winter beer

A winter beer is traditionally a dark, strong, warming beer available only during wintertime. Nowadays, any seasonal beer produced only during winter is called a winter beer, though.

Brewing winter beers is a long-standing tradition which has its origins in the pagan celebration of winter solstice (of course, when monasteries across Europe started brewing their own beer the practice of brewing winter beer instead became a celebration of the birth of Christ).

In Ukranian, 'winter beer' is zimne piwo, pronounced zihm-neh pivo. That is why the square plastic signs hanging above numerous small bars and liquor stores throughout Chicago proclaim:

Cold Beer
Cerveza Fria
Zimne Piwo

This is something I learned right here on E2, after having seen the phrase constantly and expressing my intrigue at what it meant.