If October is the spooky, haunted month where we’re focused on outdoing each other with the costume du jour while indulging in more chocolate than our bodies can possibly handle, November is a warm, turkey and gravy-covered hug. It’s the gateway to the holidays with Thanksgiving taking center stage on the third Thursday. It’s also a great month to enjoy beer. Since the changing of the seasons is in full swing in the northern part of the US and it’s at least a little chillier in the southern part, the time is ripe to sip darker, maltier, more warming beers.
With the month kicking off, we figured the time was right to once again see what the professionals were drinking. We asked a handful of brewers and craft beer experts to tell us the beers they’re looking forward to drinking this November as we head into the holiday season. Their tastes run the gamut from Black IPAs, Belgian-style ales, porters, and barrel-aged beers.
MIA Big In Japan
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 9%
Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
Big in Japan by M.I.A is light in color but heavy on the ABV. The sake yeast used on this beer gives it soft notes of rice and pear. The alcohol has a little bite to it, similar to the crispness of a November morning breeze. I look forward to the warming sensation of the alcohol, but the drinkability of a classic ale.
Cabin Boys The Hallows
Jody Valenta, co-president and COO of Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
ABV: 9%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
The change in the season calls for a trip down to the beer cellar, where a bottle long anticipated can be pulled and shared with friends. This year, it was The Hallows from Cabin Boys Brewery, a Belgian-style Tripel gleaming with honey and esters and finishing with subtle spice and a lingering and warming 9% alcohol on the breath.
Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
Aaron Bridges, brewer at Finback Brewery in Glendale, New York
ABV: 8.7%
Average Price: $17.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Definitely black IPA (or Cascadian dark ale). It’s not an easy style to nail; balance is key. Deceptive in appearance but just as hoppy as its pale counterpart. Stone Sublimely Self Righteous is a great example. This Black IPA is a nice mix of toasted malts and piney hops. Definitely, a bold, unique fall IPA well-suited for November drinking.
Sierra Nevada Celebration
Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, California
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $11.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Without a doubt, it’s Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA. We’re big fans of balance over here, and this beer has it in spades: its appeal of course is that it’s fresh-hopped so it has amazing levels of bright hop character – but it’s also pretty malty as well with those roasted malts and amber color. And at 6.8% ABV, it hits the sweet spot between guzzler and sipper.
Counter Weight Fest Bier
Phil Markowski, brewmaster at Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut
ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: $11.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
When the calendar hits November that doesn’t deter me from continuing to drink Octoberfest beers. The weather isn’t cold enough for me to suddenly change course from drinking these exquisite lagers. I try to sample as many of the classic German versions as I can find but one of my local favorites is Counter Weight Fest Bier. It’s brewed less like a Marzen and more like the domestic versions served at the Munich Octoberfest. Bready and malty but not cloying.
Alaskan Smoked Porter
Aaron Halecky, brewmaster at Great Basin Taps & Tanks in Reno, Nevada
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $8.50 for a 22-ounce bottle
Why This Beer?
The Smoked Porter from Alaskan Brewing Company. As a young 21-year-old, this was my first memory of a beer absolutely blowing my mind. The pronounced, but not overbearing smoke flavor compliments the complex malty, roasted, and toasty character of the porter base beer in a way that makes your taste buds say, “Ooh, I get it… I finally get it.” It marked the start of my understanding of what craft beer actually is and everything that it can be. It opened my mind to the endless possibilities of flavors and styles that lie within – it was a game changer.
Aecht Schlenkerla Helles
Katie Beaucage, brewer at Allagash Brewing in Portland, Maine
ABV: 4.3%
Average Price: $4.99 for a 500ml bottle
Why This Beer?
It’s November and the cooler weather has finally set in. No more unexpected balmy days that come with early fall trickery. As I welcome the crisp, cool weather, I look forward to my usual autumn shenanigans – throwing on my Bean boots and jean jacket, chopping wood (or watching others chop wood while I have a beer and provide emotional support), and building a fire. What better beer to pair with this fun fall activity than Schlenkerla Helles – a beer with the perfect combination of malty sweetness, lager crispiness, and just the right amount of smoke.
Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout
Enrique Vittorino, brand manager at Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami
ABV: 14.3%
Average Price: $13.99 for a 16.9-ounce bottle
Why This Beer?
Miami weather in November could be decent enough to enjoy a proper Stout. I’d have to go with Goose Island’s Bourbon County Coffee Stout. In my opinion, Bourbon County is great as it is, but the addition of coffee provides, well, coffee notes that truly speak to me and my palate.
Bell’s Best Brown
Ian Brown, head brewer at Biggerstaff Brewing in Atlanta
ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
I always look forward to drinking Bell’s Best Brown. It’s one of the best brown ales out there and comes out around this time of year. Just the perfect balance of malt, chocolate, and hop. Love it.
Founders KBS
Chris Spinelli, co-founder and brewer at Roc Brewing In Rochester, New York
ABV: 12%
Average Price: $22 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
I don’t have a specific beer for November. Bourbon County does come out in November, but there is also a glut of other barrel-aged beers well-suited to warm you up on a chilly November night. A great choice is Founder Kentucky Breakfast Stout. This classic, warming beer is barrel-aged in bourbon barrels with coffee and chocolate. What’s not to love?
