Don’t watch the news. It’s a trap. A depressing trap. The weather, full of ice storms with names, is no good either. Also, it looks like the Patriots are probably gonna win the Superbowl again. Sigh. But there’s a bright spot on the horizon, and that bright spot is beer. We found six brand new beers that we’re incredibly psyched to drink right now. So you should be psyched too.
Good People Brewing Snake Handler Double IPA
If you live in Birmingham Alabama, you can get this beer on draft year round at the brewery, but the rest of us have to wait for the sporadic can releases. One of those releases is happening right now. Snake Handler is a 10% double IPA that is full of flowers, pineapple, spice and everything nice. They want you to drink it as soon as you can. The beer was released on the 15th. Go!
Lone Tree Brewing Horchata Stout
Chocolate, cinnamon and lactose…those are the key ingredients to this stout which mimics the creamy texture of the Horchata. It’s part of Lone Tree’s experimental (but successful) Branching Out series of beers, which have moved from draft only to being distributed in big-ass bottles. It’s 6%, and hard to find, but all good things in life are worth the effort.
Dogfish Head Wood-Aged Bitches Brew Stout
This version of Bitches Brew is no joke. The beer pays homage to Miles Davis, and consists of three parts imperial stout aged on oak and one part “native African honey beer” aged on Palo Santo. It’s 9% and it’s on the streets starting this weekend in six packs. Even better, it’s going to be available year round throughout 2018.
Odell Brewing Settle Down Brown
I’m typically not a fan of brown ales, which I consider the beige of all beer styles, but Odell promises this beer will be something different by taking the malty notes of the brown and “brightening” them up with some tropical damn hops. They’re promising notes of pineapple, coconut and pine. I can get behind that. Look for it in 12 packs of cans.
Fremont Brewing Stone Squirrel
Seattle’s Fremont Brewing sources some locally roasted coffee for this porter (because they’re in Seattle) and throws in some chocolate and roasted malts and Columbus hops from the Yakima Valley. The result promises to be rich with chocolate and coffee. It’s 5.4% and only available through the month of January. Get it.
Bauhaus Brew Labs Uber Duber Imperial Sparkling Ale
Honestly, I don’t even know what an “imperial sparkling ale” is, but I want some. Here’s what Bauhaus Brew Labs has to say: it’s “an effervescent, golden daydream.” Okay. Apparently, sparkling ales are a thing in Australia, and this beer is an homage to that thing. It’s full of aussi hops which provide tropical fruit galore, and it’s 8%, which is perfect for the heart of the Midwestern winter.