We all know what it’s like when the holidays roll around each year:  Christmas music, Black Friday sales, Santas everywhere and a general reveling in the holiday spirit. There are candles to be lit, dreidels to be spun, a baby born in a barn and all manner of family traditions as the winter begins to creep in. Amid all this joy and love, there’s also a lot of stress, social calls, presents to be wrapped and wired children to corral. So here are five different well-crafted beers we suggest offering loved ones for your feast or simply as a brief escape from the madness of the holidays.

Boston Beer Company, Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale (Boston, MA) – Not only is this beer named after a Dickens character in A Christmas Carol, it’s also a long established holiday staple, from one of the most diverse brewers in the country. Old Fezziwig is a classic example of a Winter Warmer: plenty of raisin, ginger, cinnamon and orange flavors offer spice; a variety of malts present toffee, caramel and chocolate notes. Only found in Samuel Adams Winter Variety pack. 5.9% ABV

Cigar City Brewing, Warmer Winter Winter Warmer (Tampa, FL) – For those of us who know and love what Cigar City does, it’s clear that their winter offering could only be a huge one. They go nuts with this Old Ale and English-style Barley Wine fusion, turning the ABV up to 12%. It’s a big dark ale bouncing caramel and toffee sweetness off of 6 varieties of hops that exude citrus and pine. Funny that one of the best regarded winter beers around comes from Florida, but it’s sure to ring the bells of beer nerds everywhere.

Great Divide Brewing, Hibernation Ale (Denver, CO) – This three-time medalist at GABF may be all some need come wintertime. Great Divide’s been brewing this classic English-Style Old Ale since 1995 and it only seems to get better with age. Speaking of time, this ale is aged for over three months, offering a malty richness to complement it’s complex hop character. Weighing in at 8.7% ABV, it’s not a beer for the feeble, though it’s hard to go wrong with one of the industry’s best of the season.

Lagunitas Brewing, Brown Sugga (Petaluma, CA) – Don’t be confused by Lagunitas’ “Sweet Release,” for while it does contain a good dose of brown sugar, most of it is eaten up the yeast, definitely making it boozier and only slightly sweeter. Weighing in at a hefty 9.99% ABV, there’s plenty of fruit, caramelized sugar and has the bigger body a barley wine. There is a balancing hop presence as well with plenty of citrus and piney notes on display. Be carefully, this one’s dangerously drinkable, despite the high alcohol content.

Widmer Brothers Brewing, Brrr (Portland, OR) – One of the youngest winter beers on this list as it’s only been available since 2006, Brrr isn’t your typical winter warmer. Widmer has bucked the traditional Strong English-Style Ale platform, instead offering a Northwest-style Red Ale bolstered by Simcoe and Cascade hops. This one’s a can’t miss in the Winter months, especially for those looking to quaff something more like a Red IPA than a dark ale.

Find more Winter Warmers here and stay tuned for more holiday beers coming soon!