The Washington area is sitting under what remains of two record-breaking snowstorms. School, not to mention the Federal Government, is closed. Children are making snowmen. D.C.’s young professionals are engaging in snowball fights. Family’s are huddled inside around the fire. Justin is making a daily trek to Peregrine to keep his winter sanity.

You know what that means? Yes, exactly. The spring beers are here!

Some marketing study must have convinced U.S. brewers that Americans prefer to anticipate seasons rather than live in the present. That’s why we can drink winter beers while passing out Halloween candy, drink Oktoberfest bier before the NFL preseason even starts and, of course, buy a six-pack of spring seasonals while stocking up on frozen pizza and toilet paper to wait out the winter storms.

Indeed, while I was elbowing my way through the crowds at Harris Teeter the other day, I noticed the spring beers had arrived and were on sale. Justin already mentioned Sam Adam’s Noble Pilsner is here, but I needed a beer that says, in effect, “come in from the cold, sit down by the fire, drink a pint in the warm glow of the embers.” Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock fits the bill.

Yes, I am well aware that the Wisconsin brewery’s winter beer, Fireside Nut Brown, is supposed to fill that niche. Maybe it does. Maybe they also stopped selling it before Thanksgiving. But forget the 1888 Bock packaging, which features green grass, a pleasant river and a rowboat – this beer tastes like winter to me.

Spring beer should be well-lit and refreshing, something to enjoy on the front porch the moment it’s warm enough to wear flip flops outside. But, and beer brewers please take note, we ain’t there yet. Fortunately, 1888 Bock is dark, flavorful and goes great with rich, heavy comfort food. It left me with the sort of warm, happy feeling in my chest that good bocks leave behind, kind of like the feeling you get when a good friend gives you a bear hug.

Spring seasonal? Ok, if they say so. But if you ask me, this is a great beer for a snowy day.