Winter warmers and spicy ales to make your spirits bright
Troegs' Mad Elf, Weyerbacher's Winter Ale and Sly Fox's Christmas Ale.
Photo Illustration/for PhillyVoice
by Aubrey Nagle PhillyVoice Contributor
Just as local farm-to-table eateries change their menus with the seasons, craft breweries create new beers for each change in weather. After all, a night in front of the fire requires a very different beverage than a day on the beach. Thus, we've rounded up some of our favorite winter warmers, spicy ales and holiday suds below.
From left to right, Troegs Independent Brewing's Blizzard of Hops, Philadelphia Brewing Company's Winter Wunder and Flying Fish Brewing's Gran Cru Winter Reserve. (Handout Art)
Available November through January, this IPA packs an extra punch of flavor with notes of hop and citrus. Turns out winter, when hop harvest season is ending, is a great time for a hoppy beer. Use Troegs' brew finder to locate it near you.
The equivalent of a pumpkin spice ale in the fall, this wintry brew has flavors of plums, dates, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and ginger. It's best to drink this one wrapped up in a cozy blanket, watching a holiday film. Check Philly Tap Finder for bars with this brew on tap.
Though it has a wintry spirit, you won't find any spices or fruit in this Belgian ale. Available November through January, it's a true warmer with a strong presence of malt and alcohol. Check Philly Tap Finder for bars with Grand Cru on tap.
From left to right, Troegs Independent Brewing's Mad Elf, Weyerbacher Brewing's Winter Ale and Sly Fox Brewing's Christmas Ale. (Handout Art)
There's a reason this popular seasonal flies off the shelves when it's released each October. Mad Elf is deep and sweet and its fruity-chocolatey flavor is like dessert in a bottle, but it packs a punch at 11 percent ABV. Look through Troegs' brew finder and, if you're lucky, you'll find it in a bottle shop near you.
If Mad Elf is a bit too intense for your tastes, try this Weyerbacher brew. It's got the malt and chocolate flavors, but with some dry roast flavors to balance the sweetness. Check your local bottle shop or peer through Philly Tap Finder for this one.
Looking for Christmas spirit in a can? Sly Fox's seasonal contribution has all the classic spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, etc.) packed into a smooth red ale. Click here to find out if it's on tap at Sly Fox itself, then check in with Philly Tap Finder for Philly locations.
Evil Genius' Santa!! I Know Him! and Fegley's Brew Works' Rude Elf's Reserve. (Handout Art)
It's hard to resist a beer whose name references one of the best Christmas movies around, "Elf." Like Buddy the Elf's favorite condiment, this deep, dark, dry drink features sweet syrup flavors plus notes of rose and chamomile. Use Evil Genius' online map for take-out locations or try Philly Tap Finder for draught versions.
This award-winning brew is a dark Belgian that, like Mad Elf, packs a punch at 10.5 percent ABV. It's got all the holiday spices plus the strength of a true warmer. It's rare to find this on tap in Philly, but it's available at Fegley's Allentown and Bethlehem locations during the holiday season.
One batch of this warming brew is made each holiday season, so it always tastes a little different. This year's batch has flavors of plum and raisin. Find it at Manayunk's brewpub.
Through the holiday season, many of Iron Hill's individual brewpub locations release their own themed brews. This year the Media, Maple Shade, Chestnut Hill, Phoenixville and Newark locales will have special winter warmers available. All 11 locations will be selling Rudolph's Revenge in 16 oz. cans, too.