The Washington Winter Beer Fest is now just days away. The always-popular event focuses on big, bold winter brews produced by Washington’s breweries, and benefits the Washington Brewers Guild. Below we share the growing list of breweries and beers.
We are giving away a pair of tickets to the event (your choice of sessions). All you need to do enter the drawing is leave a comment below, or on our Facebook page, telling us which Washington-brewed winter beer is your favorite. We will pick a winner on Wednesday, December 3rd.
The event takes place on Friday, December 5th and Saturday, December 6th at Magnuson Park’s Hangar 30 in Seattle’s Sand Point neighborhood. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. One session on Friday evening and two sessions (afternoon and evening) on Saturday. This is a 21+ affair. Admission includes a tasting mug and six tokens, each good for a five-ounce pour. Additional tickets are available. Designated driver admission is $5 at the door.
For more information about the event, and about the Washington Brewers Guild, visit washingtonbrewersguild.org.
Brewery / Beer List
Kulshan Brewery
Kitten Mittens Winter Ale (winter ale)
Rich malt flavors finish with chocolate and roast malts, balanced hop bitterness and Light hop finish, 7.5
BASTARD KAT IPA (IPA)
American IPA, brewed in the style of West Coast IPA, 6.6
Washington Beer Commission
TBD
Big Time Brewing Co.
Yulefest (Christmas Ale)
Malty Christmas Ale with a chocolate note and rich Caramel compleity with a slight hop character 7%
Old Rip ( Imperial Oatmeal Stout)
Big and rich, but with a smooth finsih from the addition of Oats Infused with Coffee and beans and Cocoa Nibs. 7.4%
Jabba The Hop Cask (Imperial IPA)
Big Piney nose and Slight Citrus aroma with a slight sweet body and massive hop notes. Cask Condition and Double Dry hopped. 7.5%
Georgetown Brewing Company
TBD
Odin Brewing
Batch of the Beast (barrel-aged stout)
7.5%. Batch #666, prepare to taste the darkness. Brewed with the blackest malts around and aged in wet Oola whiskey barrels, this robust, dry stout soaked up the whiskey and barrel flavors to finish as a strong, full bodied, mouth of darkness stout.
Wine barrel-aged saison
6.7%. A gorgeous French-style saison aged in OS Wineries wet red wine barrels. The wine barrels added just a touch of color, as well as a soft floral and vanilla character.
Dirty Jackhammer (barrel-aged belgian dark w brett)
12%. We inoculate a small batch of Thor’s Equinox (our Belgian dark strong) with Brett and mature it for a year in Oola bourbon barrels. The earthiness and tartness of the Brett blend with the vanilla from the bourbon and the fig from the beer itself to create a beer that needs to be experienced to be understood.
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen
TBD
American Brewing Company
TBD
Naked City Brewery & Taphouse
The Big Lebrewski
Imperial Cream Stout aged on Kahlua soaked oak. 9.5%
Bing
English Style Old Ale aged on Bing and tart cherries and spices. 8% abv
Boundary Bay Brewery
Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever Specially brewed and bottled for the Pacific NW Winters, this winter-warmer’s deep red-brown color and rich malty flavor will complement any hearty meal. While this beer is deceptively strong, it tastes smooth thanks to an extra long, cool conditioning. It pairs well with rich, heavier foods and spicy dishes – however, Cabin Fever is also very satisfying on its own. 8.5% ABV
Oak/Bourbon Infused Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Perhaps more than any other beer, Oat Stout deserves to be called a “meal in a glass.” For many years, it was considered so nutritious, that it was often served as a health tonic! Lightly hopped, it is aged for one month to allow the medley of dark malts and oats to celebrate their union. This brew is not for the timid. Enjoy an even more souped up rendition; this keg bas been infused with aged bourbon-soaked oak spirals, licorice and toffee! 9.6% ABV
