A Comparable Winter Ale

By Rachel Leingang
Contributing Writer

When snowdrifts start forming in driveways and the roads become slick with glaringly dangerous ice, winter brews begin to populate the taps at the local bars. While winter ales vary depending on the brewery, the general theme tends to be a darker beer, usually with some added spices like cinnamon, ginger and citrus. The problem with falling in love with a winter ale is that it only stays on tap for a month or two, and that leaves far too many months without it.

One style of beer that may be comparable to some winter ales but accessible year-round is the Belgian Quadrupel. Belgian Quads have a bold flavor and are very malty, and are generally quite strong– usually between 9 and 13 percent average alcohol by volume (ABV). It should be noted that when drinking beers with higher ABVs, be aware that they can sneak up on you. If you’re accustomed to drinking light beers like Bud Light or Keystone, pace yourself with a Belgian Quad. One Belgian quad equals two to three Bud Lights. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself by treating the Belgian quad like a frat-party-Busch Light-type chugging beer – it is certainly meant to be savored over a longer period of time.

BeerAdvocate.com suggests pairing a Belgian quad with cheeses, ranging in variety from Brie to cheddar, and “general meats” like beef and game. Since the flavor is so bold, I suggest drinking it on its own, without food, upon first tasting.

The first Belgian quad I tried was the Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend. It comes in a large corked bottle. I’ll be honest – I only bought it because it looked so classy. I assumed that any beer sold only in a corked bottle just had to be tasty and that I would look like a true beer connoisseur. And then I tried it. At first, I was confused. I typically drink very hoppy beers like India Pale Ales or Imperial IPAs, and I am a huge fan of the bitterness of hops.  I’m not sure how to describe my initial feelings except “thick.” I drank only half a pint before I handed it off to a friend and called it a day. I also drank it while eating tons of pizza because that’s my favorite way to enjoy beer, so maybe that contributed to its heaviness.

I recently tried Deschutes Brewery’s new Belgian quad, the Stoic, on tap at a local bar where I now live in eastern Washington. And again, at first, I was overpowered. It was very fruity and much lighter in color compared to the Three Philosophers. It actually reminded me a lot of a Hefeweizen, mostly because of it’s citrusy taste and a kind of bubblegum-ness that is common to Hefeweizen. To be fair, I really don’t like Hefeweizen beers, so I was immediately put off by the Stoic. Usually when I initially don’t like a beer, I’m ready to give it another try, but sadly, the Stoic was a limited released and only brewed once.

To beat the winter blues, check out some uncommon styles, whether they be seasonally brewed winter warmers or Belgian quads. It’s important to always be stretching the beer-tasting muscles instead of relying on a standard PBR.

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