What We Enjoyed at the 2026 Winter Beer Dabbler

Every year on the frozen plains of the northern midwest, a sound echoes throughout the tundra: a combination of early 2000s mashups on loudspeakers, hot air balloon burners firing, pronto-pups frying, and of course, the crisp sound of beer being poured. Otherwise known as the Winter Beer Dabbler.

So grab your coziest flannel, your warmest hat, and your most dexterous mittens, and toast to the Aleluminati Beer Collective's 2026 WBD Superlatives:

What GIF would you use to describe this year's Dabbler?

Sometimes words aren't enough, but a picture says a thousand words, right? So a moving picture must be even better, like a million words!

Max

Everyone knows a lil' beer blanket goes a long way in the subarctic tundra. But at only 4oz at a time, my glass was feelin like:

Jack

It was pretty cold this year, which hasn't necessarily been the case other years. I think this about sums up how it feels, especially once the sun goes down...

Cody

Dabbler 26’ had a handful of breweries promoting timed drops throughout the fest, and a few of them had me looking exactly like this the second I realized what they were dropping.

What was the weirdest beer we had?

Let's get weird! What was the oddest, most creative brew we got to taste?

Jack

For me, this was Secret Snacks from More Brewing Company, who made the trip up from Illinois! This also happened to be a collaboration with Streetside Brewery out of Cincinnati. They describe it as a Trail Mix Inspired Imperial Rye Stout aged for 50 months in Weller 12 barrels. Conditioned on Peanuts, Almonds, Pecans, Cocoa Nibs & Pretzels.

That may not sound that crazy, but what did it for me was just how much the pretzels really came through. That toasty, salty, bitter finish you would get from eating a pretzel was front and center. Paired with the roasty peanutty smoothness, and a slight sharp dark chocolate bitterness, this thing was crazy balanced. Behind all of that was a wonderful barrel presence, not lending any heat, just some oaky toast, and vanilla goodness.

It's always satisfying to try a weird beer, and actually have the flavors work out so well!

Cody

For me, this was Super Lao Key from Wandering Leaf Brewing. I admittedly played Dabbler 26’ a little safer than usual, but coconut and pandan in a rice lager was enough to catch me off guard. It’s not a combination you see often, and certainly not in a style built on subtlety. The coconut gave it a soft, rounded sweetness, while the pandan added this lightly herbal, almost vanilla-adjacent aroma that was completely unexpected yet strangely natural. If you want to step just slightly outside of your comfort zone, I encourage you to give this a try!

What beer was on point with the overall theme of Winter Beer Dabbler?

What beer seemed like It could've been made just for Winter Beer Dabbler? It could be the style, the name, the ingredients, you name it!

Jack

Leave it to me to pick a lager as a beer built for cold weather, but here goes. Early in the fest I made a bee line to the Little Thistle tent, in search for something from Double Elbow, and I was very excited with the beer they brought.

They brought American Zoigl, a beer I wanted to try when it was released, but never got my hands on a can. Wondering what a Zoigl is? Check out @americanzoigl on Instagram - it's a pretty cool collaboration project that lager brewers can take part in, of which Double Elbow was the most recent.

It is quite similar to a Vienna Lager, and in my opinion, perfect for an event like Winter Dabbler - Toasty biscuit malt, slightly sweet, with a beautiful noble hop presence, and a low ABV because as we all know, beer fests are marathons, not sprints.

Double Elbow killed it with their version, and what a treat it was to taste it (multiple times). If you don't know about their beer yet, you don't know lager, because they are doing it as well as some of the best in the country!

Cody

Glacial Lakes RyePA (Rye Pale Ale) from Luce Line felt like it was brewed specifically for Winter Beer Dabbler. The name alone takes the cake. GLACIAL. LAKES. You’re standing outside in Minnesota in February. You couldn't find a more ideal beer name!

Beyond the name, the beer itself delivered in ways I couldn't imagine. It had all the juicy, hazy character you want, with that subtle rye spice cutting through in a way that made getting pummeled by the frosty Minnesota air oddly enjoyable. If you take a trip to Luce Line soonish, be sure to grab this one. You will not be disappointed!

What was the best non-beer beverage we tried?

Beer is great and all, but sometimes the most fun things to try are the seltzers, hard sodas, ciders, and everything in between!

Jack

This is frankly a very easy choice for me, because this drink was also potentially one of the best things I had all day.

Green Light from Lift Bridge Brewing is their newest installment in their series of Malt Beverage/Seltzer/Hard Sodas, and boy is it delicious. While it's described as Limeade flavored, I would liken it more to a lime popsicle flavor, and a tartness that is almost reminiscent of Green Apple candy.

Those two characteristics make for quite the 7% crusher. If you like lime flavored candy, you will love this. I believe it is limited as well (meant to be a Saint Patty's day release), but I am praying they keep it around, because I need this on the lake in the summer!

Cody

I’m with Jack on this one, though for me Green Light landed in a slightly different place.

It immediately gave me Vodka Press vibes. For those not from the Midwest, a Vodka Press is a cocktail made with vodka, lemon lime soda, a splash of soda water, and a lime garnish. It became a staple in Minnesota and Wisconsin supper clubs in the late twentieth century and has remained a regional staple ever since.

