This guide is updated for the 2026 winter season.
When the nights draw in, beer changes. The crisp, thirst-quenching lagers of summer give way to something with weight: roasty stouts and porters, malty doppelbocks, a warming strong ale. These are beers to sip slowly by the fire, and they taste better served a little less cold so the flavours have room to open up.
Below are eight winter beers tasted and rated for the site, from a huge imperial stout to a smooth oatmeal stout, a couple of rich doppelbocks and a malty English strong ale. Every pick links to its full review and you can grab a case in a couple of taps.
Best Winter Beers at a Glance
| Beer | Style | Our rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayinger Celebrator | Doppelbock | 4.7/5 | Best rich lager for the cold |
| Old Rasputin | Russian Imperial Stout | 4.6/5 | Best big warming stout |
| Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout | Oatmeal Stout | 4.5/5 | Best smooth oatmeal stout |
| Young’s Double Chocolate Stout | Chocolate Stout | 4.5/5 | Best dessert stout |
| Guinness Foreign Extra Stout | Foreign Extra Stout | 4.5/5 | Best bold everyday stout |
| Fuller’s 1845 | Strong Ale | 4.4/5 | Best malty winter ale |
| Deschutes Black Butte | Porter | 4.4/5 | Best all-round porter |
| Spaten Optimator | Doppelbock | 4.3/5 | Best value dark lager |
Cold weather calls for beer with weight. Roasty stouts and porters, malty doppelbocks and a warming strong ale all bring the body and richness that a summer lager cannot. Pour these a touch less cold and let the flavour open up.
Ayinger Celebrator
One of the great winter beers. This benchmark doppelbock is deep, dark and loaded with rich toffee, dark fruit and bread-crust malt, yet it stays remarkably smooth and drinkable for its strength. If you buy one lager to see out the cold, make it this. Read the full Ayinger Celebrator review.
- Deep, rich toffee and dark-fruit malt
- Astonishingly smooth for a strong doppelbock
- A world-class winter beer
- Strength sneaks up on you
- Too rich for a light-lager crowd
Old Rasputin
A huge, warming Russian imperial stout built for the coldest nights. Intense dark chocolate, coffee and a boozy warmth make this a beer to sip slowly and savour. Rich, powerful and deeply satisfying when the wind is howling outside. Read the full Old Rasputin review.
- Intense chocolate and coffee richness
- A proper warming winter sipper
- Big flavour that rewards slow drinking
- Strong at 9 percent, so pace yourself
- Too intense for casual drinking
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
The beer that defines the style. Oats give this classic a silky, almost creamy body, with gentle chocolate and coffee and no harsh edges. It is rich enough for winter but smooth and moderate enough to drink more than one. A cold-weather essential. Read the full Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout review.
- Silky, creamy oatmeal-stout body
- Rich but smooth and approachable
- The benchmark for the style
- Understated next to a big imperial stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Pudding in a glass. Real chocolate and dark malt give this smooth stout a genuine cocoa richness that makes it the perfect after-dinner beer on a cold night. Indulgent without being heavy-handed, and lovely with or instead of dessert. Read the full Young’s Double Chocolate Stout review.
- Genuine chocolate richness
- Smooth and indulgent after dinner
- Lower strength than most dessert beers
- Sweetness is not for everyone
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
A bigger, bolder cousin of the famous draught pint. This foreign extra stout ramps up the roast, the body and the strength, delivering intense dark-chocolate and coffee bitterness. All the character of a winter stout in a widely available bottle. Read the full Guinness Foreign Extra Stout review.
- Bold, roasty and full of character
- Stronger and richer than Guinness Draught
- Easy to find
- Assertive bitterness
- A big step up from the smooth draught pint
Fuller’s 1845
A rich, bottle-conditioned English strong ale full of dark fruit, marmalade and toasty malt. It has the warmth and depth you want on a cold night without going down the roasty stout route. A classy, characterful alternative for ale lovers. Read the full Fuller’s 1845 review.
- Rich dark-fruit and marmalade malt
- Warming without being a stout
- Bottle-conditioned depth and character
- Strong at 6.3 percent
- Fuller, sweeter body than a session ale
Deschutes Black Butte
A benchmark porter that is rich enough for winter but easy enough to drink more than one. Smooth chocolate and coffee notes and a moderate strength make it the versatile dark beer for the season, whether by the fire or with a hearty dinner. Read the full Deschutes Black Butte review.
- Smooth chocolate and coffee character
- Rich for winter but very drinkable
- A versatile, everyday dark beer
- Milder than a big imperial stout
Spaten Optimator
A dependable, widely available doppelbock that delivers rich, dark, toasty malt for less than the imported classics. Smooth and warming with a clean lager finish, it is the smart-value way to keep a rich dark lager on hand all winter. Read the full Spaten Optimator review.
- Rich, toasty doppelbock malt
- Great value and easy to find
- Smooth and warming with a clean finish
- Not quite the depth of a top-tier doppelbock
The Gear for Big Winter Beers
Rich winter beers reward the right glass and a little care. These three help you get the most out of a good stout or doppelbock.
Winter Beer FAQ
What are the best beers to drink in winter?
Rich, warming styles come into their own in the cold: imperial stouts like Old Rasputin, doppelbocks like Ayinger Celebrator, smooth oatmeal stouts, and malty strong ales. They have the body and depth to sip slowly on a cold night, unlike a light summer lager.
What is a good winter warmer beer?
A strong ale like Fuller’s 1845 or a doppelbock like Ayinger Celebrator fits the bill, with rich, malty, dark-fruit character and enough strength to warm you up. Big imperial stouts such as Old Rasputin are the ultimate cold-night sipper.
Should winter beer be served cold?
Not fridge-cold. Rich stouts, porters, doppelbocks and strong ales taste best a little warmer, around 50 to 55 F (10 to 13 C), which lets the malt, chocolate and dark-fruit flavours open up. Serving them ice cold mutes the character that makes them good.
What beer is best for after dinner in winter?
A dessert stout like Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is ideal after a winter dinner, with real cocoa richness that works with or instead of pudding. A smooth oatmeal stout or a rich doppelbock also make excellent nightcaps.
