Holiday microbrew:

Sprecher Winter Brew

Don’t take our word for it - after such exhaustive testing our judgment might be slightly impaired - but you can’t argue with the judges at the World Beer Cup, an international competition judging the best beers. Sprecher’s Winter Brew has won gold and bronze awards in the European style dark beer category at the biannual event.

The Beverage Testing Institute gives high marks to the Bavarian style brew as well: “Sweet toasted malt aromas have a lightly roasted, burnt character. Follows through with a chewy and rounded medium-bodied palate that finishes with good balancing bitter hop notes.”

Need more convincing? Then how about some words from the brewmaster himself: “I have to admit, Winter Brew does go with a lot of things,” says Randy Sprecher.

It tastes great with traditional German food - potato salad, cabbage, any kind of wurst.

“My wife likes to make stew. She puts it in the stew and serves it with the stew,” Sprecher says.

But Winter Brew’s versatility doesn’t stop there. It’s a nice complement to spicy dishes because it is not an overly aggressive dark beer, Sprecher says, and it has very little bitterness to it. Asian noodle salads, jambalaya or spaghetti and meatballs with a spicy tomato sauce are a few of Sprecher’s suggestions. And don’t forget dessert: Winter Brew goes well with cr�me brulee, he adds.

Maybe the kiddies should leave a glass out with the plate of cookies for Santa, too.

The seasonal beer is available beginning in early November.