With Winter, Christmas, Chanukah and a whole mess of other holidays right around the corner, it's time to start getting into the festive mood! And, what better way to do that then to drink some winter or holiday craft beers! We went through a whole mess of seasonal brews so that we could tell you the official DrinkCraftBeer.com Winter/Holiday Beer Recommendations. Without further ado, here's the beer: 

Sam Adams Winter Lager

This venerable favorite often goes overlooked in the world of craft beer. Sure Sam Adams is the 800lb gorilla in the industry, but that doesn't mean they still aren't putting out some good beer. We're all about helping the little guy, but that doesn't mean we should ignore good beer from the bigger guys.

Appearance: Clear dark amber with a light head
Smell: Smooth typical lager, slight breadiness, slight sweetness

Taste: This is a great winter session beer and is very balanced, not spiced and is overall very smooth. There's nothing extreme about it, and that's why it works. Sure winter is a great time for big stouts, barley wines and robust porters, but you don't always want one of those. Mild roastiness evolves into a smooth sweetness. An excellent winter drinking beer.


Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale

Appearance: Dark Amber fluffy off white head with large bubbles
Smell: Grassy hops with a slight hint of malt

Taste: Nice up front hops, which fade off to a smooth finish. This isn't what you'd normally expect from a winter or Christmas themed beer. This beer offers nice grassy hoppiness without being overwhelming in any way. Hoppy beers generally aren't this smooth and that's what really makes this beer fit in for the later months of the year. The hops add a bit of slickness to the mouthfeel, and the fact that it seems to disappear shortly after drinking make Rogue Santa's Private Reserve a good session beer for the winter months! Available in both 6 packs and bombers it fits in for almost any occasion and with a fun label to boot it's great to bring to your friend’s holiday parties.