With nearly 150 beers for Winter, we present 2022's Winter Beer Guide to the Pacific Northwest

Throughout the year, there are periods which inspire a sort of fraternal tradition as it relates to consumption.

By this we mean it's not all too uncommon for one to feel inspired to go for a hike in the nearby hills or mountain. Or take a quick dip in the lakes, streams, and ocean shores of the United States and Canada. Maybe you're more chill, camping out in a park, an off-trail forest of valley. Or maybe you're the type who invites people over, complimented by the sounds of music, a roaring fire, or a grill. But, the one constant is that you're going to have a beverage alcoholic or non, and maybe it's a beer.

But, if it's the Spring or Summer, it's probably something light, in mouthfeel and character. Right? Fall? A sturdy Oktoberfest, Festbier, Scotch Ale, or a fresh hopped ale or lager? But what do you enjoy during the Winter? Ah, that's an easy one, something warming. But what if you don't know what to drink? That's where we come in.

Introducing the 2022 Winter Beer Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Whether brewed in or shared in the region, you'll find a beer that might speak to you. Included in this Guide is a list of breweries from British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Within this article (er, Guide) you’ll find beers recently or soon-to-be released. Recognizing not everyone is making a ‘Winter warmer’ we invited breweries to submit beers released in the months October, November, or December. So, if you see a pumpkin beer in the mix, or beers released in October, don’t freak out!

Oh and we took a different approach to laying out all the beers we recorded.

By selecting a beer name, you'll be redirected to a beer profile page of sorts.

Within that page, you'll see information including descriptions, specific ingredients, alcohol by volume (e.g. ABV), IBU, release periods throughout October thru December, a link to the brewery's website, and a helpful map of where to go if you want to stop into their taproom.

Some of these breweries might be down the street from you, in a nearby city or town, or on draft at your local 'watering hole'. Pay careful attention to the Released: section, as this will tell you if this beer is available now, in a few days or weeks, or months. If you are not familiar with the brewery, you're invited to click on the link "About ..." to learn more. With that said, we hope you find this helpful.

Finally, before anyone jumps to conclusions and thinks we missed someone, please read this.

A bit about how this data was created. Back in early November, we reached out to nearly 850 breweries via email, website contact forms (often requiring phone numbers, email addresses and more), Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. Using information from the Washington Beer Commission's brewery sections, the Oregon Brewers Guild members sections, the Idaho Brewers United brewery section, and finally the BC Brewers Guild section, we received responses from nearly 100 breweries within the two-weeks allocated. From those that responded, we received nearly 155 entries, which are displayed below.

If you don't see your favorite brewery listed here, we encourage you to reach out to them and ask them to check their Inbox.

Till then, we hope this list is helpful, albeit in a different format, but nothing short of voluminous.

“Winter” beers

Traditionally, the days between October 31st and December 25th, have been observed as a customary period for so-called “Winter” beers.

Commonly associated with names like Winter Warmer, Winter Ale, Christmas Ale, or Holiday Ale, these beers typically have an alcoholic percentage of between 7% and 13%. Stylistically, there isn’t a set category for these beers.

Which means what you might have in your hand could be a Brown Ale made with baking spices like allspice, cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg. Or it could be a dry-hopped, 7.5% West Coast-style India Pale Ale. Then again, one cannot forget the sturdier beers like barleywines, old stock ales, strong ales, or imperial porters and stouts.

But the important key is what happens to your inner core once you’ve taken a hearty swallow. More often than not, you’ll probably get a slight warming sensation in your core. Which probably explains why, when someone drink a can, bottle, or glass of something strong, they feel "warm".

Frankly, this writer will not judge what you drink in the Winter time or your definition of the perfect Winter warmer. But if it's been a while since you left the comfort of your favorite beer. If you've never heard of Winter warmer. Or maybe you weren't aware breweries release beers associated with the changing seasons, we have a guide for you.

Listed below are beer listings, reported by breweries, after being asked if they had a Winter seasonal or beer exclusive to these last few months in 2022. After reaching out nearly 1500 breweries, the resulting list was all we received. So, if there's a brewery you know is making one, tell them to reach out and who knows, we might include them in our coverage next year.

“Winter Warmers”, Winter Ales, Holiday Ales, or Strong Ales

No one really knows who came up with the term, Winter Warmer. Sure, people have some idea where the name India Pale Ale comes from, because it's often recalled during brewery tours when an employee needs to explain the use of hops in beer. But one things for sure, you won't find the term Winter warmer in a Dickensian novel or short story. You find it shared in tall tales of the Klondike.

Instead, consider a Winter warmer, something released around this time of the year, and high in alcohol between 5.5% - 10% (in the UK) or between 7% - 13% (in the rest of the world). Often amber, burgundy, or devoid of color, these beers often focus on balancing roasted grains, malts, wheat, and oats, with hops from regions in the United States or abroad. Also, there are some breweries that will include the addition of spices or other adjuncts, or make use of a previously used wooden barrel from a winery or distillery. Included here are beers that use traditional brewery ingredients, might be barrel-aged, or include adjuncts like baking spices. For more information on a particular beer, just select it.

Lagers

If you’re looking something inspired by Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, or Canada, there’s probably a beer in here for you!

From Bocks to Doppelbocks and from Pilsner to Dark Lagers, find something that speaks to you this Winter or during the holidays!

Belgians

Inspired beers that are as hearty or as complimentary as a glass of wine. Brewers took inspiration from Belgium to produces beers which deceived their alcohol content. With names like Dubbel, Tripel, Quad or Quadrupel, be wary how many glasses you consume. But one thing is for sure, these beers will soothe the nerves on a cold night.

Included in this list of beers are Golden Ales, Dubbels, Tripels, Quads, Belgian-style Sours, and Belgian-inspired Pale Ales.

Barrel aged Stouts & Porters

Everything Else

Sometimes all you really want is a light blonde ale, a brown ale, or cream ale. Or maybe you want a beer that doesn’t quite fit that Winter feeling, like one made with pumpkin spices. For those who prefer shorts and sock-less sandals to pants and warm boots, here are some beers that remind you of Summer or Early Fall.

“Pale Ales” Including India Pale Ale, Double or Imperial Pale Ale, Hazy or Juicy India Pale Ale, Pale Ales. If it has the words Pale Ale at the end, it’s probably listed here.

Porter or Stouts.

Commonly thought of as a beer suited for when the days are shorter and the nights longer, Porters, Stouts, Imperial Porters, and Imperial Stouts are suited for the colder weather. Not that you can't enjoy one in July, but most people seem to prefer something dark when the season is its darkest.