I’m a bit of an odd duck when it comes to beer. I never really liked it at all, even the lightest lager, until I made a concentrated effort to give it a shot. I started drinking it more, experimenting with really light and fruity beers to get me used to the general flavour that all beer has. And now it’s my drink of choice and my favourite type is…dark porters and stouts! I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but I think it has to do with the porter I saw in a bar once that claimed to be chocolate flavoured.
Anyways, I now have this struggle because not many other fans of porters tend to enjoy the drink on a hot summer day. Weird right? But whatever, I just stock up on all the delicious seasonal drinks that come out in the fall and winter. So here are some of my absolute favourite drinks for those cold days.
Mill Street Vanilla Porter
This is my #1 favourite, hands down. I could drink a hundred of these if that wouldn’t literally kill me. They are only available in the winter months though. It’s usually available around late November through to February. I’ve gotten these more than once for a birthday present since I love them so much and my birthday of January 24th is just before the cut off date. They are not too dark as far as porters go, with undertones of vanilla and white chocolate. It’s super creamy and smooth.
Sleeman Steeped Coffee Ale
This is a brand new beer from Sleeman this fall. Unfortunately, it’s only available in their Beer Crate, a case of twelve bottles. Luckily, between Nick and I there is someone to drink the Regular Draught, Railside Session, Honey Brown Lager, and Steeped Coffee Ale, but if you only want the Coffee Ale you’re out of luck. It is technically called an ale, but to me, it has the profile of a porter. As I’m sure you’ve deduced it has a strong coffee flavour with just the right amount of bitterness. It’s less smooth than the Vanilla Porter, but I still find it warming and delicious.
Granville Island Lions Winter Ale
This one is not as dark as the previous two, but it is still delicious. It’s got lots of flavours coming together at once. “toffee, vanilla bean, freshly-baked bread and cocoa,” according to the LCBO website. I’m not sure I’ve picked up on all those notes, but the cocoa and vanilla bean are strong. It’s also great with a lot of the foods that are enjoyed best in winter: creamy soups and warm bread.
