The holiday season is finally here and for many places across America, people see the leaves fall from trees and the temperatures plummet. That’s not the case here in sunny San Diego. We have warm weather year-round and the occasional “sprinkle,” if you will. Now we aren’t complaining, but the cooler season has us dreaming of drinking hearty craft beers, even if we are just lounging around on the beach. Check out some of our favorite brews for the season.

• Finest Made Ales - Located in Santee, California, Rey Knight is a craft beer enthusiast to the core. His love for food and the art of craft brewing turned into an ultimate adventure as he combined the two to start Finest Made Ales. This year he’s offering up the Hefeweizen Ale (6.0% ABV), featuring fall notes of allspice and clove. If spice isn’t your thing, we fell in love with the Northern English Brown Ale (5.75% ABV) whose profile is full of caramel and nutty flavors.

• Mason Ale Works (Urge Gastropub Oceanside) - Grant Tondro, Zak Higson and Nathan Higson (3 Local Brothers) love serving beer at their establishments so much that they started their own brewery, Mason Ale Works. Our favorite is the withOAT a d’OAT (6.9% ABV), an oatmeal pale ale that is sure to have you dreaming of a night by the fireplace. They also serve up brews from Elsyian, and we can’t get enough of the Punkuccino (6.0% ABV). This coffee pumpkin ale is dark and will give the coffee addicts something to rave about.

• Resident Brewing - Located downtown at The Local and available at Wonderland in Ocean Bean and PB Local, Robert Masterson is scientific about finding the perfect brew. A seasonal staple, the Back Alley Porter (5.3% ABV), is dangerously good. Notes of chocolate and lightly burnt taste would pair heavenly around a campfire with a s’more. Prefer a lighter beer? Resident’s Vienna Lager (4.8% ABV) is the way to go. Well-balanced but full of flavor. It’s sure to make you coming back for more.

Celebrating the season through brews not weather - that’s San Diego. Happy sipping!