Magic Hat’s winter variety pack is in stores now with a mix of their standards and seasonals. (I picked mine up from the Giant in Columbia Heights.) With the name on the box, you might expect the Feast of Fools Stout to be inside, but no such luck. The variety is a good mix for parties, covering a range of pale to dark with four distinct flavors. And with most of the mix coming in under 5 percent ABV, you can have a few without acting a fool.

Howl (Black Lager) – a nice standard black lager/Schwarzbier, with a toasted malt flavor from start to finish. A hint of dark chocolate, a little sweet on the end. Great for when you want something dark, but nothing as heavy as a stout.

Lucky Kat (IPA) – Magic Hat pours on the hops here with a nice, dryish IPA. The aroma is not quite citrus, almost tropical, but the hop taste leans more toward pine than fruit. Crisp with a deep orange/copper coloring if you’re drinking from a glass.

#9 (Pale Ale) – The #9 is by far the most common Magic Hat beer in D.C. Pale with a pleasant apricot flavor up front. A great session beer with wide appeal.

Odd Notion Winter ’09 (American Sour Ale) – Having a chocolate dessert with your dinner? Look no further, here’s your pairing. Following the trend of sours out this year, Magic Hat brings out a mild cherry sour ale. If the more intense sours, like the Ommegang Sour Flanders or the Monk’s Café Flemish Sour, are too much, this might be a nice compromise.

This Friday night, October 30, is the Night of the Living Zoo, from the Cauldrons of Magic Hat Brewing. Fire-eaters, palm readers, fear gardens, and the music of Soulive will fill this one-night only event at the zoo with Magic Hat brews to keep things moving. I wonder what the gabon viper will think of the fake cobwebs and Frankenstein cutouts? Unfortunately, this event sold out weeks in advance. But maybe Craig or the random co-worker is sitting on a few extras?