When you look at the trend of seasonal beers, summer and winter tend to inspire beers with a theme of escapism. Many summer beers are low-alcohol and refreshing, served ice-cold as a remedy for the heat and humidity; on the opposite end of the spectrum, winter beers tend to be big, malty, high-gravity bastards made to counteract the wind and snow. Pittsburgh’s climate serves us up a hot, sticky summer followed by a cold and dreary winter, making it the perfect place to brew some rather extreme seasonal beers.
To us, seasonals are beers are those that are special enough that we’d consider them part of our core lineup, but subject to seasonal consumption. You may already be familiar with Mexican Coffee, our fall seasonal (this year’s iteration was released far later than shall be the case in coming years), and a pair of cold-weather compatriots are on the way – more extreme, higher alcohol, more spices, more flavor. It’s become fairly obvious to our regular customers that we have a tendency towards brewing spiced beers, and given that winter is the ultimate canvas for spiced beers, we’ll be taking the opportunity to brew some goddamned spiced beers. So without further ado, it is our pleasure to announce our winter seasonal lineup: 1.) Our take on the classic Winter Warmer, a Scotch ale with maple, and 2.) Mammoth, a winter weizenbock with cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and sweet orange peel.
Winter Warmer will be released in the taproom tonight, with Mammoth to follow in early January. 750mL bottles of each will become available shortly after they are released on draft. Happy winter, family!