Tis the season! If you’re looking to toast the holidays some of the best brews and vintages are lovingly crafted right here in South Eastern Ontario. Impress your guests with award-winning local beer, spirits and cider while discovering a handful of the holiday releases made to celebrate the season. Explore 22 holiday sips from South Eastern Ontario. It’s a glass-half-full kind of region!
- Rurban Brewing
This indie brewery in Cornwall has an entire Christmas lineup ready for stuffing stockings or ringing in the new year. With brews like Alestake & Evergreen IPA and Comfy Sweater, Rurban makes unpasteurized, unfiltered beer, perfect for gifting. Ask about their jingle boxes, too.
- Vankleek Hill Vineyard and Winery
Just in time for Christmas, Vankleek Hill Vineyard has a number of new releases, including the Frontenac Gris Rosé – a playful, cold climate Rose/Orange with strawberry and herbal notes alongside a touch of sweetness. Fill your cup with cheer! - Beau’s All Natural Brewing
You’ll want this extremely limited holiday release from Beau’s on your holiday table! Crème Brew-Lée Dessert Stout is a beautiful dark brown with aromas of caramel, coffee, vanilla and burnt sugar. It was also recently awarded gold at the Ontario Brewing Awards for best Winter Seasonal Beer – try it for yourself.
- Lost Villages Brewery
This heritage-inspired brewery in Long Sault just released a new beer two weeks ago – a dark wheat ale, The Road to Nowhere Dunkelweizen. Also look for holiday gift baskets here with merch, magnets, stickers, glasses and assorted LVB beers. - Humble Beginnings Brewing Co.
Looking for some fun names to put under the tree? Humble Beginnings has them wrapped up in a bow! Kill the Motor Stout is a robust dark ale perfect for cold winter nights, while Mad Canadian Kolsch is a more clean and crisp lagered ale. For the local lover on your list, the Out & About Ontario Pale Ale is brewed with 100 per cent Ontario malt, hops and yeast at this small but mighty family brewery. - Wood Brothers Brewing
This small batch brewery near Glen Robertson is trying something different – a rustic pie series. The newest this week at the brewery is the fruited Berliner Weisse with apple, cranberry brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla ice cream in a smoothie. It’s like holiday cheer in a mason jar!
- Arbru Solar Brewery
Dash through the snow to say hello to Jingle Bru – the newest release from Arbru just in time for the holidays! With a blush pink colour, this brew has aromas of ripe strawberry, sourdough bread and pink peppercorns while flavours include honey, spice and sweet cranberry. This strong beer looks festive and tastes festive! - 1000 Islands Brewing
Gingerbread beer season is well underway! Fun Christmas specialty cans are popular this time of year at 1000 Islands Brewing in Brockville as the cans are adorned with holiday light images, making them perfect for gift giving. Give Christmas cheer to friends, family – and yourself.
1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways
- Westport Brewing Company
Westport Brewing Company released a new brew this fall in honour of their fifth anniversary. A traditional Pub Ale, the beer incorporated subtle caramel and toffee notes, with a bready flavour and smooth finish. The brew house is always gleaming front and centre in the main taproom here so visitors get a sense of the creative process that goes into crafting the beer! - King’s Lock Craft Distillery
Raise the bar for holiday cheer — try the spirits from King’s Lock in Johnstown in your festive cocktails and savour the taste of 100 percent organic spirits. Here’s a hot tip: sip or gift the Distiller’s Choice Series Cinnamon Heat Liqueur for a perfect way to take the winter chill off.
- Kick and Push Brewing Company
Be sure to try the Snowshoe Oatmeal Stout here – specially crafted for the colder months! It’s a unique brew for Kick and Push Brewing in Sharbot Lake, blending seven malts and two hop varieties to craft a rich, smooth dark beer.
- Riverhead Brewing Company
Brand new West Coast IPA release alert! This balanced IPA has a great combination of citrus and pine – perfect for December. Enjoy dinner and drinks in the beer hall here or grab and go. - Spearhead Brewing Company
Gingerbread Porter and Chocolate Peppermint Stout. Need we say more?! Spearhead Brewing just unveiled these two new releases in partnership with the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies and they’re bringing all the cozy winter vibes. Perfect for giving! - Skeleton Park Brewery
If you are looking for a holiday brew then the Belgian Tripel from Skeleton Park Brewery ticks all the boxes. It’s rare and rich, it offers deep, bready-sweet fruit flavours. It just earned a Bronze for the Strong Belgian Ale category in the 2023 Ontario Brewing Awards! What’s more, Skeleton Park also has a new Dunkelweizen is now available in cans. This full-flavour, traditional German Dark Wheat Ale is special for winter. Don’t miss out! - Fine Balance Brewing Company
So many great beer releases this month! Check out all the news and pick your fav to try. From IPA collabs to two decadent dark beers, Fine Balance is brewing adventurous variety and keeping things fresh this holiday season.
- Parsons Brewing Company
Chocolate Banana Decadence and Blood Orange Decadence?! Come on! Chocolate ganache with a subtle banana dipped in rum feel next to rum-barrel aged blended with blood orange puree and fresh roasted cracked cacao. These are the holiday drinks, folks. To top it off, Parsons Brewing Company just released some zesty Pinchazo Lime Creamsicle IPA in time to ensure a refreshing Christmas! - Slake Brewing
Get ready for a real treat! Slake Brewing, known for its epic views of the County and gorgeous sunsets, recently released a Chocolate Vanilla Dreams Stout for the holidays that blends organic chocolate liquor, cocoa nibs and Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans. Try some – it’s what dreams are made of! - Matron Fine Beer
Check out the very limited release of Merrymaker Farmbier before it’s gone! Made festively using cranberries and spruce tips, Merrymaker is super drinkable and reflects Matron’s ethos of locally-sourced ingredients. Pairs well with holiday cheer, cheese, turkey dinners and your uncle’s corny jokes. - Crimson Cider Company
Did you see the festive labels on the new Cara-melt My Heart by Crimson Cider Company? This caramel apple cider has notes of fresh green apple with brown butter caramel. Not too sweet, not too dry – perfect for holiday gifting. - Dune Hopper Brewing Company
Love Nanaimo bars? Head over to Dune Hopper Brewing Company and ask for Midnight – a frothy, creamy dessert stout. Want an adventure? Ask for Milky Way – we hear it tastes like a Christmas liqueur! - Three Dog Winery
The perfect host gifts are here: canned spritzers made with fresh fruit purees and Three Dog wine. Easiest cocktails you’ll whip up this holiday season that still impress!
Bay of Quinte
22. Meyers Brewing Company
All things shiny and bright! Looking for an impressive gift? Check out the fancy gold wax tops on the Bootlegger bottles at Meyers Brewing Company in Belleville. Try it for yourself first in a flight or an 8 oz pour in the taproom and get ready for a rich Imperial stout at 10.5 percent. Take home a bottle to put under the tree!
South Eastern Ontario is known for its places to nosh and bond over a drink or two. Pull up a chair and taste the region in a glass – or even have it delivered to your door. Do you have a favourite holiday release?
