Making His Pint

The cold, crisp weather that autumn sweeps in makes us long for fireplaces and warm, spicy seasonal foods. And with those fall dishes, we like to turn to heartier seasonal beers, like Clipper City's just-released Winter Storm ale. Richer and more complex than those watery light beers you drank all summer, this Imperial ESB also packs a mean punch with 7.5 percent alcohol. "Because of the hop availability, this year's is pretty much identical to last year's," says Clipper City honcho Hugh Sisson. "Which is wonderful because it was a tremendous beer last year!" And with temperatures plenty cool outside, Sisson urgers Winter Storm drinkers to keep the beer a little warmer. "I never frost a beer glass," he says. "A beer like this, allowing it to warm up to about 50 degrees, it shows everything it's got."