It’s the holiday season … and the weather outside is frightful.

OK, we know. We live in the 209. The weather is rarely frightful here in Central California. But it does get chilly during November and December, and wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a drink that matches the season and warms your insides like a liquid Christmas carol? We think it would. So here are a few that you might want to try during the holiday season before they get packed up and put away in the attic with the rest of the holiday decorations.

Dust Bowl Brewing Company, 3000 Fulkerth Road, Turlock — When you think of Dust Bowl, you probably think of Great Depression-themed beers. But the popular brewery has moved into making fine spirits, and have come up with a peppermint-flavored moonshine — called, simply enough, Peppermint Moonshine — that tastes like a candy cane with a solid left hook.

Though not yet available for to-go sales, you can get a taste of Dust Bowl’s newest creation as a cocktail ingredient, at the bar or in the dining room.

“We are going to start a new cocktail menu for the winter,” said Dust Bowl owner and founder Brett Tate.

According to brewmaster Don Oliver, the impetus for Peppermint Moonshine was a request from the taproom staff.

“Peppermint goes really well during the holidays, and we have some cocktail people up there who wanted to play around a little bit,” said Oliver. “And if we only have certain things, they get to play around a little less.”

Dust Bowl has relationships with different flavor houses, allowing Luke Baker, Dust Bowl’s product development manager, to tinker with different recipes.

“We had some samples from S&S Flavors down in Southern California and we did a couple trials based on their recommended dosage rates,” said Oliver. “And we have some formulations that we’d already built from another group called Sovereign Flavors — also based in Southern California — and we used those as a base to start with the sugar content and the proof and things like that. So we had some guidelines, which allowed us to put it all together, make some tweaks, and get it to where we like it.”

Dust Bowl also features a pumpkin-flavored beer.

“The last couple of years, we’ve done pumpkin stouts and pumpkin imperials,” said Oliver. “But when we have too many high-alcohol beers, everything else sells slower, and I want the beers to stay fresh. So, this year, we went a little more normal on the pumpkin beer. It’s a pumpkin amber-style lager that should bring in about 6% alcohol.”

On the non-flavored front, Black Blizzard is a Russian imperial stout that pairs nicely with the cool temperatures.

“Cold weather is really good for darker beers, bigger beers that you can enjoy around the fire. And because I like to drink them, I continue to make them whether they sell or not,” Oliver said with a laugh. “So, Black Blizzard is one we like to have in cans and on draft.”

Persuasion Brewing Co., 500 7th St., Modesto — A relatively recent release from the Modesto brewer called Truth or Consequences took third place at the Amador County Commercial Craft Beer Competition in September. It’s an imperial stout that’s been aged for three and a half years in Heaven Hill barrels, which are most notably used for high-quality Kentucky bourbon.

“I released some about a month ago and it did really well for us,” said head brewer Jonas Dixon. “The plan is to release more in time for Black Friday.”

The high-quality barrels not only enhance the alcohol-by-volume content — customers are limited to two 10-ounce pours because of the kicky 13.8% ABV — but add notes of oak, vanilla, and stone fruit. As the beer warms up — it should be enjoyed at room temperature, Dixon pointed out — you might notice hints of chocolate, almonds, and coconut.

“It has a taste that’s similar to an Almond Joy candy bar,” said Dixon. “And I’m kind of an anomaly in that I’m not a big fan of coffee or chocolate, but the beers that I like to consume are chocolate-based.”

Xavier Walker, a traveling nurse practitioner who lives in New York City, said they don’t have stouts like Truth or Consequences in the Big Apple.

“It’s a great blend,” said Walker, who was raised in the Bronx. “Creamy, with a rich flavor. I truly enjoy this. Man, if you could get this on the East Coast, they would eat this up.”

If Walker is any indication, Truth or Consequences will be a popular pour this holiday season.

“He told me, ‘Whatever price you want for this, I’ll pay it; I want to take this back to New York with me,’” said Dixon.

Contentment Brewing Company, 208 Campus Way, Modesto — Owner and head brewer Alejandro Serrato is offering a 4.7% ABV pumpkin ale and a 5.3% ABV vanilla porter — called Punkin’ Ale and Syd’s Magic Rollercoaster, respectively — that will be a hit for all your Christmas entertaining.

“It’s mostly for the fall and winter,” said Serrato, who opened Contentment Brewing in 2019. “People don’t really drink it in the summertime so we bring it out for holidays and it moves pretty well. People like it.

“We produced seven barrels, which is about 230 gallons. It’ll be gone in a month or two (around the new year).”

Serrato makes his own vanilla extract that goes into Syd’s Magic Rollercoaster

“We use Grade A vanilla beans from Madagascar and extract the flavonoids using bourbon instead of vodka, which gives you a woody, barrel flavor,” said Serrato.

Contentment Brewing, which has 18 beers on tap, also produces its own cream soda and root beer, and just installed a pickleball court at the brewery, where there are still taco trucks and live music.