Happy New Year! 

One of my favorite things to do in the mountains in the winter, is to return from a day of slogging (skiing, climbing, hiking, whatever!) and sit by a fire and enjoy a beer.  Here are six brews worth sampling one or celebrating with a couple: 

• Dogfish Head’s “Raison D’Etre” — a dark amber, pleasant yet bitter finish with a hint of cocoa. 
• The Shed Brewery’s “The Bull Does Love” — A hoppy beer, like any I.P.A., has a medium body and was very drinkable. 
• Long Trail Brewery’s “Hibernator” — A stout-like brew, with a medium body easy to drink. 
• Trapp Family Lodge’s “Dunkel” — Like the name implies, it is a dark beer with a medium body and has a light finish.  Because all of the Trapp Lagers are not filtered, they are complex and taste differently throughout the enjoyment of sipping. 
• Trapp Family Lodge’s “Wintergeist” — Served in a wine glass, this dark beer is a seasonal beer that is unfiltered and has wonderfully malty flavors including a not-unpleasant taste of rasberry.  It also has a higher than average alcohol content, hence the wine glass! 

These beers are available in limited quantities in various parts of New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic.

Well, thanks again for visiting.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a fan of the Suburban Mountaineer on Facebook or following me through Twitter (@SuburbanMtnr).