Winter is the time when most of to enjoy local beers with a little more heft, writes Emily Kovach for PA Eats.

Luckily, Pennsylvania’s rich craft beer scene offers plenty of choices when it comes to winter beers made with local ingredients, including two made by Philadelphia breweries.

Cartesian Brewing in South Philadelphia is known for its experimental and well-crafted beers that often have a story to tell.

Gram’s Stout is one such beer. The brew is made by Cartesian’s head brewer, Alex Leh, specifically for his grandmother, who always notes that dark beers are never dark enough.

As a result, Leh created a truly dark beer and gave it notes of dark chocolate, toffee, and coffee. The stout is also a bit more sessionable at 5.4 percent ABV.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Schwarzbier from Urban Village Brewing in Northern Liberties is a dark lager with origins in Germany.

It has a pronounced malt quality, as well as a bittersweet flavor that carries notes of coffee and chocolate. This beautifully roasty brew is created using malts from Deer Creek Malthouse. And even with it being so dark, it makes for really easy drinking.

Read more about winter beers made with local ingredients in PA Eats.

_____