Foggy Noggin Brewing
Wee Wee (Scotch Wee Heavy)
After looking at what Santa left, you have an incredible urge to Wee-Wee! A wonderful delicious toffee sweetness matched with the perfect hoppy finish makes this a holiday tradition. ABV: 9.8% IBU: 68 SRM: 32
Christmas Duck (Porter)
This should be on your Christmas must list for beers. A mouthful of sweetened roasty flavors that linger long as a roasty dryness. Satisfying in every respect and a pint of the holiday spirit each time. Everyone deserves to celebrate Christmas year-round. Jingle Beers! Jingle Beers! ABV: 5.6% IBU: 36 SRM: 31.5
Cranberry Frost (Strong Golden Ale)
This beer reflects the seasons first frost with a crisp, bright refreshing burst of holiday cheer. A wonderful balance of cranberry bliss and perfectly balanced sweetness, makes this everyone’s favorite holiday beer. ABV: 7.3% IBU: 72 SRM: 16
Pike Brewing Company
No-Li Brewhouse
TBD
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
Avalanche Winter Ale
Avalanche has complex dark malt flavors courtesy Two Row, Munich, Aromatic and Special B malts, and 48 IBUs from Chinook and Cascade hops. 6.8% ABV
Plant 1 Powerhouse IPA
Plant 1 Powerhouse is a high gravity IPA with a 7.5% ABV, brewed with a big malt profile in mind and flavored with Cascade and Columbus hops for a big 85 IBU bite.
Zippy Lemon Abbey Wheat Ale
Zippy is brewed from a wheat and malt grist yielding a flavor reminiscent of a Kristallweizen, fermented with an Abbey yeast, and flavored to 25 IBUs with Saaz hops, then given a liberal addition of lemon juice. Think of the flavor of a shandy or Radler with a 7.2 ABV kick.
Issaquah Brewhouse
TBD
Dick’s Brewing Company
Double Diamond Winter Ale
Dick’s Double Diamond Winter Ale combines Northwest premium 2-row malted barley and ample rich Munich malt. We add a full bag of sweet caramel malt and lots of malted white wheat, with a touch of highly roasted black barley to give complexity to this ale. To give this beer it’s backbone we add plenty of Northwest hops in the brew kettle. If you like your ales with a balanced bitterness and a nice finish try this beer to keep you toasty warm on a cold night. 7.5%
Dick’s Cream Stout
Dick’s Cream Stout is black and incredibly creamy with flavors of coffee and dark chocolate. A large portion of highly roasted black unmalted barley gives this beer its opaque black color and deep flavors. Additionally, a generous percentage of un- malted flaked barley gives this beer its unmatched creaminess. We add just enough hops for complexity. 5.5%
Double Danger
This beer is “The One” Dick’s brew crew is most proud of. Brewed in honor of our mentor and friend, Dick Young, we hope you knock a few back in his honor and memory. Dick loved his Danger Ale, so we thought it was fitting that we use his original recipe and make it a bit more danger-ous. The Double Danger’s smooth flavor makes this beer a highly drinkable ale. This beer doesn’t fit any category, won’t fit into some set criteria… and we like it that way. 8.5%
7 Seas Brewing
Schooner Exact Brewing Company
TBD
Snipes Mountain Brewing
Barrel-Aged Bandolero (Bourbon Barrel Aged Rye Baltic Porter)
Made with 40% rye, split between five different types of rye malts: Three different straight rye malts, the rich spice of chocolate rye, devious caramel rye, smooth roasted rye, and the snappy body of flaked rye. Perhaps the most rye you will ever have in a beverage. Did we mention rye? Then we barrel aged it in 18 year bourbon barrels for over a year. 7.8%
AppleCran Saison.
Anacortes Brewery
Noel Winter Ale
(7.0% ABV / 45 IBU) Brewed to celebrate the holiday season, this winter warmer uses various aromatic specialty malts and has a prominent hop character from mild American Noble varieties.
