New Year, New Beers: Best Winter Brews to Beat January Blues

It’s January in Oregon. I could just stop there and give up but I’ll continue on, because… we must not surrender to the void of the PNW’s endless, endless winter gray. We must choose LIFE! Ok, anyway… Oregon boasts some of the best beer in the world and we are proud to offer award-winning Oregon craft beer… multi-award-winning, in fact (we’re also proud of how humble we are). Lucky for you, we’ve created this little Oregon winter survival guide complete with the best beer in Oregon to get you through. 

Let the winter beer drinking and survival commence!

Best Winter Beer for Warming Up

When winter’s got you feeling like a damp sock, our Wet Earth Winter Ale is here to rescue you—one sip at a time. Picture this: you’ve just trudged through the cold, your coat’s soaked, your boots are making that super annoying squelching sound. All you want is to be dry and warm. Enter Wet Earth Winter Ale. 

With aromas of wet earth (yes, we said it) and spicy hops, this mahogany beauty smells like the cozy comfort of a crackling fire. It’s basically all the picturesque parts of winter from the movies that everyone loves and none of the real-life parts of winter (which are literally trying to kill us) that everyone hates. As you take a sip, roasted nuts and a hint of dark fruit dance across your palate, delivering a hearty winter punch with the smoothness of a beer that’s way too easy to drink.

It’s not just the malty depth that warms you up; it’s that gentle alcohol warmth that sneaks in, wrapping you up like your favorite sweater. Before you know it, you’ve got your own personal internal sweater on as the rain keeps pouring down outside. And, since we offer our amazing Wet Earth Winter Ale in cans and on draft at the Falling Sky Brewpub, this whole scenario can unfold wherever your little heart desires.

Best Winter Beer for Drying Off

It can feel impossible to stay dry when the temperamental Oregon sky is straight up trying to drown you, am I right? But, we have the solution. Umbrella? Rain coat? Galoshes? I mean… I guess, but those are all super boring. The real and much more fun answer is… our Rain Gauge IPA. This bold brew doesn’t just help you stay dry; it grants you the power to forget about the rain altogether.

Packed with Strata, Bru-1, Comet, and Citra hops, this West Coast IPA brings a rush of tropical fruit, melons, and a dash of citrusy dankness. Those hops hit your nose like a breath of fresh, dry air right before the downpour. Each sip is a juicy, crisp escape from the soggy reality outside—because who needs to worry about wet socks when you're tasting the sunshine trapped in a can?

With a perfect balance of bitterness and fruitiness, the Rain Gauge IPA is a great beer to accompany any indoor winter activity. We recommend pairing it with cooking a winter stew, watching a UofU Ducks game from your very warm and dry living room couch, or an indoor game of Cards Against Humanity. In short, stay inside (we cannot guarantee the Rain Gauge IPA will keep you dry if you go out into the rain… physics is still a thing, even when you’re drinking award-winning craft beer).

Best Craft Beer for Powering Through

If it feels like winter in Oregon has a personal vendetta against you, it’s because it does. It also means you should grab some of our Stormwalker Irish Red Ale and suck it up. This is the beer for all you true Oregonians who refuse to slow down just because of some stupid water. This isn’t just any ale; it’s a liquid reminder that you can conquer anything, even if the weather’s trying to take you down. You shan't be stopped!

Made with only barley grown and malted in Ireland, Stormwalker is a tribute to the fiery, sometimes insane, always indomitable Celtic spirit. Just like the Irish who’ve weathered storms for centuries, this beer doesn’t just survive adversity—it thrives in it. With its smooth, bold flavors and a deep, ruby-red hue, you’ll practically be daring the rain to try and get you down. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself outside yelling f*** around and find out! in an Irish accent while shaking your fist at the sky after a few of these bad boys.

There you have it, folks! Your full-proof winter brew guide for surviving Oregon’s rainy season has come to an end. No matter which beer you choose (we recommend trying them all, obviously), just know that we believe in you. And if you need some extra support, just come on down to Falling Sky Brewpub and we can all dominate the winter together. Until the next ultra-witty blog…

LET IT POUR!!