Winter Beers Arrive in North Andover

As the season changes from autumn to winter, many restaurants and bars are no longer offering the sweet and delicious pumpkin flavored beers that we enjoy with cinnamon sugar rims.

Instead of mourning the temporary loss of these brilliant brews, let’s celebrate the new seasonal beers that will surely warm up our winter.

When it comes to food and beer, we at Patch are big proponents of going local. So here are some local restaurants that are serving local, seasonal beers.

Jaime’s Restaurant, over on High Street, is offering a unique brew that will be new to many North Andover residents.

Phantom Punch Winter Stout arrived at Jaime’s recently. It’s brewed by the Baxter Brewing Company in Lewiston, Maine.

BevNET Magazine named Baxter Brewing Co. its 2011 New Brewery of the Year.

The Phantom Punch Winter Stout is named after the famous 1965 boxing match between Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston. Ali won and was immortalized in a famous photograph of him standing over Liston after what would be dubbed “the phantom punch.”

Baxter’s Phantom Punch weighs in at 6.8% alcohol by volume.

Baxter Brewing Co. advises that this brew pairs well with Mexican dishes and grilled meats. Try pairing it with Jaime’s Mahi Mahi Taco. This dish features two soft tacos with grilled mahi mahi and all the fixings for $15.99.

Over at Jimmy’s Culpeppers, on route 114, they’re offering another local brew, Harpoon’s Winter Warmer.

Harpoon has two breweries, one in Boston and one in Windsor, Vermont. Its Winter Warmer is one of the first seasonal beers to be offered in the United States.

Winter Warmer is a spiced ale, has a dark copper color, and has a cinnamon and nutmeg aroma. It is a relatively strong beer at 5.9% alcohol by volume.

Try pairing the subtle sweetness of Winter Warmer with one of Jimmy’s brick oven pizzas. The Casino, $15.99, would make a great partner to Harpoon’s brew with its pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and caramelized onions.

Samuel Adams is one of the region’s most famous and popular breweries. Since opening up its renowned Boston brewery, Sam Adams has expanded to Cincinnati, Ohio and Lehigh, Pennsylvania.

Burtons Grill, also on route 114, is one of many places offering Samuel Adams Winter Lager. With its bold and rich color, this seasonal lager has a touch of holiday spice and a hint of citrus from an orange peel blend.

Winter Lager pairs well with a wide range of flavors. Tangy, tart, or sweet, you can’t go wrong.  

If you’re into seafood, pair it with the Haddock Imperial ($22.95) which features fresh haddock topped with crabmeat, shrimp stuffing, and panko breadcrumbs.

If you prefer the turf over the surf, the spices of the Winter Lager will blend well with the herbs and seasonings in the Chicken & Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($17.95) which includes medallions of chicken, pan seared with butternut squash and crimini mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce.

It almost makes you forget about the pumpkin brew. 

---

What's your favorite wintertime beverage? Tell us in the comments!

---

Do you own or manage a restaurant? Would you like to see it featured in this column?

If so, just send an email to jay@jayoza.org and we'll make it happen!