14 Stout Beers That Will Get You In The Holiday Spirit

Dark and decadent, stout beer is the perfect treat around the holidays. The creaminess of the beer is oh-so comforting and the bold flavors that you get from the roasted barley and additions like milk, chocolate, and dark malt go well with a wide array of holiday dishes such as fruit cake, roasted turkey, and gingerbread cookies. Stout beer also pairs well with fried foods, barbecue meats, and chocolate. Then again, you can simply enjoy it on its own in all it's velvety glory. There are plenty of stout beers to choose from, but if you really want to get into the holiday spirit, there are several that stand out for their festive flavor profiles.

Come winter, many craft breweries release special-edition stout beers that are perfect for sipping in front of the fireplace with family and friends. These beers are rich, silky, and laced with familiar holiday flavors like chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You can also find unique stouts with ultra-Christmasy flavor profiles like peppermint bark or gingerbread. If you're looking for a sumptuous stout beer that will give you even more reason to be merry this season, consider picking up some of these holiday-inspired stouts. 

Established in 2006, Port Brewing produces a wide range of craft beers from its brewery in San Marcos, California. Santa's Little Helper is a seasonal beer that Port Brewing releases in the lead-up to the holiday season. It's typically available from late October to November. This Christmas-themed beer is an imperial stout, so you can expect a full-bodied beer with a rich mouthfeel and intense flavors. It also has a decent ABV of 10%, which gives it a touch of warmth on the finish.

The first thing you might notice when you crack open a Santa's Little Helper is the aromas of coffee, cocoa, and hazelnut. The carbonation is mild and the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The flavors are similar to the nose with notes of chocolate, nuts, and just a touch of coconut. It's initially sweet, but the alcohol creeps in to cut through the sweetness, giving it a dry, slightly bitter finish. Overall, this is a great sipping beer that stands out from many other holiday-inspired beers. As one reviewer on Beer Advocate said, "This isn't your typical "ginger, cinnamon, honey" beer. It's unique, well-made, and delicious."

If you're looking for a dessert beer to sip on with your sugar cookies or fruit cake, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout is a good bet. This imperial milk stout gets its Christmas flavors from vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and wildflower honey. Fun fact: the wildflower honey comes from local farms in Central Virginia, which is where Hardywood is based. The stout is rich, creamy, and laced with holiday spices. The ABV of 9.2% also gives it a slight kick that will warm you up on a cold winter day.

Hardywood's Gingerbread Stout gets rave reviews from tasters with a "world-class" score of 95 on Beer Advocate. Fans love that the beer lives up to its name with aromas and flavors of gingerbread cookies. It sounds like it would be ultra-sweet, but many tasters say it's not overly sugary. Instead, it's well-balanced with touches of sweetness, spice, and sharpness from the ginger and hops. As one reviewer said, "I love how [the] sugar aromas do not translate into the taste ... The overall harmony and balance in the beer is excellent." Another reviewer said, "It's a damn near perfect occasion beer for the holidays."

Since 1996, Stone Brewing has been impressing beer lovers with its interesting brews. The company got its start in San Marcos, California, and eventually grew to the point where it now has a much larger facility in Escondido and multiple tap rooms and shops. It also distributes its beer across the country. Stone Brewing is best known for its innovative India pale ales, but it also offers interesting dark beers like a dark lager, smoked porter, and several stouts. If it's a holiday beer you're after, look no further than the Xocoveza Imperial Stout.

This unique imperial stout was inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, so it features a heady mix of chocolate, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was originally released as a special-edition beer in 2014, and people loved it so much that now it's an annual seasonal release. It's rich and malty with flavors of cocoa and spice that play off each other brilliantly. As the Tap Takeover said, "Xocoveza is an outstanding, potent stout that is perfect for the cold months considering the spices infused in the beer." The ABV of 8.1% also adds to the warming character of the beer.

Prairie Artisan Ales is owned by Krebs Brewing Company, which is the oldest brewery in the state of Oklahoma. The brand got its start in 2012 with its Prairie Ale and soon after created Bomb!, its flagship imperial stout. The Christmas Bomb! Imperial Stout is a holiday-inspired beer that takes Bomb! to the next level with cacao nibs, vanilla beans, coffee, chilies, and Christmas spices. It clocks in at a hefty 13% ABV.

To say that the Christmas Bomb! packs a wallop of flavor would be an understatement. Tasters have noted everything from chocolate to cinnamon, roasted malts, licorice, and nutmeg. One reviewer on Beer Advocate said, "It's hard to pin down an explicit Christmasness here, but there is certainly some sort of dessert baked goods character. Maybe some sort of gingerbread, maybe a rum-drenched fruit cake, cinnamon or chocolate babka, but certainly plenty of chocolate." It also has a medium-body and velvety mouthfeel. If you're looking for a stout packed with Christmasy goodness, this is a good bet.