What stopped me in my tracks was how well it mirrored the Vodka Press profile. Bright lime upfront, incredibly inviting carbonation throughout, and a sweetness that never reached domestic soda territory. Think all the best parts of a Sprite but way less syrupy and a much lighter, more inviting body.

Lift Bridge Brewing once again shows why they continue to dominate the hard soda market.

What was the best snacklace of the day?

People can get pretty creative, especially when it comes to the art of snacklaces. You would be shocked what some people are able to get on a piece of twine.

Max

What do rain delays in baseball, overtime in football, and a shootout in hockey all have in common? Athletes needing to keep their stamina up. What do those world class athletes reach for? BANANA. Beer dabbler participants are no different.

Jack

Snacklaces make for some great people watching at beer fests, but Dabbler always seems to have more people who take it to another level. We saw a lot of great getups, and loaded snacklaces, but one took the cake for me.

Get a load of this legend. A full White Castle Crave Case around his neck. With that kind of ammo, he's ready for anything. Straight function over fashion - not pretty, but has everything you need to stay warm and power through the fest, into the after party. I hope he is doing well.

Cody

Dabbler always produces some impressive snacklace engineering, but this one caught my attention faster than any other snacklace we saw.

Front and center was a full mixed 20 pack of gluten-free Oreos and Chips Ahoy. Not a sleeve. Not a few cookies pierced through string. The entire box hanging around his neck, which is absurd. Pringles were stationed up top for easy access, with additional bags clipped in like a chip dealer working the fairgrounds.

Call him Don CorLAYone, the capo of carbs.Keeping your people fed while rocking a flame ski suit? That’s how you survive Dabbler.

What was our favorite tent overall?

Lots of breweries brought some pretty great stuff, but what brewery blew us away with their offerings, and had us coming back again and again?

Jack

Another easy choice for me - Luce Line Brewing. Their beer list had some great variety, and each one was so good. I could've stood in their line all day, rotating through their list, and been perfectly content.

One standout for me was Glacial Lakes, a Hazy Rye Pale Ale. It looks, smells, and tastes like the best Hazy you have ever had, with just a tinge of spice at the very end, but not at all overpowering. It is not often you see Rye used in a hoppy, hazy beer. It made for a unique, and fantastic beer, with a low ABV to boot, which is a lifesaver at a beer festival.

I have to shout out their crew as well for bringing some awesome cellar pulls. They brought a 2022 vintage, and a 2024 vintage of their BBA Imperial Stout, Winter Solstice - both were phenomenal, aged well, and an absolute treat in the cold.

Like I said, they had a beer list that had everything you want!

Cody

For me, it was BlackStack Brewing.

Everything I had from them was dialed in, per usual, but Tuxedo T-Shirt stood out amongst every other IPA served that day... and almost every booth had one.

Built around Mosaic and Krush, it hits that balance we’ve come to expect from BlackStack. It opens with a firm, resinous dankness, then rolls seamlessly into layered berry and punchy tropical notes without either one overpowering the other, which is easier said than done in today’s IPA landscape. The body is soft and full, giving it that plush, pillowy structure people are chasing in some of the top IPAs in the world right now.

This brew absolutely belongs in the same conversation as Troon, Threat, and Deep Fried Beers. It's THAT good.

What was the best beer we had?

Numero Uno. The Big Kahuna. The Belle of the Ball. What beer did we have that we will be daydreaming about for years to come?

Jack

This is always such a tough question, and there were some fantastic beers this year, but one in particular sticks out above the rest, and that was Ancient Shaky Hands from Falling Knife Brewery.

They describe it as a Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cafe Con Miel-Style Stout with Vanilla and a blend of UP Colombian, Costa Rican and Ethiopian Coffees - UP Coffee Roasters being a local Minneapolis roaster.

This beer is so unbelievably balanced - nice sweetness from the malt, and the vanilla, with a nice spice from the rye, and a deep rounded roasty bitterness from the coffee. So smooth, full, and awesome layered depths of flavor. Such a treat to try this beer!

Cody

Remember the timed drop I mentioned earlier that had me reacting like Andy Dwyer? Barrel God Cuvée – 2025 from Lupulin Brewing was that reason. Jack previewed Big Beer Week 2025 for Lupulin around this time last year, and I helped him work through some of the photo sizing and formatting before it went live. In the process, I got a closer look at Barrel God. It’s one of those beers you learn about and it sort of becomes a grail beer, so you can imagine my reaction when I realized it was going to be poured at Dabbler. And man, it didn’t disappoint.

This bad boy is a five-barrel blend: Russel’s Reserve 10 Year aged 37 months, Barbados Rum aged 25 months, a Russel’s Reserve and 1792 component aged 23 months, then rested another 14 in Kentucky Owl; a Barbados Rum barrel aged 12 months, then finished 14 in Kentucky Owl; and a George Dickel 18 Year barrel aged 12 months. Now look… I know it sounds like the bourbon list at your favorite whiskey house, but somehow, it works. What makes this beer special is just how overwhelmingly complex it is. The rum barrels bring an almost molasses-like richness, while the bourbon layers in toasted oak, semi-sweet vanilla, and an level warmth that felt especially welcome at Dabbler this year.