Spooky SZN has come and gone, but that means that Turkey Day and all the other holidays are in full swing. Don’t worry about checking; I’m sure your calendar is already full. This time of year usually is full of all the adjunct-loaded Stouts, but we don’t have to tell you that Lagers and IPAs are always here to stay. Anyway, here are some of the staff picks from coast to coast.

Ohio 

Christmas Ale | Great Lakes Brewing Co.

It would be difficult to overstate how big of a deal Great Lakes’ annual release of Christmas Ale is to Ohioans. This spiced holiday ale brewed with honey, ginger and cinnamon is our first tiding of the coming holidays every year, and in late October I got to attend my first ever Great Lakes Christmas Ale First Pour event at the Cleveland brewpub. A line formed before dawn and stretched around the block on a chilly Thursday, and carolers sang Christmas standards as we all enjoyed this festive beer with balanced spice, an impression of sweetness, and just enough strength (7.5% ABV) to provide an extra layer of warmth against the cold. ‘Tis the season!

Montana

Hopkinsman Fresh Hop IPA | Imagine Nation Brewing

It’s hard to beat fresh hop season, it’s a special time of the year. Imagine Nation got in on the action this year and came up with Hopkinsman—a 7.5% hazy IPA. It was brewed with Citra and El Dorado, then dry hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra. A stellar tribute to what a fresh hop beer can be.

 

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Oregon

King Crispy | Deschutes Brewery

This beer caught me totally off guard. First time seeing it, and had no idea Deschutes Brewery was canning Pilsner. This is a 4.8% ABV German Pilsner that is right in my wheelhouse. Super clean, refreshing, bready malt and Noble bitterness. I wish I found this beer sooner, but it will be a regular buy going forward. Perfect beer when at the grill, doing chores or just chilling in front of the TV.

 

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Tennessee

Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Milk Stout | TailGate Brewery

Ah, the controversial fall beers. If you want a little bit of that fall feeling without going overboard, Tailgate has you covered with Pumpkin Spice Latte, a medium-bodied coffee milk stout with a nice touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, a dollop of cream, and some black coffee bitterness to keep it balanced and light on the palate.

Georgia

Stellar Drift Hazy DIPA | Creature Comforts

Every now and then Creature Comforts drops a beer that helps to remind Georgia drinkers as to why they’re near the top of the state when it comes to tasty and quality beers. Stellar Drift gives you all the Citra you can ask for, with an incredibly soft body. This was a limited running in their rotating series, so don’t mess around and miss out on one of the better IPAs to make a splash recently.

 

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Colorado

Ginger Pale Ale | Broken Compass Brewing

This beer is wonderfully blended and brewed by one of Colorado’s fantastic mountain breweries. What makes the beer really outstanding is how well-balanced it is. The hops are kept at an even keel for a pale ale. In addition, the level of ginger is satisfying and not overwhelmingly strong. It is 5.6 percent ABV and 27 IBUs.

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