Cold snaps in the summer weather make for fine opportunities to sip bold craft beers, bursting with spices, roasted malts and complex flavors. There’s a great scene in the 2007 documentary American Brew where late British author Michael Jackson (a.k.a. the Beer Hunter) describes a perfect scenario for sipping a dark ale. He’s in a pub, holding a full pint of heavy Rogue ale. “This would be even better on a cold night,” he says, “just as the rain is hammering against your window panes, and you’re in a nice, comfortable leather chair, and your wife’s gone to bed, and you’ve a got a bit of peace. You can have a bit of beer and some quiet time.”

Speaking of Rogue Ales, the Newport, Oregon brewery is unconventional and their Chocolate Stout, which debuted for Valentine’s Day in 2001, is no exception. Imagine an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate truffle got together in a bed that had been strewn with hops. Now imagine the imperial version. Rogue’s Double Chocolate smells like the inside of pain au chocolat thanks to ample bittersweet Dutch chocolate. Clocking in at 8.8 percent alcohol by volume and wearing a red 750ml casing, this 2010 World Beer Championships gold medal winner is definitely a one-beer buzz.

Rogue Ales Double Chocolate Stout awaits in Peaks and Pints’ cooler, perfect for today’s gloomy weather.