By Morgan Valachovic & Sarah Palmer As December’s craziness begins to trickle down, we gather with family, friends and pets to remain warm, as we get “snowed in” with abundances of food & drink! With just a couple weekends left in 2016, we invite you to close the year with us at the Growler station. After all, our hearts are filled to the brim, why shouldn’t our glasses be? Join us for a tasting of the following beers to bring home with you this holiday season! Oh and check out this week’s ad for a $5 OFF coupon, good for any New or Refill at the Growler Station. December 22nd & December 23rd  brewery-ommegang-85412382Ommegang Rare Vos is a Belgian style Amber Ale that is brewed with sweet orange peel and grains of paradise to give you a mellow and spicy taste! Ommegang Brewery is based out of Cooperstown NY, not far from one our Price Chopper locations! Sample and enjoy this beer at our Growler Stations the following days: December 29th & December 30th geneseeGenesee Brewhouse Black IPA  is noted for its notes of caramel with a combination of roasted and black malts. Its bitterness is balanced with hops from East Kent. With its dessert notes, it is guaranteed to add some warmth to a cold winter evening! Come and sample this beer on the following days at our Growler Stations: Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! Cheers. As always, please enjoy responsibly!         Written by: Kevin Schulke, Senior Category Manager Beer & Wine It’s always sad when you realize that the nights are getting darker earlier and summer is really over!  Before winter gets the best of us, we should really try to enjoy the glorious autumn season to its fullest.  I suggest the following outside activities to truly take advantage of everything the season has to offer: The looming fall season will also bring a number of seasonal beer offers.  Remember, these are limited time offers, often quite unique, and provide the perfect opportunity to try something different!  While I’ll try to tell you about a few seasonal beer products that will be on our shelves this fall, keep in mind that these products are made seasonally, which means they may differ slightly from years past.  They’re limited editions so they may not be in every location and they will certainly not last long! Today there are seasonal beer offerings for every season, but the roots of seasonal beer are traced to October 12, 1810, the marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Bavaria. There was a special Oktoberfest Beer produced to celebrate their wedding and we are still celebrating now over 200 years later! Samuel Adams Octoberfest– The list must start here as in this country this is the number one fall seasonal beer. It has a deep red amber color, slightly sweet malty aroma, and the flavor is roasted caramel with a slightly hoppy toffee malt. Enjoy it with sausage, roasted chicken or a delicious roast pork, but do enjoy it. Brooklyn Oktoberfest-Brewed with German malt and hops, it is true to the German style with a little “Brooklyn” know-how. It pairs well with roasted foods or great with a burger. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale– Certainly and singlehandedly responsible for the huge popularity of the pumpkin style beer today. It boasts hints of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is a crisp and refreshing beer that pairs equally well with food or while socializing with friends. Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale– Orange amber in color, with a pumpkin aroma and crisp clean finish. It is perfect for your Thanksgiving Dinner; the trick is to avoid drinking it before Thanksgiving Day. Saranac Pumpkin Ale– Brewed with real pumpkin and the same spices you’d use to make pumpkin pie. The results are delicious and you might serve this with roast duck, hearty soup, or pumpkin pie. It’s scary good! Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale-This fall seasonal has its roots in Colonial days; where pumpkin was added in place of traditional malts. This version has over 17 pounds of pumpkin in every barrel. The results are a dark amber brew, full bodied and with subtle spice notes. It is perfect with the traditional holiday meals! While my suggestions for fall activities and limited time fall malt beverages will not stop this winter from being extremely cold with potentially record snowfall ,they may provide some pleasant memories to help you make it until spring!