As we take a little break from both the cold meds and the photo contest as well as entrants asking who picks the winners (it's me) why the heck haven't I updated the gallery (it's also me), it's a good time to pause and consider that there are other things out there like The Session. This will be the tenth month in a row beer nerds have gathered to write of one thing and this month Tedo, the brain behind Barley Vine has picked winter seasonal ales. Jing-a-ling-ling-ling!

It's good that this winter is something of a throwback so far with plenty of snow and plenty of cold. I put away a bunch of winter and Christmas ales late last spring exactly for the next few weeks when family and friends come over unannounced leaning on you heavily to deplete the stash - how can there be so few ants in a world of so many grasshoppers? Time to pop one or two.