In the olden days, fruit was used to help sailors ward off scurvy. Today, it’s used to make delightful beers. Because fruit beers aren’t just for summertime, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite fruit-laden libations for your winter drinking pleasure.  

New Holland Lost Dune Blueberry Golden Ale 

Beer style: Fruit and Field 
Featured Fruit: Michigan Blueberries 

Golden. Blueberries. Coriander. Tasty. This radiant fruit and field-style beer from New Holland Brewing isn’t a sweet gimmick. Complex and effervescent, it delivers on every level, from taste to smell to sound, as we collectively say “ahhh” after a refreshing first sip. Even better, the blueberries are proudly Michigan-grown. Try it with pork nachos or pasta with creamy lemon and mint sauce.  

Sierra Nevada Otra Vez  

Beer style: Gose 
Featured Fruits: Prickly Pear Cactus and Grapefruit 

Made with prickly pear cactus and grapefruit, the Sierra Nevada Otra Vez works its magic fireside as well as beachside. The cactus fruit in Otra Vez is an update on a traditional gose-style beer, which is typically malty and salty (in a good way!) with a twist of citrus. Pair with Vietnamese or Thai noodle dishes, and you’ve got yourself a cozy evening in. 

Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin 

Beer style: American IPA 
Featured Fruit: Pineapple 

An American-style IPA, Ballast Point’s Pineapple Sculpin is set apart by the real, fresh pineapple used in the brewing process. A refreshing option for those not generally interested in sweet fruit beers, the Pineapple Sculpin is medium-bodied, perfectly carbonated, and boasts a tart finish. Pair with barbequed ribs or mango sticky rice. 

Dogfish Head SeaQuench  

Beer style: Sour  
Featured Fruit: Black lime 

Equal parts quirky and thoughtful, Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench wants and gets it all: flavor, locality, and creativity. SeaQuench blends some of your favorite German-style beer styles, locally-sourced Atlantic sea salt, and dreamy black limes to create a refreshing, flavorful beer. Don’t want to be weighed down by dark, heavy beers after a long day at work? SeaQuench is for you. Love a good fish taco? SeaQuench is for you. Enjoy unique beers with lots of personality? You know the drill. Pairs well with, you guessed it: Fish tacos. 

Not Your Father’s Beer Fruit Punch  

Featured Fruits: Mixed berries 

The cure to your winter blues-inspired nostalgia, Not Your Father’s Beer Fruit Punch’s bright red color and berry flavors deliver a childhood callback. With a smell that’s spot-on reminiscent of the fruit punch of your childhood, this novelty beer is sweet, fruity, and reasonably boozy at 5% ABV. Pair with nacho chips, macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers for the complete childhood experience.  

Perrin Brewing Blackberry IPA 

Beer style: IPA 
Featured Fruit: Blackberry 

The most noticeable aspect of Perrin Brewing’s Blackberry IPA: it’s beautiful. A wonderfully rich violet-red color, we’d be content to simply observe this beer in-glass. Fortunately, the flavor is good too, with blackberries mellowing the traditional hoppy kick of an IPA. Pairs well with goat cheese and crackers for a fancy treat. 

Starcut Cider Octorock Hard Cider 

Beer style: Hard Cider 
Featured Fruit: Michigan Apples 

If you’re in need of a hard cider that’s out of this world, Starcut Cider’s (presented by Short’s Brewing Company) Octorock Hard Cider is here to save the day. Octorock checks all the boxes: Semi-sweet, crisp, and made Up North with Michigan apples. It’s like biting into the first apple of fall with every sip. Our favorite way to drink Octorock is with roasted meats and root vegetables, snuggled next to a roaring fire (or furnace vent). 

White Claw Raspberry Hard Seltzer: On Sale this Week 

Beer style: Hard Seltzer 
Featured Fruit: Raspberry 

If you’ve never tried hard seltzer, you’re in for a treat. A spiked version of the bubbly water many of us drink every day, White Claw’s Raspberry Hard Seltzer is crisp, light, and refreshing. Hard seltzer isn’t beer, so the alcohol comes from fermented sugar instead of grains. It also clocks in at just 100 calories—a treat you can enjoy without worrying about working it off at the gym later. The handy cans are also perfect for bringing to parties, an after-hours work party, or whatever catches your fancy.  

White Claw pairs well with anything and everything. Even better, White Claw Raspberry Hard Seltzer is on sale in our stores this week, so there’s no better reason to try some today!