Favorite Colorado Winter Brews
Winters are a surprise with Left Hand Brewing Co. in Longmont as they shake the season up with a rotation of re-released past favorites and new innovations. Look for delights like the award-winning Fade to Black, which is brewed with different ingredients — like licorice, cardamom and molasses — every year it's made. Snowbound Winter Ale brightens up winter days with an array of invigorating spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and orange peel. Meanwhile, the Wake Up Dead Nitro evokes chocolate-cake vibes with notes of cocoa, dried fruit and licorice.
Each winter, Grand Junction’s Trail Life Brewing concocts seasonal brews, as do numerous other breweries on the Western Slope in towns like Fruita, Palisade and Paonia. Try the Oatmeal Chocolate Milk Stout; its milk-and-cookie notes will have you feeling like you're wearing your favorite pair of warm pajamas.
Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins rings in winter with two seasonal brews. In November and December, caramel notes blend with malty hues and a lightly hoppy finish in sips of Isolation Ale. January through March, cozy up with Old Doods, a robustly smooth stout that marries the flavors of dark chocolate and barley.
Great Divide Brewing Company’s richly malted Hibernation Ale should be sipped cautiously — with 8.7 percent alcohol by volume, it’s one of the strongest winter selections. What really takes center stage, however, are the ale’s chocolate and dark fruit flavors. Visit their Denver tap room for great views of their brewhouse.
If Colorado winters had a flavor, it might very well be that of the Spruce Tip IPA from Boulder's Upslope Brewing Company. Zesty candied orange peel and bright spruce — handpicked and locally sourced — dance on the palate like snowflakes twirling down from the sky.
Other Colorado Craft Brews to Try
- Estes Park Brewery’s easy-to-drink Samson Stout
- Atrevida Beer Co.’s Chocolate Ibarra which tastes like what would happen if Mexican hot chocolate met a stout (Colorado Springs)
- Breckenridge Brewery’s hearty chocolate and caramel Christmas Ale
- Avery Brewing Company’s golden Cold Front lager (Boulder)
For information on all of Colorado’s craft brewers, visit the Colorado Brewers Guild.
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