Chatting about the joy of winter beers with Craig Thomas, Master Cicerone

It’s winter, time to curl up by a crackling fire with a blanket and a hot cup of cocoa.

Craig Thomas is a beer expert and a Master Cicerone living in Templeton, Calif. In 2025, there were fewer than 30 Master Cicerones in the world. (Courtesy of Craig Thomas) 

Or if you happen to be a beer lover, perhaps a glass of pitch-black, high-octane beer – peanut-butter stout, maybe, or oak-smoked doppelbock – that will warm you from the inside out.

The coldest months are peak season for winter beers...