February is somehow both the shortest and longest month of the year, and March isn’t much better. Sure, the sun is again setting at a reasonable time, but it still refuses to provide warmth, and going out requires a little extra motivation. Good news: Seattle’s winter beer parties are here to help. Whether you want something dark and barrel-aged, something ancient and honey-based, or just an excuse to drink on the beach in March, here’s where to do it.

 

Anderson Winter Beer Festival

Feb. 15
Anderson School

McMenamins — one of the 50 largest craft breweries in the country — was built for times like these, when you need a place to settle in with a good beer in a great atmosphere. If you’ve never been, picture a historic building that’s been reimagined as a magical little bohemian village — wood-paneled walls, glowing lamps, mismatched furniture, strange art, and plants everywhere. Like your college living room, if your college living room actually had nice stuff. Anderson School in Bothell, once a junior high, follows the same formula. There’s a little movie theater, an incredible tiki bar, a funky hotel, a heated saltwater pool, and a brewery that grabs the spotlight for its annual winter beer festival.

I’ve been before, and it’s exactly what you want this time of year: a buzzing space, a lineup of deep, layered beers you don’t see as often in summer, and live music. “Cold days deserve dark and robust ales, and the Winter Beer Fest is the perfect place to experience them all,” says David Wasserberger, McMenamins brewery information manager.

The beer list includes barrel-aged stouts, porters, and barleywines from breweries around the Northwest, but there are also IPAs, pilsners, and wild ales for those who want something lighter. Anderson’s own Coffee Stout, aged in Hogshead Whiskey barrels, makes its debut at the fest.

 

Winter Mead Fest

Feb. 23
Skål Beer Hall

Seattle’s beer scene is great, but sometimes you want something different — something with a little more honey, a little more Norse mythology. The festival at Skål Beer Hall in Ballard brings together eight Washington meaderies for an afternoon of tasting in a heated outdoor street cafe. Mead, if you’re unfamiliar, is fermented honey wine, one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in history. Participating meaderies include Valhalla Mead, Odin’s Alchemy, and Æsir Meadery.

Tickets include six tokens for 2.5-ounce pours, plus the option to buy extra tokens if you really want to embrace your inner viking. The food lineup is just as Nordic, with snacks like pølse (Scandinavian hot dogs) and warm pretzels. Three tasting sessions run throughout the afternoon, and while you can’t bring your pet, designated drivers are welcome.

 

Alki Beach Winter Beer Festival & Polar Plunge

March 8
Alki Beach Park Bathhouse

Winter drinking by the beach makes sense if you commit to the bit. The Alki Beach Winter Beer Festival is part beer fest, part Polar Plunge, and a fundraiser for Special Olympics Washington. The main event — where over 500 brave souls throw themselves into Puget Sound — is about as Seattle as it gets. You don’t have to plunge, but if you do, there’s a costume contest and a good chance you’ll gain the respect of strangers.

The beer fest takes place in a heated beer garden, with 20 local beers and ciders on tap. General admission ($25) gets you four tasting tokens, while the $35 tasting experience includes ten. And if you’re just here for the food, the truck lineup is open to all ages, serving comfort food to thaw you out post-plunge.