Denver-based brewery Great Divide has been pumping out unique brews since 1994. "Bold character" is its motto and that's exactly what you get with the Yeti line of stouts. You can opt for the regular Yeti Imperial Stout or try specialty versions flavored with espresso, Mexican chocolate, and pumpkin spice. All of those work well as holiday beers, but if you really want to get into the Christmas spirit, the Peppermint Bark Yeti is the way to go.

It's not often that you see peppermint-flavored stout beers, and that's exactly what draws many people to the Peppermint Bark Yeti. It gives similar roasted malt flavors to the original Yeti, but with the addition of peppermint chunks, chocolate, and vanilla. The result is a smooth, creamy beer that brings to mind mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's slightly sweet, finishes dry with a touch of mint, and gives a bit of heat from the 9.5% ABV. At the time of writing it was not available on Great Divide's website, although we did see cans of it for sale at Total Wine and from various other vendors.

If you love barrel-aged beers, you can thank Goose Island for being the first to come up with this unique beer-making technique. The Chicago-based company started experimenting with barrel-aged beers in 1992, and today its collection of barrel-aged stouts has somewhat of a cult following. Every year on Black Friday, the company releases a new Goose Island Bourbon County Stout lineup featuring innovative brews in a range of flavors. One of the stand-outs from the 2024 release is the Bourbon County Macaroon Stout.

If you like dessert beers that are reminiscent of baked goods, the Bourbon County Macaroon Stout will be right up your alley. The imperial ale is aged for an entire year in bourbon barrels and then flavored with cocoa nibs, toasted coconut, and candied ginger. At first, you get sweet notes that bring to mind coconut cookies and chocolate shortbread. That sweetness is nicely balanced out by the tannins from the oak barrels and the coffee-like flavors of the stout. Adding to the complexity of the beer is the 14.6% ABV, which helps to cut through the richness of the beer.

Ommegang isn't your ordinary craft brewery. For one, it's a farmstead brewery set on a 140-acre farm in Cooperstown, New York, that once produced hops. In addition, the company focuses mainly on Belgian-style beers, so it has some interesting offerings that you won't find at many other American craft breweries. Everything Naughty is Ommegang's Christmas-inspired beer that features a unique blond imperial stout flavored with white chocolate.

At first glance, you might not expect Everything Naughty to offer the rich flavors that it does. That's because the blond stout has a golden color as opposed to the deep coffee-colored hues you see with most stouts. Take a sip though and you'll be treated to flavors of coffee, nutmeg, and chocolate. It has a medium body with decent carbonation and a bit of warmth from the 9.5% ABV. One reviewer on Untappd called it, "The best blonde stout I've had. Smooth with just a little stout bitterness on the back end." If you're looking for something unique to bring to a holiday party, this one is sure to be a conversation starter.

Portland-born Great Notion Brewing always seems to have something interesting going on, from experimental fruit beers to tart ales and non-alcoholic hop waters. The company also makes a variety of unique stouts including barrel-aged stouts and breakfast stouts infused with coffee. The Holiday Double Stack Imperial Breakfast Stout gives homey vibes with flavors that might bring to mind pancakes, French toast, and coffee. That's because the stout is aged with whole-bean coffee and flavored with maple syrup. We reckon it would be perfect for a boozy holiday brunch.

Crack open a can of the Holiday Double Stack Imperial Breakfast Stout and you'll get aromas of coffee and maple right off the bat. As one Beer Advocate reviewer said, "Gives you that 'ooh this is going to be good' feeling deep down inside." The mouthfeel is luscious and creamy with medium carbonation. Flavor-wise, you get hints of coffee, roasted barley, chocolate, caramel, and sweet maple syrup. It has an ABV of 11%, but the flavors are so rich and bold that you may not even notice the hit of alcohol in the finish.

Based in Placentia, California, The Bruery is all about creating craft beers with complex flavor profiles that aren't necessarily representative of typical beer styles. Take for example the Black Tuesday imperial stout. It's aged in bourbon barrels for a full year and offers hints of creamy desserts and fruit. It's only released to the public one day a year (usually in October) and tends to sell out fast. If you can get your hands on some of these 750-milliliter bottles, you'll probably want to snap them up pronto or you could be left waiting for next year's release.

