Grab a pint: Best beers for every season

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Company founder Jim Koch has been a pioneer in the seasonal beer niche. But it hasn't always been easy.

“For 15 years, consumers and retailers struggled with the idea” he says. “At this point, you've even got Bud, Miller and Coors jumping on the bandwagon.”

Koch first began making seasonal beers in the fall of 1987, when he offered a double bock followed by an Oktoberfest.

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“In New England, we have very definite seasons, each of which has its own unique character and appeal,” Koch says. “I wanted to reflect the character of each season in a beer.”

“People feel the holidays as a special time of the year. They're rooted in primitive instincts, that life changes when the seasons change,” Koch said. “We forget that we are natural beings in a physical world.”

Something to reflect on, perhaps, over a seasonal brew. So if you're ready to add some seasonality to your beer drinking, here are some tips of what to look for:

Spring
The trees are budding. Birds are chirping. Life begins anew. Try Dogfish Head's Aprihop, which is brewed with apricots. Or try a bock, a German beer originally brewed by monks for the spring. Strong and malty, bocks provided sustenance during Lenten fasts. Try Ayinger Maibock from Germany.

Summer
It's hot, you're thirsty and beer quenches like nothing else. Try a wheat beer, perhaps a Blue Moon, or Sam Adams' Summer Ale. From Germany, seek out Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier. From Belgium, try Hoegaarden's Witbier, perhaps with an orange.

Fall
Harvest time. Oktoberfest for sure. But what better way to mark the season than with perhaps its signature flavor, pumpkin? Try Michigan Brewing's Screamin' Pumpkin Spiced Ale. Or Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale. Pumpkin: It's not just for pie.

Winter
Get ready for serious choices. Anchor Steam's Christmas Ale and Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale are good bets. From across the pond, Samuel Smith's Winter Warmer is a stellar example.

From Belgium, try Corsendonk's Christmas beer, one of Russell's favorites. And if you can get it, Troeg's the Mad Elf, Russell's favorite Christmas beer, a potent offering brewed with cherries and balanced with spicy yeast.

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Grab a pint: Best beers for every season