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Best Winter Beers In Los Angeles Right Now

What better way to celebrate the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus season than with some holiday beer? Los Angeles breweries are stepping up their game this winter, unleashing big, bold brews suitable for sipping when the temperature dips to down to the frigid 50s. 
Eagle Rockverified dave klein
(credit: Eagle Rock Brewery)

All Your Oat...
Eagle Rock Brewery
3056 Roswell St.
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(323) 257-7866
www.eaglerockbrewery.com

If you want to experience a white Christmas in Los Angeles, keep dreaming. But if you want to experience a white winter IPA, Eagle Rock Brewery has you covered. Their annual holiday favorite, full name All Your Oat … Are Belong to Us, features a trifecta of oats (malted, flaked, and golden naked to be exact), a seasonally-appropriate hoppy pine aroma, not to mention a name inspired by a late '90s meme (because, why not?). Cans of this smooth, hazy delight would be a welcome addition under any Christmas tree.

La Befana Homage Brewingverified dave klein
(credit: Matthew X. Garcia)

La Befana
Homage Brewing
281 S. Thomas St. #101
Pomona, CA 91766
www.homagebrewing.com

For those of you not brought up in Italy, La Befana is essentially an old lady St. Nick who on Epiphany Eve (January 6th) fills good kids' stockings with candy, and naughty ones with coal. It also happens to be a stellar oak-aged winter saison courtesy of the good folks at Homage Brewing in Pomona. This dark farmhouse ale spends up to a year in red wine barrels, and then bottle conditioned for an additional three months. The end result is a beer that pleasantly tart with just the right amount of funk, making it an ideal stocking stuffer. 

Mumford Brewing verified dave klein
(credit: Mumford Brewing)

LYPHE
Mumford Brewing
416 Boyd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
www.mumfordbrewing.com

While Mumford has made a name for itself with their juicy New England IPAs, the popular downtown brewery also excels in the non-hazy department. LYPHE, their collaboration with Oceanside's Horus Aged Ales, should be no exception. It's an English-style barleywine brewed with -- get ready for this --REAL caramel. DROOL. Cans are scheduled to drop Christmas and are sure to go fast. Forget fruit cake. This is truly the ultimate dessert for the holiday season.

Beachwood Brewing & BBQverified dave klein
(credit: Beachwood Brewing & BBQ)

Tovarish
Beachwood Brewing & BBQ
210 E. 3rd St.
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 436-4020
www.beachwoodbbq.com

Beachwood's expansive beer lineup includes several award-winning favorites, but perhaps none have such a devoted fan base as this incredible coffee-forward 11.2% ABV Russian Imperial Espresso Stout. Made with blackstrap molasses and Portola Coffee Lab espresso (brewed with high quality Arabian Mocha-Java coffee), Tovarish is sure to keep your comrade warm. Cans (yep, Tovarish will be sold in 16 oz cans this year) are scheduled to be released December 30 so don't forget to stock up for your New Year's celebration. 

highland-park-brewery-sarah-gardner - Verified Dave Klein
(credit: Sarah Gardner)

The Party
Highland Park Brewery
5125 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 739-6459
www.hpb.la

Highland Park head brewer Bob Kunz is no stranger to crafting top notch IPAs, as anyone who has tried 1UP, Neon, or his countless other tasty hop creations can attest. The Party, HPB's winter IPA offering strays a bit off the beaten path with Spanish cedar providing a pleasant spiciness that perfectly complements the beer's mosaic and cascade hop bill. This will be a draft only offering, so if you want to enjoy The Party you'll have to invite yourself over to HPB's homebase The Hermasillo, ugly sweater not required. 

Infinite Wishes with Glassverified dave klein
(credit: Smog City Brewing)

Infinite Wishes
Smog City Brewing
1901 Del Amo Blvd. #B
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320-7664
www.smogcitybrewing.com

Mark your calendars for January 20th because Infinite Wishes is making its triumphant return. Smog City's coveted imperial stout spends year aging in bourbon barrels developing notes of rich fudge, vanilla, and boozy oak. This one's suitable for aging so grab a few bottles and it enjoy for years to come. Basically, if you're prone to suffering from the post-holiday blues, here's your cure.

Article by David Klein.
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