Christmas parties and cozy winter nights by the fire call for festive libations. If you’re looking for the perfect glass of holiday cheer, we’ve rounded up seasonal offerings from some of Virginia’s best craft breweries and cideries.
Port City Brewing Co.
Tidings Ale
Port City brings good tidings to the holidays with this incredibly flavorful Belgian-style blond ale. This strong beer comes in at a hearty 8.5% ABV and is made with a nice array of seasonally appropriate spices, including ginger, coriander and cardamom. But all those flavors are balanced by a bit of sweetness on the backend, due to the addition of local wildflower honey. Find this one at Port City’s taproom in Alexandria or on shelves around the Commonwealth. Portcitybrewing.com
Potter’s Craft Cider
Farmhouse Dry
Potter’s has long been one of the top players in Virginia’s growing artisanal cider game. For fans of fermented fruit, the Charlottesville-based outfit’s flagship Farmhouse Dry is a must-try. Clocking in at 8.4% ABV, it’s a crisp, brightly flavored cider made with Gold Rush, Albemarle Pippin and Old Virginia Winesap apples. Since it’s available in well-designed 750 ml bottles, this makes for a classy, locally-minded gift. Also, plan to visit the Potter’s tasting room— a repurposed century-old former church with stone walls and cozy fireplaces in a rural setting just three miles south of C’ville. Potterscraftcider.com
Starr Hill Brewery
Christmas Ale
This pioneering Virginia craft brewery—now with locations in Charlottesville, Crozet, Roanoke, Richmond, Tysons and Lynchburg—has been making some interesting seasonals in recent years. Add Christmas Ale to the list. It’s a brown ale, with a nice blend of winter spices, a refreshing dash of orange peel and a generous amount of Columbus and East Kent Goldings hops—resulting in a relaxing holiday sipper that nods to old-world tradition and new-school brewing innovation. Starrhill.com
Blue Toad Hard Cider
Winterfest
Blue Toad makes a variety of hard ciders from apples picked in the Blue Ridge Mountains at their scenic outpost in Nelson County near the base of Wintergreen Resort. Winterfest is a canned offering that’s one of the cidery’s highly anticipated seasonals only available through the holidays. The spiced hard cider comes in at a reasonable 6.2% ABV, and with festive notes of cinnamon and cranberry, it goes perfectly with the Hors d’oeuvres spread at casual Christmas parties. Bluetoadhardcider.com
Hardywood Park Brewing
Gingerbread Stout
Like their favorite Christmas cookies, Virginia beer enthusiasts wait for this one to hit shelves yearly. Hardywood Park’s cult favorite is a big, boozy (9.2% ABV) imperial milk stout that has an easy-drinking creamy mouthfeel with the expected snap of baby ginger in the finish. The award-winning beer now comes in spin-off varieties, including Gingerbread Porter and Bourbon Barrel GBS—a spiced milk stout aged on bourbon barrels. Hardywood.com
