Winter Beer Festival @ Victory Hall

Alcohol doesn’t technically make you warmer — really, it just constricts your blood vessels — but it sure as hell feels like it does. So, on the second and third darkest days of the year, where it feels like the sun is participating in the Seattle Freeze, you might consider getting your butts to Victory Hall in SoDo for the return of the Winter Beer Festival. Hey, you’ve already been to Victory Hall for pre/post-game drinks for myriad SoDo sports teams, so might as well do it for Rudolph, too!

Brought to you by the Washington Brewer’s Guild, the festival features seasonal and permanent selections from the best peddlers in the Pacific Northwest so you can get your holiday on in style.

There’ll also be a DJ set by Kevin Sur, booth decoration contests, plus that whole peace on Earth and goodwill toward humankind thing. Costumes are encouraged, though even if you dress like Santa, you do not automatically possess his magical powers (“The Santa Clause” franchise lied to us all!), so please have a designated driver or consider taking the light rail to and from the festivities.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the craft breweries and cideries scheduled to participate:

Local:
Burke-Gilman Brewing Company
Distant West
Fast Fashion
Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery
Fremont Brewing
Georgetown Brewing Company
Ghostfish Brewing
Jötunn Ciderhouse
Ladd & Lass Brewing
Reuben’s Brews

Out of town:
Anacortes Brewery (Anacortes)
Bale Breaker Brewing Company (Yakima)
Garden Path Fermentation (Burlington)
Icicle Brewing Company (Leavenworth)
Matchless Brewing (Tumwater)
Postdoc Brewing (Kenmore/Redmond)
Remlinger Brewing (Carnation)
Single Hill Brewing Company (Yakima)
Snoqualmie Falls Brewery (Snoqualmie)
Terramar Brewstillery (Bow)
Vice Beer (Vancouver)
Yonder Cider (Wenatchee)