The Bar Towel

Just got to wondering how everyone's buying and drinking habits are going to change over the winter? Namely what beers you are going to fill up on over the course of the next few months? I'm looking forward to a generous supply of St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, along with some Mill St Coffee Porter, 606, and some seasonal Winter Ales thrown in there.

Winter is imperial stout season for me. I still drink them from time to time over the summer and fall but they seem to be perfect for a cold winter night. I have stoclpiled a bunch of them over the past 6-8 months, so I am looking forward to getting in to those.

I hope we get Peche Mortel again this year. I am also hoping to get my hands on some Amsterdam Tempest...

Yeah I'll go along with the Impy Stouts as well. I've got some Parabola I'm really looking forward to as well as the Hunahpu's Imperial Stout.

I'd like to say that it's impy stout and barley wine season for me (which it is) but I realized this summer I really like this stuff year round. When Tempest was released in the sweltering heat, I was all for it, and thought it was delicious...Although I admit, I tend to squirrel away my bigger beers (that I get from Quebec, the US) for the colder weather.

I like porter styles in the fall - from Ontario I'd say Netherworld (last pint had really good malt flavors + bold USA-style hopping.)

The spiced winter ales from Great Lakes and Black Oak (Nutcracker Porter) are always fantastic. Black Oak also makes a nice Chocolate Cherry Stout if you want to go by the brewery store for those two.

Haven't had Wellington Iron Duke in bottles for a long time, but it's been great on tap and on cask.

For me its still a bit too hot for porters and stouts, who I usually turn to when the ground gets frosty.

But Fall for me is all about Pumpkin beers, and your german styles (Marzen, Alt, doppelbocks). Since I only managed to get one ST Pumking, I hope I'll be able to grab my fair share of Celebrator, which is basically MADE for this time of year.

At this point in the seasons, I am getting turned off of IPA's that I've been drinking nearly all summer, and its not quite cold enough for barleywines and the stronger belgian ales..

Gotta back up Guenard on this one - Oktoberfest, Alt's, Dopplebocks, Kellerbier's and Pumpkin Beer for me. The leaves are turning colour and I'd love to have Celebrator right about now.

Winter I gravitate toward Stouts, Porters and Winter Warmers. Hoping to come across some Hoppin Frog BORIS (any version) in my late fall travels but will gladly stock up on Black Oak's Chocolate Cherry. Now hopefully Sanuel Smith Imperial Stout will make a re-appearance this winter.

FALL:

Pumpkin ales
nut browns
marzens
black IPAs
hoppy ambers/reds

WINTER:

Impy Stouts
Barley Wines
porters, stouts

Fall: I'm just not a fan of pumpkin ales. I wish there were more octoberfests and fresh/wet-hopped ales (especially since I didn't have my own hops to do it this year).

Homebrew: I'm finishing up my hefeweizen on the warmers days and getting in to the weizen-bock and mocha porter in the cooler evenings. Will be brewing a breakfast stout later in the fall/winter... probably a warming IPA as well.

for fall i love brown ales, porters, dark belgians, marzen, dunkler bocks, doppel bocks. ive had all the pumpkin beers already and dont really plan on buying more, unless im taking them to a thanksgiving or haloween get together.

winter its all about imperial stouts, barley wines, dark belgians, and cases of aventinus. id love it if we got some of the big dark malty biere de gardes into the LCBO for winter as well.

this one would be great:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/la-choulet ... 593/54825/

for colder weather session brews, or daily drinker type brews i like fullers esb, fullers porter, netherworld, or some of the maltier darker pale ales we have here in ontario.

i probably wont stop buying pilsner urquell or mad tom either

In Fall: Lambic, Geueze, and Bier de Garde

In Winter: Plisners and Wheat Beers

In Spring- Mostly barleywines with an odd old ale

Summer- I do most of my Imperial Stout and Imperial Porter drinking on hot patios during heat waves.

The cool thing about seasonal beers is that sometimes their appearance connotes the seasons: Imperial stouts: dark winter nights. Spring: IPAs with green hops. Fall: amber oktoberfests and pumpkins to go with the leaves.