#treatyoself: Stone Brewing Co.'s Xocoveza

One of my absolute favorite beers is Xocoveza from Stone Brewing. My boyfriend, who is just a little bit obsessed with Stone introduced it to me a couple years ago and it is now my go to beer this time of year. I would venture to say it’s the perfect beer for the holiday season - it’s inspired by Mexican hot chocolate after all! Plus, it ages well so you can enjoy it all year long.

The beer is a mocha stout brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was first brewed in 2014 as a collaboration with the winner of Stone’s homebrew competition, Chris Banker, and was so popular, people asked them to bring it back.

Each sip of Xocoveza definitely brings you on a journey. You can smell the coffee right away with this one. Once you take a drink, the chocolate taste hits you right away, followed by the coffee, nutmeg and sweet vanilla (my fave), finishing with a hint of that pepper. At 8.1% ABV, it’s just the right amount of boozy to keep you warm during the cold winter. It’s a great beer to bring to your next holiday gathering or a nice way to #treatyoself by sipping it on a cozy night next to the fireplace.