Klosterbier
(5.3% ABV / 35 IBU) Originally brewed at the Anacortes Brewery under the guidance of the visiting Brewmaster of Kalt Loch Brewery in Bavaria, this beer is modeled after a dark lager brewed by Kalt Loch for the Engelberg monastery. Our version uses Perle hops and a portion of apple wood smoked malt.
India Pale Ale
(6.1% ABV / 118 IBU) Our award winning IPA emphasizes Northwest hop varieties and features significant hop flavor, bitterness and aroma from Columbus, Cascade and Simcoe.
Fish Brewing Company
Ice Breaker Winterfish (Imperial IPA)
Full bodied winter warmer, 100% Chinook hops 7.5% ABV
Spire Mountain Spiced Apple Cider (Apple Cider)
Washington apples, brewed with cinnamon, allspice and cloves. 5% ABV
Leavenworth Bakke Hill Black Lager (Black Lager)
Light body, full chocolaty flavor with hints of vanilla. 5% ABV
Mac & Jacks Brewing Co
Ibis IPA
Aromatic IPA with tropical fruit nuances. 7.0%
Cascadian Dark Ale
Dry hopped dark ale. Smooth malt presence with a background of hops. 7.0%
C U Lator Barleywine
Complex and strong malt body. 9.8%
Lantern Brewing
TBD
Harmon Brewing Co.
TBD
Bainbridge Island Brewing
Wing Point Winter Ale (Winter Ale)
Something Else (Some Other Ale)
Sound Brewery
Entendez Noel
Entendez Noel Belgian Quadrupel – 11.5% ABV 50 IBU (Winter)
Whiskey Barrel Mayan CaveBear
Mayan Cavebear Our Ursus Spelaeus 10% Belgian Imperial Stout with 3 types of Chilis and Vanilla Beans, aged in Westland single malt whiskey barrels.
Elysian Brewing
Bifröst Winter Ale
Named for the mythical bridge connecting the mortal world to the heavens. Brewed with pale malt and small amounts of Munich and Crystal malts. Bittered with Magnum and finished with Chinook and Styrian Goldings hops. Starting gravity 18.4° Plato (1.074), alcohol 6.35% by weight, 7.6% by volume.
Diamond Knot Brewing
TBD
Fremont Brewing
TBD
Port Townsend Brewing Co.
Reel Amber (Amber Ale)
A slight citrus hop flavor is balanced by a light body and crisp malt profile. A combination of citrusy Yakima grown hops and six varieties of barley provide a depth of complexity that begs another sip.
Hop Diggidy IPA (India Pale Ale)
A classic NW style IPA, Hop Diggidy has a smooth pale malt background and a full round hop profile. Dry hopping insures an aromatic and lasting hop finish, our best selling ale.
Winter Ae (Strong Ale)
Our winter ale is made from a blend of pale, caramel and chocolate malts with each contributing an interesting malt character reminiscent of a traditional English Old Ale. We then add a NW twist by agressively hopping this ale to provide contrast to the malty body.
Icicle Brewing Company
Dark Persuasion (German Chocolate Cake Ale)
Delicate dark chocolate with a whisper of coconut… You know you want it, go ahead and indulge. You can finally have German Chocolate Cake and drink it too. There’s no need to be nervous, it’s just wickedly deep and full of flavor and desire. With its provocative aroma and smooth body, this is certainly the darkest of fifty shades of risqué. ABV:6.5%
Crosscut (Pilsner)
We’ve brewed up a bit of our local logging history and crafted a medium-light bodied Pilsner-Style Lager that offers up a hint of our home. Like the surrounding Northwest forests we call our back yard, this beer is complex in its subtleties. From a clean malty profile to a moderate Noble-hop flavor and aroma, our Lager combines local ingredients and local inspiration, which results in a beer that’s a cut above the rest. ABV:5%
Two Beers Brewing Co.
Barrel-aged Jive Espresso Stout
Oatmeal Milk Stout, aged in whiskey barrels. 7.5% ABV.
Cold Brew
Locally roasted coffee is combined with a roasty, chocolatey brown ale creating a smooth companion for Seattle winters. 5.3% ABV.
