow blowing), cross-country skiing, and/or cutting through fresh powder.
So, which beer is the right kind of beer?
Here’s what the food experts we talked to crack open after a long day on the slopes.
1) Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
drizly.com
$9.55
By piling more hops into its brewing, Guinness reinforces its classic with a pleasant bitterness. At 7.5% ABV, “this is your wind-down-bythe- fire beer,” says Jon Streep, co-owner of Alidoro in N.Y.C.
2) Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock
drizly.com
$12.99
This 6.7% ABV doppelbock beer pours the color of a log cabin and tastes like a stack of homemade pancakes: doughy, slightly sweet, and with just a touch of vanilla. Up to you if you want to drink it at breakfast.
3) Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
craftshack.com
$4.99
Natural lactose sugar softens the flavor and texture, made even smoother with nitrogen, which creates smaller carbonization bubbles and results in a more luscious pour, says Streep.
4) Allagash White
ALLAGASH BREWING COMPANY
target.com
$10.99
It’s an old-standby 5.2% ABV hazy wheat that produces a head like fresh powder. The flavor is peppery and citrusy, with a backbone of banana. “It pairs excellently with my favorite cheeses,” says Josiah Citrin, chef of Charcoal Venice in Los Angeles.
5) Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai India Pale Ale
woodswholesalewine.com
$11.69
This is the 7.5% ABV can of liquid courage you’re going to need to sneak in a few more late-day runs. “It’s light, refreshing, and recharging,” says Sarah Simmons, CEO of City Grit Hospitality Group.
6) Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
drizly.com
$6.00
The Japanese brewery turns to piney- tasting Chinook hops to balance the barley in this slightly fruity brew, which has a touch of sweetness from the rice. It’s invigorating at 7% ABV. Enjoy it with a cheeseburger.
They're best cracked after a day on the slopes.