Smuttynose Winter Ale - $9.99

Oh what a difference a yeast makes! Portsmouth, VT’s Smuttynose Brewing Co. gives us one of the most unique US winter ales by mixing the old world with our world. They ferment six different malts with a special Trappist yeast. Bravo and Sterling hops add in to give you, effectively, a light bodied Abbey Dubbel with light dark fruit notes and a slight, spicy finish without spices.

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice

The archetypical winter ale, the Winter Solstice from Boonville, CA’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company is one of the joys of the season. Anderson Valley uses Crystal and Caramel malts to give this medium bodied ale just a hint of sweetness. They then spice the brew with their own “private blend of holiday spice.” The result will have you searching for a fire place and an easy chair.

On Sale for $9.96 through 12/16/12

Regularly $11.99

Goose Island Christmas Ale 6P

The Goose Island Christmas Ale comes but once a year. Just like the holidays, it’s familiar but never what you expect. Chicago’s Goose Island starts this brown ale each year with Pale, Munich, and Caramel malts, but they change the hop recipe. This year the hops wrap around the caramel malt forming and interesting, deep citrus symbiosis.Goose Island says you can cellar this brew up to 180 days. Twelve days of X-Mas, indeed!

On Sale for $7.96 through 12/03/12

Regularly $8.99

Lagunitas Brown Shugga - $9.99

Roasty, toasty, big and boasty, that’s the way you must describe one of our favorite mistakes. During a failed attempt at making their Old Gnarlywine Ale in 1997, Lagunitas brewers dumped “a boatload of brown sugar” into the batch. They didn’t get what they wanted, but sometimes you get what you need. Sweet and malty with a good amount of hops. Mmm.  How come you taste so good?

"Saving the Best for Now"

Where many brewers have brown ales in their regular line up, Bell’s Brewing Company in Kalamazoo, MI saves this great brew for release as a fall/winter seasonal. With hints of caramel and cocoa, the bready malt body is strong enough to stand up to cold weather, but a healthy dose of American hops balances out the taste keeping it from being heavy on the palate. Spring can keep its robins. Here’s the sign of fall!

On Sale for $7.96 through 10/21/12

Regularly $9.99

"Don't Fear the Reaped"

Fall is Beer Season. Along with the turning of leaves, hop heads await that testament to hop harvests, the harvest ales. Goose Island from Chicago makes this E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) style ale to celebrate the hop harvest in general and the Cascade hop, in particular. For it’s all Cascade, all the time with 2 Row, Pale, Caramel (toasted?) and wheat malts.

On Sale for $7.96 through 10/07/12

Regularly $9.99

"Pumpkin You Up"

Though it still bears the name of the now defunct Post Road Brewing Co., this brew is another fine product from Brooklyn Brewing Co., which expertly balances American 2-Row, British Crystal, Belgian Biscuit, and Aromatic Malts; Willlamette and American Fuggle hops; nutmeg; and pounds and pounds of Dickinson pumpkins to give you this mix of squash and suds. Get some before it’s gone, post haste.

On Sale for $7.96 through 09/23/12

Regularly $9.99

"Putting It to the Fest"

Richmond’s Legend Brewing Co. brewed this Märzen Lager with an eye to its malts. Vienna malt makes up the base, but rich helpings of Munich and Caramel malts help fill out the flavor. Just a touch of German Splat hops help give some edge to the finish. As a result, this medium bodied ale with strong caramel notes is ready to stand up to your brats, sauerkrautws, burgers, or whatever your Oktoberfest fest can throw at it.

Williamsburg AleWerks White Ale - $10.49

For their White Ale, Williamsburg AleWerks takes the Belgian Witbier (a spiced wheat ale) and tweaks it for American tastes. To the flaked wheat, they add Pilsner and Munich malts. Fermented dry, they spice it with the traditional coriander and orange peel, but for hops it’s American Fuggles, giving just a little tarter zing to this “white ale.” Here, “tarter” means tastier to “hop happy” Americans and more refreshing for these last summer days.

Victory Summer Love Ale 6P - $10.49

Downingtown, PA’s Victory Brewing Co. launched this summer seasonal in 2010. They chose to make an American Blonde Ale  to satisfy craft beer fans and casual beer drinkers alike. 2-row and German pilsner malts create a restrained, dry stage on which the “fistfuls” of hops are the stars. American and German whole flower hops give both earthy tastes and citrus notes to this brew, making it easy for all of us to fall in love despite the summer sun.