With the holidays and Obamauguration solidly behind us, it’s time to ditch the gimmicky and focus on the delicious. Winter is typically my favorite beer season of the year, but the overspiced and generic “winter” ales can tend to wear on a beer lover after only a few weeks. Now is the time when the good stuff really comes out.

Birreria Paradiso
Pizza Paradiso is running a Valentine’s Day dinner special (the entire restaurant, not just the Birreria) with a couple’s menu that costs $75 for two salads, one large pizza, two desserts, and five beers. In addition, the Birreria is hosting a Tröegs dinner on February 23: four courses and six beers for $65. These tastings tend to sell out quick, so call soon to reserve a spot. The Tröegs beers are particularly awesome.

The Brickskeller
The annual “Strong Ale” tasting is going down on consecutive Wednesdays this year (February 25 and March 4), the better to allow the truly dedicated to attend both sessions. In previous years, the nights were back-to-back and only the hardiest livers were able to survive both nights. This tasting is my favorite of the annual Brickskeller tastings: the beers are often over-the-top and unrestrained, and the atmosphere frequently reflects that. No word yet on cost and specific beers.