Tis The Season of Winter Beers

Fall came and went, and many beer drinkers fell in love with the various Fest beers, Marzens, Oktoberfest beers and pumpkin beers. But not I. No sir, those are a tough sell, but my heart is warmed as the weather cools by the arrival of some pretty cool winter beers.

As noted earlier, Sierra Nevada has released its "Celebration" Ale, a tasty IPA that reminds me of some of the better flavors I get from the great Firestone Brewing's pales and IPA's. Right now I'm knocking down a bottle of Harrisburg PA based Troegs' Mad Elf, a sort of sweet winter ale made with cherries and honey. This is a much coveted brew and I gotta admit I'm enjoying it.

But then, I'll enjoy almost any decent cherry beer (Brewers Art Charm City Sour Cherry, any of the various Belgian cherry lambics, Mad Elf, etc.).

Elsewhere, I definitely recommend the Corsendonk Christmas beer available on tap right now at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia.

Locally, I've talked to several people who swear by Frederick MD based Wild Goose's Snow Goose. And then there's Clipper City with its Winter Storm, a "winter warmer" that is on draft all over the place (Frisco Grille, Judge's Bench, etc.).

Lest I forget, the great Brewer's Art downtown should have some form of a winter beer available (I think its called St. Festivus?) if it's not already on tap.

Feel free to email me with other notables or comment below.

Related: cask conditioned beer/ale in Baltimore and Maryland, pumpkin, Oktoberfest and fest beers (bier) in Maryland

As always, be sure to use my various links on the side as resources in tracking down beers, places to drink and local breweries. Particularly useful for this entry are the Howard County Beer maps and Maryland Beer and Breweries Maps.