Beer Shop

Cold Weather Seasonal Ales

January 26, 2021 – 8:33 am 2 Comments

Snow Cap Ale & Winter Solstice

I absolutely love beer, and tonight I am again like a kid who’s discovering something new. Who wouldn’t be amused at the thought of drinking winter beers in a tropical country? The weather’s been chilly this January, though, especially in the evenings.

“This is ale?” was my silent reaction as I poured my first beer, the Snow Cap. Color was Coke-dark, quite different from the India Pales I’ve been used to seeing and tasting. So this is true seasonal beer. Distinctive and purpose-driven. It isn’t ale just because it’s colored dark orange or copper. It’s ale because it has the distinctive bitterness that’s suddenly quite refreshing on a cold January night. I wouldn’t like an ale when it’s summer and searing hot, but I’d appreciate a good seasonal ale when the clime is cold like tonight.

Snow Cap Ale

And it goes well with the food I’m pairing with the beers tonight — a mishmash of East and West. Beef sausage sauteed in olive oil, dried onions and chili garlic paste. The strong spicy flavors best complement the ale’s signature taste and serve as a counterpoint to the beer’s bitterness.

Beer Sausage Garlic
Beer Sausage Garlic

The Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale is less bubbly and more dark iced tea, color wise. The taste is fruity, masking the bitterness with a heavy yet assuring tanginess that makes you retain the liquid a while longer inside the mouth, swirling the brew and making you curious about the subtleties of the ingredients.

Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

The two beers tonight are true cold weather beers.

Con-Con Rating System:
F=forgettable
G=good and will drink if available
D=desirable, will opt for seconds or more
W=wow, would go places just to seek out this beer


The verdict (assuming the beers are drunk at cold weather):
Snow Cap Seasonal Ale (Full Bodied Winter Warmer): D, alcohol 7%
Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale: D, alcohol 6.9%

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2 Responses to “Cold Weather Seasonal Ales”

  1. Fabuloustalk Says:

    Drink beer? Do you have beer belly? I used to drink 3years ago..but after that I have quite a beer belly that hard to get rid off. I stop drinking but the beer belly doesnt go away. Lol!

  2. ahhup Says:

    the meat looks so tasty!

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