Your Beer Calendar

I do enough planning for the difficult things in life that I must plan for. Beer is freedom so I will not plan for when I drink and which on what day, month, or season.

Al

 

I drank a 11% stout before a 1pm spring training game in 100 degree heat. Maybe there is something to planning out beers according to weather....

 

For me I'll have hoppy beers, porters, and stouts any time of the year, but I certainly do have "beer swings" during seasons. I personally think that the spring season is the "dullest" of seasonal releases, but otherwise I follow the ebb and flow of releases.

It's got to get cool and/or cold for me to really enjoy Octoberfests, Imperial Stouts, and Christmas/spice ales (although I certainly make rare exceptions for Yeti, Cold Mountain, and a few others...). Most Belgian styles are a bit different and I usually can drink all types throughout the year.

 

Stouts year round, IPA's year round.

Sours, never.

 

Wake up, drink

 

^THIS

Have a friend who has been letting us pick his hop "privacy curtain" (cascade and chinook) on his porch for the last couple of years.

two years ago we brewed a black IPA and a rye stout with the freshies. last year we did an esb.

 

I love quality Czech Pils, Maibocks, IPA's, DIPA's and porters year round. However, I have found that, whether intentionally or not, I only drinks Heffs in the very warm months. Additionally, because of availability, I only drink Oktoberfests during football season.

 

For me, I drink pretty much anything during the year, though I do drink less imperial stouts during the warmer months. Once it gets chilly in the fall, I start buying more bigger stouts. I dabble here and there with the seasonal beers throughout the year as well.

 

Had some 'Gansett Lager on tap at the Sox game a couple weeks ago. Was pretty pumped to see it there on draft rotation right next to Coors Light. It was a perfect match!

 

I get cravings for anything at any random time. Except stout... I like my stout year-round.

 

DAMN...those are some sweet looking hops!! Where in IL are you?

BM me if nedded.

 

I find myself following the standard calendar rotation. In recent days it's been cool in upstate NY, and I've been craving Octoberfests, Brown Ales and (lighter) Porters - beers I tend to gravitate to in the Fall (say what you want about beer-release-season-creep, it's been nice this week being able to drink fresh Octoberfests when the thermometer dips to the low 50s at night). . . . Come November I will shift to heavier porters, winter seasonals, old ales and strong ales. Then near the holidays it becomes Imperial Stout time (of course I will drink a case of Celebration - or more - from Thanksgiving to New Years - a 15-year tradition now), which lasts until March and includes Barleywines and Quads along with the heavier stouts (I will drink a case of Nugget Nectar mid-winter as well). . . . Come Spring I will want to lighten things up and/or wake up the palate with hoppy, but lighter beers, so around late March I'll get back on the IPA horse, maybe drink some Helles Lagers or Bocks as well, maybe Browns again and start to think about Pilsners. . . . Come May it's about Pilsners and lighter Lagers, then in mid-summer I'll gravitate towards Hefes and Wheat Ales.

There are some exceptions, of course. I like IPAs and will drink them year-round (of any stripe: IPAs, Black IPAs, DIPAs, etc.). I also have no qualm with having a good Imperial Stout as a dessert beer or nightcap even in the middle of summer, though I can't see myself going with a Barleywine when it's 90 degrees outside. . . . And if a brewer releases a beer that's a fish out of water, season-wise, and I really want to try it, then of course I'm there.

 

Not really into seasonal beers...

 

Any beer for any season.

 

For the most part I do the same thing. Lots of pumpkin beers. I do pumpkin beers, man.

 

I like to drink what I'm in the mood for regardless of the season.

 

Well I was in chicago but just moved to indianapolis. No freshies this year

 

I don't insist but because I live next to ski resorts I get a lot of snow and usually lose power, Nothing better then drinking a english Barley wine in front of a fire, Sucaba, or CC ones if I can get them. A good higher ABV sour can do the job too. I really enjoy cellar temp sours in front of hot fires.

 

The beer of the season is the one in me hand (likely glass). I pair more with food selection than I do season.