5 Festive Stouts For The Winter Holidays

(Courtesy Stone Brewing)

The Winter Holidays are ON and with the weather cooling, it’s also stout season and we’ve got some great ones for you!

‘Tis The Season (Escondido, CA) If the warmth, indulgence, and festive cheer of the holidays could ever be fit in a can, Stone Brewing has returned a holiday favorite that gets it done and then some.

Combining the decadent inspiration of fine Oaxacan Hot Chocolate and the beloved Tres Leches cake, Stone Xocoveza Tres Leches is an 8.5% ABV Imperial Stout with a robust blend of sweet spices, a ton of dark and milk chocolate, vanilla, and cold brew coffee. And Psaila peppers impart a light hint of heat in the finale. But in spite of its heady complexity, this holiday release is surprisingly bright on the palate, with just a touch of sweetness that all the decadent flavors imply. The result is, and silky smooth.

“The first time you take a sip of Stone Xocoveza, it will immediately transport you to a winter day, sitting by the fire with hot cocoa and surrounded by good cheer,” says Stone Brewing Sr. Manager of Brewing & Innovation Jeremy Moynier. It’s a beer with several layers of ingredients coming together in different ways that get better and more complex as you keep drinking it.

(Courtesy Firestone Walker Brewing)

Nitro Nice (Paso Robles, CA) – Firestone Walker Brewing has introduced a new winter seasonal that pairs perfectly with the holidays. Nuanced by dark-roasted specialty malts that impart hints of caramel and chocolate, Firestone Cinnamon Dolce Nitro Stout is a 6% ABV cold-weather release that was brewed with Saigon cinnamon sticks and premium Madagascar vanilla beans, then infused with nitrogen for a super-creamy mouthfeel. The vanilla beans come from Cook Flavorings, a renowned third-generation purveyor of fine vanilla and spices, located in Firestone Walker’s hometown of Paso Robles.

“Vanilla is a flavor amplifier, and the key is to use it in balance to enhance everything else that is going on in the beer,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “Adding a bit of cinnamon makes for a really nice combination that provides a balancing point with the chocolaty character of the stout.”

“Cinnamon Dolce was a bit of an instant classic for us,” Brynildson added. You get a true nitro experience straight out of the can. It was just a matter of time before we brought it back.”

(Courtesy Brooklyn Brewery / Four Roses)

Everything’s Coming Up Roses (Brooklyn, NY) – Brooklyn Brewery has returned something special a collaboration that again unites the craft beer pioneer with an esteemed bourbon icon, Kentucky-based Four Roses Distillery, a collaboration that began in 2019 and continues to flourish, thanks to the camaraderie between Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, and Four Roses COO Ryan Ashley.

Aged for 9 months in Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon casks specially-chosen by Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott, Brooklyn Black Ops is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout a decadent cocoa nib and milk chocolate profile that is tempered by a vanilla-forward oak presence.

“Black Ops is a modern classic with its own personality,” Brooklyn Brewery’s James Beard Award-winning Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver said, “brisk, light on its feet, and complex without being heavy. The Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon barrels take this beer where no other barrels could carry it, and I’m very proud of working with Brent and Four Roses’ brilliant team.”

(Courtesy AleSmith Brewing)

Darkness, Darkness (San Diego, CA) – Forged in 1995, AleSmith Brewing has been recognized as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies. Their beers are always worth chasing down, and the Speedway Stout variations never disappoint. And now the award-winning brewery is releasing a new variation of their iconic Imperial Stout that sounds uber-promising.

Meticulously crafted using premium espresso and Tahitian vanilla beans AleSmith Speedway Stout: Affogato Edition is a rich and robust 12% ABV Imperial Stout with bold espresso and vanilla flavors that offers the ultimate coffee beer experience. Packaged in 16oz 4-pack cans and draft, AleSmith’s latest Speedway Stout variation is now available in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Virginia.

Bold And Buzz-Free (Naperville, IL) – With more craft breweries than ever before, brewing serious non-alcoholic beer, ACB is expanding our coverage to include new NA beers that matter. And Go Brewing has a brand new NITRO brew that totally matters and the brewery’s Beer Club members get to try it first.

, 5 Festive Stouts For The Winter Holidays Inspired by Curtis Toller, a prominent Chicago gang member became an advocate to help guide inner city youth to a life beyond crime and poverty. Brimming with roasted coffee, caramel and spicy rye notes, Go Street Cred Nitro Bold is a buzz-free alternative to stouts like Guinness that we promise will not disappoint.