Categories: Food & Drink

Festive brews: Here are 18 seasonal craft beers you can enjoy in & around Vancouver

Wildeye Brewing's Lump o' Coal via BC Ale Trail

While the holiday season is often marked by glasses of wine – both mulled and sparkling – there are definitely festive options when it comes to craft beer too. So for all the beer drinkers out there, here are some local options to consider in and around Vancouver, courtesy of The BC Ale Trail. Check out these 20 seasonal craft beers this winter.

BC Cranberry Sour by 33 Acres Brewing (5.7% ABV)

Brewed with barley, wheat, and spelt, and fermented with a special mixed culture in an oak foeder. Refermented with BC cranberries for a delicate berry character and complex acidity.

Hedgehog Hazelnut Milk Porter by Bomber Brewing (5% ABV)

Brewed with barley, wheat, and chocolate rye, this hazelnut porter is lightened with a touch of lactose for a sweet and creamy finish.

Two Winter Beers from BREWHALL Beer Co

7109 Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (9% ABV | 61 IBU): A collab with Egan’s Whiskey and a BCBA gold medal winner for wood-aged beer.
Lambrusco Hybrid Ale (10% ABV | 27 IBU): Brewed with a light malt base to let Lambrusco grapes shine through, then cold-cellared for a year, providing a vibrant ruby tone for a fruit-forward beer.

Two Christmasy Beers from Bridge Brewing

The Grinch (6.5% ABV | 20 IBU): Spiced delicately with cinnamon, vanilla, and oak – and an emphasis on chocolate and roasted malts. Hopped lightly with Willamette, and fermented with a house yeast strain.
Santa’s Sac (10.5% | 30 IBU): Brewed with a simple malt bill and lightly hopped, fermented warm with a classic Belgian yeast strain. Look for notes of clove, banana, and peppercorn.

Seawise Giant Vertical Pack by Container Brewing (11.2% ABV)

A four-pack featuring all four vintages of Container’s Imperial Stout.

Four Seasonal Beers from Deep Cove Brewing & Distilling in North Vancouver

Frostbite Winter Ale (5.0% ABV | 18 IBU): A creamy, medium-bodied winter ale with caramel and nut flavours that finishes smooth with a subtle hint of vanilla.
Night Watch ESB (5.0% ABV | 37 IBU): A classic take on a British-style beer, brewed using Golding hops and fermented with English Ale yeast, providing a great balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness.
Luminescent Chocolate Coconut Porter (5.0% ABV | 32 IBU): Inspired by the jellyfish of Deep Cove, which lights up the dark waters with their bioluminescent glow.
Raspberry Plum Sour (ABV 5.0% | 15 IBU): A fruit-forward kettle sour pours with a rich red hue and is exploding with flavours and aromas of berry jam and freshly baked plum cake.

Holiday Jam by Electric Bicycle Brewing (5.0% ABV)

BC’s fave sour with a new seasonal twist. A “classic tang’ complimented by fresh and bright cranberries.

241 Minzeweizen by Faculty Brewing (5.2% ABV | 9 IBU)

This classic Faculty recipe is not your average winter ale. This hazy wheat beer is infused with peppermint tea for a pleasantly refreshing and unique twist on a beloved beer style.

Mood Lighting Oatmeal Stout by Settlement Brewing (5.8% ABV)

A mix of local oats and special malts creating a “velvety” ale with a coffee-chocolate finish.

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Two Seasonal Beers from Strange Fellows Brewing

Krampus (8.5% ABV): A Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel brewed with Belgian candy sugar and dark malts. Rich with the flavour of dried stone fruits, subtle toffy, and spice.
Lord Barleycorn (6.5% ABV): A “pre-prohibition” lager aged in Woodford Reserve barrels that previously held Russian Imperial Stout.

Cookies & Cream Stout (11.8% ABV) by Superflux Brewing & Brassneck Brewery

Co-created by Superflux and Brassneck, this beer was brewed with 6,000 Oreo cookies, a ton of cocoa, vanilla, and some lactose and chocolate. The BC Ale Trail calls it “over the top but truly delicious.”