Colorado comes alive in the winter, between snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, and snowmobiling - and don't forget all that snow shoveling. With all these vigorous outdoor activities, we need something to quench our thirst afterwards. What better time to put together a list of Colorado’s best winter beers? Some of these brews are old favorites, while others are new, but all only come around once a year. Here is what to sip after a day in the snowy outdoors. Cheers!

Bridge Street Holiday Ale from Crazy Mountain Brewery
This seasonal sipper is made with spices and maple syrup from a local farm and is designed for aging. It can be found in 12 oz. bottles around Colorado or on draft at both the Edwards and Denver taprooms this winter.

Dementia from Ska Brewing
Dementia is actually Euphoria Pale Ale aged in bourbon barrels to give the beer a hint of caramel, chocolate and extra boozy kick. This 6.2% ABV ale is perfect after hitting the heavy powder and can only be found in 22 oz. bomber bottles in Ska’s largest markets, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California and Illinois.

Gingerbread Spiced Ale from Blue Moon
This winter beer came about when Blue Moon asked its fanbase for ingredient ideas for a new beer, and gingerbread was the popular winner. This 5.9% ABV beer has tastes of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and molasses for a true seasonal flavor. Available in bottles and in the Brewmaster’s Sample Pack.

Hibernation Ale from Great Divide Brewing
A winter tradition since 1995, Hibernation is available in bottles and cans all over Colorado. This English-style Old Ale has a robust, malty flavor, but dry-hopped for balance. At 8.7% ABV, Hibernation is a high octane beer that will warm up even the most fridgid of days.

Oh Snap! Spiced Winter Ale from Odyssey Beerwerks
The 6.4% ABV Oh Snap features a rich malt base with classic Christmas cookie spicing and a hint of orange peel to take the chill out of winter. Find it in cans along the I-25 Corridor.

Pearsnickety from Colorado Cider Company
For a little something different, try this winter sipper from Denver’s first cidery. The Pearsnickety features fresh fall Bartlett Pears from Colorado’s Grand Valley, which are then bottled just in time for winter. The cidery points out on its website that this fruity drink is called “perry” instead of cider, because only pears are used. At 6% ABV, find it in 22 oz. bottles all over the state.

Salted Caramel Brown Ale from Breckenridge Brewery
This beer is the newest member of the brewery’s Mountain Series. An American Brown Ale the beer has a toasted nutty character with a variety of caramel malts with a balance of hops giving the beer a medium-dry finish. This unique 6.5% ABV brew also has a touch of sea salt that comes from the underground sea beds of Central Utah. Find it in bottles now.

Summit Sunrise Red Rye IPA from Denver Beer Company
This red IPA reminds us of a Colorado sunrise. The taste is citrus and piney hops with a hint of rye and malty finish. This award-winning 6.3% ABV beer is available in cans.

Photo via Denver Beer Co. on Facebook