12 LA beers of Christmas

Not too strong, not too light, this Gingerbread Stout is just right. At 8.5% ABV, this beer mixes fresh ginger with cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel and vanilla, topped with a rich chocolate malt. If this doesn't bring back your own memories, just know that it was inspired by Golden Road co-founder Meg Gill's childhood Christmas traditions back home in Virginia.

While the keg ran dry at the Golden Road pub, you can still buy it at select retailers like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Costco and BevMo.

OK, so we may have told you to forget the lords-a-leaping, but we will grant you the swans-a-swimming. At 11% ABV, this Orange County beer is ideal as a sipper to complement a Christmas ham, green bean casserole or sweet potato pie. A must-have if you love Christmas—I mean, it's practically in the name.

Described as a dark mild, Old Toasty won't hit you quite as strong as some winter beers—but that's not to say it lacks in taste. Fans of this beer can't get enough of its malty, chocolate flavor, and with a relatively low alcohol content (4.2% ABV), it's easy enough to drink while still giving you a satisfying buzz.