Rich and decadent, Black Tuesday is a full-bodied imperial stout that boasts flavors of dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, and fruit. Despite that, it's not overly sweet. As one Beer Advocate reviewer said, "Surprisingly, it doesn't lean heavily on cloy of dark chocolate/caramel/vanilla, though there is that. It actually leans fruity; candied plum, black cherry, and fig." Some also say it's not as thick and syrupy as some stout beers can be. Just be warned though — this is one seriously boozy beer. The 2024 edition has a whopping 19.7% ABV, so you might want to share some glasses of it instead of trying to tackle the whole bottle yourself.

WeldWerks Brewing Co. has been impressing beer lovers in Greeley, Colorado, and beyond since 2015. The company's mantra is "dialed-in beer," which refers to the high standards it places on every batch it creates. The company has produced more than 700 beers over the past decade, many of which have won awards at beer festivals and competitions. One that gets outstanding reviews is the Little Man Salted Oreo Stout.

If you love dessert beers, this milk stout will probably tick all the right boxes. It features Little Man ice cream, Oreos, vanilla, milk sugar, and just a touch of sea salt. It's sweet and creamy, but also offers up roasted malt for a bit of bitterness to balance out the sweetness. As one Beer Advocate reviewer said, "Rich and decadent, but not overly so." With an ABV of 6.5%, this is an easy-drinking beer that goes down smoothly. It's the perfect beer to finish off a holiday feast, but can also be savored on its own as an indulgent treat.

Bell's Brewery is named after founder Larry Bell, who began brewing beer out of a soup pot in his kitchen in Kalamazoo, Michigan, back in the '80s. Fast forward about 40 years and the company ships thousands of barrels of its award-winning beer across the country every year. There are numerous Bell's beers to choose from, but if you want one that will give you all the holiday vibes, the Special Double Cream Stout is a must-try.

Based on the name, you might think the Special Double Cream Stout is a milk stout. However, it's actually a sweet stout that's dairy-free. It gets its richness and flavor from 10 different roasted malts that impart flavors of chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and toast. The ABV is only 6.1%, making this lighter than many of the other stouts on this list. One Beer Advocate reviewer commented, "The feel was a bit thin for a stout, especially a double, but as the ABV makes it possible to drink more than one without falling over, the thinness works in its favor."

Not too many beers manage to get a near-perfect score of 99 out of 100 on Beer Advocate, but then again, not too many beers are like Abraxus. It's made by Perennial Artisan Ales, a small-batch brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. What sets this beer apart from many other imperial stouts is the unique combination of ingredients. It gets richness and depth from cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and ancho chili peppers. It also has a bit of a kick from the 11.5% ABV. 

Reviewers have overwhelmingly positive things to say about this stellar stout. According to most tasters, all of the flavors meld together to create a beautifully balanced beer that is sweet, spicy, rich, and earthy all at the same time. Many people comment on how the cinnamon flavor comes through just enough to make itself known, but doesn't overpower the beer like it can do in some other styles of beer like pumpkin beers. Overall, it's a silky smooth stout that keeps on giving with every sip. One Beer Advocate reviewer described it as a, "Truly incredible stout. A Xocoveza on steroids."

Established in 2016, Evil Twin Brewing is a small microbrewery operating out of the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, New York. Always experimenting with new ideas, Evil Twin creates an array of interesting beers with equally interesting names. Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room is a festive imperial stout that features toasted coconut, marshmallows, cocoa nibs, and vanilla. It's equal parts sweet, smooth, and roasty with a respectable ABV of 10%.

You get all the flavors you would expect of a dessert stout in this full-bodied beer and then some. The nose offers up hints of vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. The mouthfeel is creamy and the taste is layered with the same flavors you get on the nose, as well as hints of dark fruit, hazelnut, coffee, and toasted coconut. Despite its sweetness, it has a dry finish thanks to the solid ABV. Reviewers say it's an excellent dessert beer and late-night sipper. Some say it also goes well with a nice cigar and makes for the perfect Christmas Eve nightcap.

With a name like Crux Fermentation Project, you can probably guess that experimentation is ingrained in the ethos of this innovative brewery in Bend, Oregon. You'll find some interesting creations here, from Japanese rice lager to saison ale and barrel-aged stout. Founder and brewmaster Larry Sidor created Tough Love just four months after the brewery opened, and it's been earning fans ever since. It's a big, bold Russian-style imperial stout that's aged in bourbon barrels and only released once a year in November.

A lot of work goes into producing Tough Love and it shows in the final product. The imperial stout is made with roasted malts, rye, and smoked wheat and then aged in single-use bourbon barrels made of charred American oak. It rests anywhere from six months to a year and is flavored with Madagascar vanilla and dried cherries. What you get is a rich, creamy stout that offers earthy, fruity notes and a nice warm finish from the 14% ABV. It's a great match for holiday dishes like roasted or smoked turkey, charcuterie platters, and dark chocolate.