01. How to host in winter like a pro
Turn long nights into cosy gatherings with great beer, hearty food and fireside vibes.
Hosting in winter isn’t about a grand production. Keep guest lists smaller, focus on cosiness, and embrace the slower pace. Instead of barbecue platters, opt for sharing boards featuring pies, charcuterie, hunks of bread, pickles and strong cheeses (including our beer
cheese dip recipe below). Offer blankets and sheepskin rugs, fairy lights strung across shelves and candles for side tables. If you’ve got a firepit or fireplace, make it the heart of the evening. Guests naturally gather around a flame, pint in hand, stories unfolding as
the embers glow. No fireplace? Cluster candles in lanterns or glass jars for instant ambience.
Remember the golden rule: the best host is the one having fun. Don’t hover in the kitchen or fret over the fondue. Pour yourself a pint and be part of the gathering.
02. Create a cosy ‘ski-chalet’ PerfectDraft station
No matter how much space you have, PerfectDraft can still be pride of place.
Forget the beer garden. Winter is all about creating your own snug hideaway. Start by giving your PerfectDraft machine its own indoor area, perhaps in a corner of the living room, kitchen, under the stairs, or even a shed-turned-taproom. Dress the space like a ski chalet bar: strings of fairy lights, wooden boards with chalkscrawled ‘beer of the night’, and steins lined up waiting for that first pour.
Add texture and warmth with wool throws draped over chairs, lanterns glowing in the corners, a sheepskin rug underfoot. For après-ski flair, hang a pair of vintage skis or a ski-resort sign above your bar.
Real PerfectDraft owners have turned potting benches, sideboards and garden huts into year-round taprooms, so don’t be afraid to improvise. Once the lights are low and the keg is flowing, it’ll feel like you’re tucked away in an alpine lodge. Turn long nights into cosy gatherings with great beer, hearty food and fireside vibes.
Winter games
Embrace indoor challenges that keep the conversation flowing.
Host a beer quiz
Test your friends on brewing, beer trivia, pub knowledge and PerfectDraft favourites.
Run a blind tasting challenge
Pour samples of three beers and have guests guess the style or brand. Be ready to share a bit of knowledge.
Games night
Risk, Cards Against Humanity, Ticket to Ride, poker or beerthemed trivia games. Even those in the kids' games cupboard are fun over a beer with friends.
Sports night
Order in the chicken wings, it’s sports night. Football, autumn rugby internationals, and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympics in February. You can channel the summer with the Ashes in Australia too.
03. Beer & snack pairings: Winter Edition
Winter hosting is about offering food that hugs back. Here are three recipes guaranteed to win the night.
Beer cheese fondue dip
There’s nothing in the title of this recipe that doesn’t sound appealing.
Inspired by our après-ski vibes, the beer cheese fondue dip takes almost no time to make, but is a serious crowd-pleaser !
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4–6):
200g Gruyère cheese, grated
200g mature cheddar, grated
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
150ml Belgian blonde beer (e.g. Leffe Blonde)
Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Toss grated cheeses with flour. Heat beer gently in a saucepan until just simmering. Add cheese gradually, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in mustard and season with black pepper. Pour into a fondue pot or heatproof bowl and serve immediately with crusty bread cubes, cornichons, blanched veg (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower).
Beer pairing: Franziskaner Royal, Leffe Blonde or Leffe Prestige will balance well against the richness.
Sticky beer nuts
An irresistible snack that has been given a beery flavour to match, er, your beer.
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 2 BOWLS):
300g mixed nuts (almonds,
cashews, peanuts)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp dark ale
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
Line a baking tray with parchment.
Mix honey, sugar, spices and stout in a bowl. Add nuts and toss until coated. Spread in a single layer on tray. Roast 10 minutes, stir, then roast another 10 minutes until glossy and caramelised.
Cool slightly before serving. Store
leftovers in a jar (if there are any).
Beer pairing: Rich winter beers
such as Old Peculiar or Leffe
Brune. The roasted flavours
echo the sweetness and spice
of the nuts.
Mini bratwursts with mustard
Channel the Munich beer-hall vibes with this German
classic, made bite-sized. And on the playlist? Yup, it’s an
ooompah band… briefly.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6):
12 small bratwursts or 6 large (halved)
2 tbsp oil
Assorted mustards (wholegrain, English, Dijon)
Fresh parsley to garnish
METHOD:
Preheat the pan or oven grill.
Brush the bratwursts with oil and cook over medium heat for 10–12 minutes (according to the instructions), turning regularly, until they are browned and cooked through.
Slice into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a platter. Serve with mustard bowls for dipping
and sprinkle with parsley. Don’t forget a big jar of sauerkraut.
Beer pairing: Malty German lagers such as Löwenbräu or Spaten that are crisp and refreshing against the smoky sausages.
04. Winter beer tasting notes
Discover the rich, warming beers that make winter the best season to pour.
Light summer beers give way to heavier hitters: beers with backbone, depth and warmth. It’s a great excuse to delve into Belgian beers, such as Leffe Brune, which layers caramel, clove and spice for slow sipping. Classic English ales such as Theakston Old Peculier and Bass, served a little warmer, are designed for cosy evenings in. And don’t forget the bigger IPAs brewed with piney hops from the Pacific Northwest.
And to be clear, lagers still very much have a place in winter, especially the unmissable stronger Oktoberfestbiers from Spaten and Löwenbräu. Although technically not a lager, the FRÜH Kölsch is a light beer with a serious backbone that can warm even in winter. Encourage your guests to share tasting notes: Is that nutmeg I detect, or just the glow of the fire talking?
05. Crack open these winter warmers
Winter beers that are the perfect companions for long nights and hearty food.
Theakston Old Peculier
UK | 5.6%
Theakston Old Peculier is a renowned Old Ale beer produced by Theakston. It offers a complex profile that combines warm caramel and roasted nut flavours. You'll notice the fruitiness becoming more prominent, with hints of dark cherries, raisins, stewed
figs and prunes. There are also notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
Temp: 6-8ºC
Vocation Life & Death
UK | 6.5%
Life & Death is Vocation's best selling beer, and we can see why! A 6.5% ABV, US style IPA that is rammed full of hops, hops and more hops. Three kilograms of hops go into every barrel brewed of Life & Death, and it shows. The aroma is packed with tropical hoppy smells, with citrus notes as well. You can also get a good sense of the malty base of the beer with the sweetness creeping through
Temp: 3-6ºC
Leffe Winter
Belgium | 6.6%
Leffe Winter brings festive depth to the glass. Pouring a rich golden with a thick, lasting head, it carries warming notes of clove, caramel and coffee, lifted by a gentle smokiness. At 6.6%, it is smooth, balanced and remarkably drinkable, pairing perfectly with hearty seasonal dishes.
Temp: 6ºC
Mont Blanc la Rousse
France | 6.5%
Brewed with the pure glacier waters of the Mont Blanc mountain range. This global award-winning limited release is brewed to have aromatic floral notes, all enhanced with a unique bouquet of secret spices. Its initial taste is full-bodied and malty,
followed by gourmet notes of caramel and toasted almonds, with a fruity finish.
Temp: 3-6ºC
Also Discover : A postcard from Australia, The best new Beer Books and PerfectDraft Modelo Especial keg of beer !
