I get asked a lot - “so what is your favorite beer”.  Damn good question. Or I get told, “Now it's winter - I only drink dark beer”.  Well, OK. That is your choice.

So does Beer have a season?  Can your favorite beer change with the season?

I don’t think that flavors of beer changes through the season, I think that our taste buds want something different based on the season.  I know when I finish a hot summer mountain bike ride, I want to crush something refreshing, juicy, and fresh. But when I am hunkered down in the dead of winter watching football, I want a beer with a malty character that warms the back of my throat as it goes down, a winter warmer.

I am not sure why dark beers seem to pair with winter, and light beers pair with summer.  Color does not always tell you what the beer will taste like. I have had plenty of nice deep black beers that taste lite and refreshing - go ahead, taste it with a blindfold.

At the brewery it is always a challenge to predict the weather, and associated drinking habits.  We try to mix in darker winter warmers when the weather is cold, and lighter refreshing beers during the mid-summer heat.  But sometimes we miss the mark. 

I am not opposed to drinking a light beer in the winter, or a dark beer in the summer, but I do get excited for new beer releases as the seasons change.  So, if you have been strict about the beer you drink based on the season, or not, mix it up this year. Look for something new on the shelf, sample something “out of season” and see what you think.  

Whatever you do, get out and enjoy all the seasons, and do it with a beer.  

Cheers.