When you pop into your favorite craft beer pub throughout the year, chances are you tend to pick new drinks based on the season. Drink specials and new beers on the market are typically seasonal drinks crafted to taste the best based on the weather.

But how do breweries know what you’re craving? And what makes a seasonal beer truly seasonal?

Here’s everything you need to know about beer through the seasons and why that stout tastes so great after you’ve finished a long day shoveling.

What makes a beer seasonal?

Not all beers are seasonal in the same way. Some beers are seasonal based on their structure. For instance, summer beers are light and refreshing to combat with the heat while winter beers are darker and spiced sweeter.

Other beers are seasonal based on their holiday-specific flavors. During the fall, you’ll notice that pumpkin-flavored beers are the biggest trend.

What are the different seasonal styles?

Seasonal drinks are best categorized by, well, season. That being said, here are some of the drinks you can expect to find on your craft beer pub’s beer list throughout the year:

• Winter: Winter is dark and cold, which means you need dark, sweet a beer that’s going to warm you up and feel like you’re home for the holidays. Some of the flavors and styles to watch out for during the winter months include stouts, porters, imperial, bourbon, chocolate, coffee, and eggnog. You’ll also find that many winter beers are also commonly flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, cocoa, and peppermint.
• Spring: Spring beers are on the lighter side because they’re trying to pull you out of the winter season. Some of the flavors and styles to watch out for include dry beers, Saisons, American lagers, and Irish stouts.
• Summer: Summer beers reflect the hot weather and long days. These beers are light and drinkable with lower alcohol content at around 5% abv. Craft beers commonly range from 5% to 10% abv. Common summer styles and flavors include fruit, wheat, pale, hoppy, and classic pilsners.
• Fall: Fall drinks start to get heavier as the weather gets cold. These drinks are focused more on autumnal spiciness than they are on being refreshing. Common styles and flavors you can expect include pumpkin, maple, amber, Belgian, and Oktoberfest.

Ready to try your own fair share of seasonal drinks?

Dead Presidents Pub offers an extensive beer list whether you’re craving seasonal drinks or craft beer contenders. And that’s just the beer.

Dead Presidents Pub is also a historic eatery so you can get your fill of incredible food and popular craft beer all in one place. To learn more about our food or beer list, or for information on our party catering, contact Dead Presidents Pub today.