On the Flight Deck

Seven WV Breweries To Check Out This Winter

Break out of your same ol’ same ol’ habits. Commit yourself to sampling some new seasonal craft beers at a West Virginia brewery. 

Take a palate education course by learning more about craft beer styles you’re not particularly familiar with. It can be a most rewarding and tasty experience. 

Wintertime sampling exercises are cool because our small brewers tend to make seasonal beer styles outside the common realm. Specialties made for cold weather drinking. It’s a good time for most of us to expand our beer ordering habits, extending to styles we don’t normally drink. 

Fight sampling method

There’s no better freelance palate education program than sampling a flight of beers. We like lining up four 4-oz. glasses of beer samples and purposely tasting each in flavor order, from lightest to most potent.  

First, sniff. What do you get? Focus your mind intently as you take the first sip of beer Number 1. Try to lock in on the flavor components. What do you taste? Can you describe it?

Swallow. What flavors are left in your mouth as you breathe out through your nose? Take three or four big sips before moving on to beer Number 2. Don’t rush. Repeat the process. How does each beer compare with the others. Think about that for a minute. Would you order a full glass of this beer? What food might it be good to pair with?

This Winter’s Flight Suggestions

Fife Street Brewing
Charleston WV

When snow is on the ground and the temperature hovers in the single digits, what time is it? It’s winter warmer time. Looking for those big rich beers that can take the chill off—look no further than Fife.  Maybe the strongest suit of head brewer, Gil Peterson, are winter warmer and imperial-strength ales. It’s the perfect lineup for filling a beer flight board. And when you find one you like the best, make plans to come back and get a full pour.  

Pick Four

• Miracle on Thirty-Fife Street – Belgian Quadrupel
• Sternwheeler Stout – Imperial Stout
• Schoenwinkel – Belgian Tripel
• Fife, Uh, Finds A Way – Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
• Blood Orange – Wheat beer
• Fife the Power – Black IPA

Short Story Brewing
Rivesville, Morgantown, Charleston WV

Blowing snow in the air; visibility limited. Doesn’t this remind you of a flight of hazy IPAs. There’s no better time for IPA lovers to cozy up with a board full of contemporary, fruit-forward Hazy IPAs than on a chilly December day at a Short Story taproom. Hazies make the perfect snowy winter flight.

Pick Four

• Two For The Show – Hazy DIPA
• Over Zealous – NZ IPA
• Chasing Daylight – Hazy American IPA
• Room To Roam – NEIPA
• Infinity +1 – NEIPA

Weathered Ground Brewery
Cool Ridge WV

Situated on a cold, snow covered Appalachian mountain plateau, Weathered Ground is the perfect respite spot to take in the scenery and enjoy winter hospitality. Warm and welcoming insid, you’ll also find its attractive winter menu to be just what the December spirits ordered. Nothing beats a flight of these wintertime beauties.

Pick Four

• Yard Sale – Modern Hazy IPA
• The Tree Hunter – Holiday Spiced Dark Saison 
• Struggle Street – Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
• To the Place I Belong – Saison
• Sour Old Grinch – Fruited Sour Ale
• Portal To Nowhere – Old School Red IPA

Abolitionist Ale Works
Charles Town WV

Variety is the spark the lights the fire at Abolitionist Ale Works. And there’s no better time to discover the brewer’s inspiration than during the winter months. Sit by the metaphorical fireplace and sip a flight of stellar, out-of-the-ordinary winter brews. 

Pick Four

• Gingerbread Ale – Spicy Christmas Ale
• Harpers Berry Christmas – Sour Ale
• Liquid Fruitcake 2025 – Amber Ale
• Dirty Santa Beard – Imperial Stout
• West Funkin Virginia w/ Blackberry & Sage – American Wild Ale
• Saison In the Pear Tree – Farmhouse Ale
• Holiday Punch – Hard Seltzer

The Peddler
Huntington WV

Never shy about creating new and fun beers for the season, The Peddler has the winter under control. Hit those taps in downtown Huntington and get a flight to go along with your burger. Experiment and enjoy.

Pick Four

• Juice Caboose – Tangerine Sour
• Sweater Weather – Cranberry Orange Wheat Beer
• Wanna Be A baller – Hazy IPA
• Old Gregg – Chocolate Stout
• Cautious Granny – Spice Ale
• First Bump – Juicy American IPA

High Ground Brewing
Terra  Alta WV

Find your way—follow the snow plow if you have to—to this winter wonderland we call Preston County. High Ground will reward you with a line-up of winter-friendly specialties. Relax at the taproom with a flight. Sample the broad range of flavors they put into their brews.

Pick Four

• Mamaw’s Gingerbread Stout – Spiced Milk Stout
• Ski Patrol – Pseudo Lager
• Copper Cup Cranberry Mule – Fruited/Spiced Ale
• Company Kölsch
• Coal Train – Baltic Porter 

Big Timber Brewing
Elkins WV

A trip to the higher elevations of West Virgina seems to always take you through Elkins. Stop in the Big Timber Tap room to discover several beers that you won’t often find out in distro in other parts of the state.  Order a flight of the unfamiliar. You won’t be disappointed.

Pick Four

• Frost Notch – Winter Strong Ale
• Frosted Pumpkin – Spiced English Strong Ale 
• Mountain Beer – American Pale Ale
• Danger Bit – Imperial IPA
• Henry & Stephen’s – Red Lager
• BTB Nitro Schwarzbier

Okay, you get the drift. Sampling is fun. And this winter at a brewery taproom of your choice, give it a try. You got a couple months. Time for a visit to two or three.