American Strong Ale
This delightful beer has notes of toffee, caramel, and biscuit but is balanced out by a substantial bouquet of hops. Drinks like a clean barleywine. 9.0% ABV
Big Al Brewing
Winter Warmer
Dark Strong Ale – 7.5% ABV
Smoked Porter
Smoked Porter – 5.8 ABV
Hopped Farm House Ale
Hopped Farm House Ale – Brewed with Brett – 7.3 ABV
Rainy Daze Brewing
TBD
Bale Breaker Brewing Company
High Camp Winter Warmer
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co
10 Below (Imperial Dunkelweiss spiced with molasses
Our annual Dunkelweiss is spiced with molasses and comes in at 8% abv. This malt forward beer showcases amazing depth of character and stands out among the typically aggressive winter offerings.
Barrel Aged Selection (tbd)
from our barrel aging program
Rock Bottom
TBD
Elliott Bay Brewing
Organic Noäle Holiday Ale
Dark Wheat Bock 8.5% ABV
Epic Ales LLC
Chocolate orange stout
A hearty stout brewed with orange blossoms 7 abv
X-Mas Partytime!!!
A festively spiced sour ale. 5 abv
The Dark Bleak Blahs of Winter
A rich balanced winter ale. 7.5 abv
McMenamins
TBD
Redhook Brewery
Winterhook 30th anniversary
Winter seasonal, dark and rich in color with Chocolate malts to create bold flavor 6%
Blackhook Barrel Aged
Porter aged whisky barrles 8%
Ryeberia
Rye beer with strong malt notes and hoppy finish 6.5%
Black Raven Brewing Company
Festivus Holiday Ale
This copper colored ale helps us celebrate the holiday season in Black Raven style. This limited release features various citrus peels, cranberries, galangal root, and a mélange of Christmas spices. ABV 7.1%
Hilliard’s Beer
OMG COOKIES
SHERRY BARREL AGED PORTER
Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Ol’ Mallwalker
Ol’ Mallwalker – A festive strong ale, hopped with Chinook/Cacade – 9.0%
Dawgsled
Dawgsled – rich and malty winter ale – 8.0%
Peddler Brewing Company
TBD
Silver City Brewery
Winter Bock (Winter Lager)
7% ABV a strong winter lager with deep, rich color and mild roast.
Old Scrooge Christmas Ale (British Style Barley Wine/Old Ale)
8.5% ABV a rich and malty British Barley Wine with all the character of a fine wine. Intriguing notes of apple, cherry and apricot occur naturally.
Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Scrooge
9.5% ABV 2013’s batch of Old Scrooge aged for a year in bourbon barrels, imparting rich notes of vanilla & sweet bourbon.
Do you know if there are going to be food options available?
Looks like the list was finally updated and includes alot of beers that are not listed in your article. Here’s the updated list:
http://www.washingtonbrewersguild.org/Events.html
Chuckanut will have Bean Stop Coffee Porter and Vienna Lager.
last year I loved Mocha Death from Iron Hourse, but I don’t see them on the list this year. I would say from the current list Black Ravens Festivus. Cheers!!
Black Raven Feativus
Always excited to try the Jolly Roget but most exciting
Day is always 12/1 for Old Wooly!
Bourbon barrel Jolly Roger!
Icicle Brewing Company’s Dark Persuasion of course! Yummy!
Pyramid Snow Cap.
Loved the OMG Cookies
Hilliard’s Beer OMG COOKIES
I have lived in WA as a student for four years and haven’t been to a beer festival yet, I would love to go!
Fremont’s DarkStar beer is a very good, but when they add a hint of Vanilla, it shoots up to the top of my Dark beer lists!
Fremont always has some awesome DarkStar variants, I’d love to try them out at Winter Beer Fest!
I’m relatively new to winter beers so don’t have a favorite – looking to discover new favorites at the fest! Recently I’ve had Two Beers Jive Espresso Stout & Hi-Fi’s Porter which I really enjoyed.