It’s hard to be an eternal hoptimist in the winter—but these local winter warmers will help you fight the chill.
Wish you were sippin’ something on a sunny beach right about now? Same. We know, we know, it’s hard to be hoppy while it’s so bleak and blustery outside—but rest assured these seasonal beers from local breweries will sate your post-holiday blues. Time to get hoppy!
Toasty vibes? Check. Malty taste? Check. Warming spices? Double check (hey, cardamom and ginger!). With all those tempting tasting notes, Crank Arm’s Icycle brown ale is anything but chilly… and it’s sure to have you craving a snuggle by a cracklin’ flame as you sip. @crankarmbrew
Get ready to rumble… Trophy’s popular imperial stout is back in celebration of its Maywood location’s 7thseventh birthday—and this special rum barrel-aged version really oughta pack a punch (!). Packed with heavy—er, rich—flavors like toasted caramel, tropical vanilla and milk chocolate (with a 14% ABV to boot!), it’s for sure tap-able. @trophybrewing
“Shine bright like a diamond.” … Or like Wye Hill’s Little Lantern Belgian-style tripel. An “ode to NC’s winter wonderlands,” this beer is flavored with local persimmons (a native NC fruit!) and spicebush berries. Dreamin’ of a (white) winter wonderland, anyone? @wyehill
Wash down those dinnertime dumplings with an order of Brewery Bhavana’s Rift No. 3 imperial stout which boasts an 11% ABV and fun, fruity and decadent flavors. Who doesn’t love a cherry and cocoa combo? @brewerybhavana
Pick your potion! With an array of ops that’ll give you all the warm and fuzzies, Burial Beer boasts an array of brews perf for winter. From the Serenade of Chaos—made with brown ale and notes of cocoa, peanut butter, cinnamon and vanilla bean—to its Houtenhamer, a double barrel-aged imperial stout in bourbon barrels, Burial stays raising the bar (and questioning what those beer names actually mean). @burialdtr
Stay warm this winter by sipping on some deliciously dark brews from our fave local breweries.
As the temps drop this winter, instead of reaching for a hot cocoa, spike things up with one of these decadent dark brews. (After all, that alcohol blanket really makes a difference…) This trio of local winter warmers is guaranteed to keep you toasty (or toasted!) through the cold.
Looking for a beer to satisfy your sweet tooth? Pour out a pint of Carolina Brewery’s Chapel Hill Toffee Stout that puts everything you love about Chapel Hill Toffee in a pint. This dessert in a can is full of flavors of dark and milk chocolate combined with the sweetness of caramel. Cozy up with a pint this Valentine’s Day at a Carolina Brewery taproom!
“After a long time on the tough trails, your wheel bearings can get super crunchy, but fear not, these Crunchy Bearings won’t let you down,” says Crank Arm co-owner Adam Eckhardt. An oatmeal milk stout, this silky smooth, berry-forward brew features Madagascar vanilla, raspberry and blackberry.
Trophy Brewing Company’s Milky Way Stout is ideal for keeping the winter chills away. This salted caramel stout is the perfect combo of sweet and salty—and is the perfect accompaniment to Trophy’s creative pizzas and snacks. Our fave pairing? The Milky Way Stout and Daredevil pizza. Sip on this beer at Trophy locations and State of Beer, or pick up a six-pack at the grocery store.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Stay warm this winter by sipping on some deliciously dark brews from our fave local breweries.
As the temps drop this winter, instead of reaching for a hot cocoa, spike things up with a decadent dark brew from some of our favorite Raleigh breweries. (After all, that alcohol blanket really makes a difference…) These 5 local winter warmers are guaranteed to keep you warm and toasty through the cold.
Savor the flavors of the holiday season all winter long at Cotton House Craft Brewers. Its Not My Gumdrop Buttons, which combines the spices of your fave gingerbread cookie with everything you love about a stout, is guaranteed to give you the warm and fuzzies.
Looking for a beer to satisfy your sweet tooth? Pour out a pint of Carolina Brewery’s Chapel Hill Toffee Stout that puts everything you love about Chapel Hill Toffee in a pint. This dessert in a can is full of flavors of dark and milk chocolate combined with the sweetness of caramel. Cozy up with a pint this Valentine’s Day at a Carolina Brewery taproom!
Crank Arm’s signature winter warmer is back for another season. Its Icycle ale is a fan fave for good reason, with festive flavors like orange zest, cardamom and ginger. Sip on a pint after a Wednesday night ride or bring it home to enjoy while cozying up on the couch.
Trophy Brewing Company’s Milky Way Stout is ideal for keeping the winter chills away. This salted caramel stout is the perfect combo of sweet and salty—and is the perfect accompaniment to Trophy’s creative pizzas and snacks. Our fave pairing? The Milky Way Stout and Daredevil pizza. Sip on this beer at Trophy locations, State of Beer, or pick up a six-pack at the grocery store.
Channel the Flannel Brown Ale is the beer collab you didn’t know you needed this winter. This brown ale combines the brewing power of Southern Peak Brewery with beans from Peak City Coffee to create a balanced coffee ale. Grab a pint (and a bite from the rotating food truck!) at the brewery in downtown Apex.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Bittersweet’s new seasonal cocktail menu is cozy in a cup.
Time oat! Humpty Dumpty isn’t the only one having a great fall. Helping us sink into all our (frigid) fall cravings is Bittersweet Raleigh’s new fall cocktail menu. Exhibit A: its Oatmeal Raisin—a hot, rich and cozy boozy blend of Jamaican Rum, Pedro Ximenez sherry, steamed oat milk and cream, vanilla, black walnut bitters, and cinnamon (and it can also be made nondairy!).
And, better safe than sober, the fall cocktail menu’ll have you feelin’ gourd with plenty o’ pumpkin, apples and chai spice (oh, my!), including a Fireside Old-Fashioned, Pumpkin Pie Cocktail and—our pick—the 4am Pancake (bourbon, cream, maple syrup, Crude coffee and cocoa bitters). *Nod to Eugene Levy’s hilarious Capital One commercial quip—if you’re up at 4am you might as well have breakfast.*
And if you’re at Bittersweet, you obv might as well have dessert. The seasonal ’zert menu features an apple doughnut cobbler, pumpkin creme brulee and a decadent s’mores sundae that’ll leave you, well, wanting s’more.
