As daylight wanes and the crisp Pacific Northwest chill settles into Seattle, the season calls for a shift in what fills our glasses. Longer, darker nights and frosty mornings invite bigger, richer, and more comforting profiles—beers brewed specifically to accompany roaring fires, hearty meals, and gatherings with good company.
Our brewing team has put together a diverse lineup of five cold-weather releases designed to embrace the elements, from holiday-spiced twists on taproom staples to Nordic-inspired lagers and decadent fruited sours.
Here is your first look at the winter beers landing next week across our Ballard and Downtown Seattle taprooms, as well as select bottle shops and grocery aisles throughout the Pacific Northwest.
1. Festive Crikey IPA (6.8% ABV)
Available in 16oz 4-packs & on draft at our taprooms and across the PNW.
We brewed this special batch of Crikey IPA in celebration of the holiday season. While the core essence of our flagship West Coast IPA remains true to form, we took things a step further by dry-hopping it a second time with an experimental hop variety specifically chosen to elevate and accent the bright, piney evergreen character of the original. It delivers everything you love about Crikey, wrapped in a distinct holiday forest aroma.
2. Holiday Haze (6.0% ABV)
Available in 16oz 4-packs & on draft at our taprooms and across the PNW.
A seasonal reimagining of our award-winning Hazealicious IPA, Holiday Haze combines a pillowy, soft, cake-like body with subtle additions of cinnamon and vanilla. Generous additions of expressive hops cut through the malt to layer in bright notes of candied fruit. It offers an easy-drinking, dessert-leaning spin on a classic hazy profile that feels tailor-made for festive toasts.
3. Julebokk (7.0% ABV)
Available in 16oz 4-packs & on draft at our taprooms and across the PNW.
Given Ballard’s rich Nordic heritage, our brewing team wanted to craft a holiday beer that leans directly into Scandinavian winter traditions. Taking cues from the aromatic Christmas breads found in local Ballard bakeries this time of year, Julebokk is a strong, malty lager brewed with a touch of cardamom and fermented with Norwegian Kveik yeast.The yeast profile introduces subtle stone fruit notes that complement the rich, toasted grain foundation.
4. Festive Ale (7.5% ABV)
Available in 16oz 4-packs & on draft at our taprooms and across the PNW.
Our direct homage to the classic winter warmer, Festive Ale is brewed with a robust malt bill, a touch of spicy rye, and quintessential Pacific Northwest hops, finished with real orange zest and cacao nibs. Think of peeling open a chocolate orange while sitting directly in front of a glowing fireplace, and you have the exact experience waiting in this can.
5. Fresh! Sugar Plum (4.7% ABV)
Available in 16oz 4-packs & on draft exclusively at our taprooms.
Fresh! is our ongoing series of heavily fruited sour ales highlighting dynamic fruit combinations. For the holidays, Fresh! Sugar Plum blends tart, jammy plums with smooth vanilla and a pinch of warming cinnamon. It delivers bright acidity alongside festive confectionery spices, offering an invigorating counterpoint to the heavier, malt-forward beers of the season.
Where to Find Them
All five winter seasonals will be available on draft and in 16oz 4-packs starting next week at both the Ballard Taproom(5010 14th Ave NW) and our Downtown Seattle Taproom.
Festive Crikey, Holiday Haze, Julebokk, and Festive Ale will also begin shipping to grocery coolers and specialty bottle shops throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Fresh! Sugar Plum remains a taproom exclusive, so plan a stop at the brewery if you want to secure 4-packs to take home.