It wouldn’t be December without a “Peanuts” special humming from the television, a gift-wrapped tin of cashews rattling in a stocking, or at least one earnest conversation about chestnuts roasting on an open fire despite the fact that almost no one has ever actually witnessed such a thing. The holidays, after all, are when nut lovers truly come out of their shells. Sorry about that. But also not sorry. ’Tis the season of walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, and the grand, beardy monarch of them all: the Nutcracker.
Usually dressed like a stern little Russian soldier with a painted grin and a jaw better suited for intimidation than actual nut-cracking, the Nutcracker began life as a 19th-century novelty—basically the Pet Rock of its era—before hitching a velvet-lined ride into immortality on the orchestral sleigh bells of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Somewhere along the way, these wooden knick-knacks became inseparable from ballet, sugarplums, and December itself, even though someone really should have told Tchaikovsky the truth: decorative collectibles are terrible at cracking nuts.
And yet—here we are. Every winter, Tacoma City Ballet brings The Nutcracker back to the Pantages this weekend, live orchestra swelling, snow falling on cue, dancers twirling, and the Johnson family going nuts through a tradition that’s been anchoring South Sound winters since the company’s founding in 1955. It’s less a performance now than a civic ritual: a reminder that December is allowed to be elegant, a little ridiculous, and unapologetically nostalgic all at once.
Which brings us, naturally, to beer. In honor of nut season, ballet season, and the enduring mystery of why we keep buying wooden soldiers that can’t do their one job, Peaks & Pints presents a nutty beer flight we lovingly call the Peaks & Pints Flight of Nutcrackers. Because sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you feel like a stout. And sometimes December demands both.
Peaks & Pints Flight of Nutcrackers
Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout
5.3% ABV | Milk Stout | Oceanside, CA
Some beers knock politely; this one kicks the door open holding a jar of peanut butter and a grin it knows you won’t resist. Belching Beaver’s cult classic layers roasted malt and cocoa softness beneath a thick wave of peanut butter nostalgia, smoothed by lactose into something that drinks like dessert wearing work boots. Chocolate milk warmth hums underneath, the roast stays gentle, and the finish lands creamy, nutty, and dangerously easygoing.
Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout
6.2% ABV | Milk Stout | Longmont, CO
Roasted malt and soft coffee notes lay the groundwork, then peanut butter slides in smooth and savory, like a spoonful stolen straight from the jar and stirred into chocolate milk memories. The mouthfeel is lush without being heavy, sweetness kept on a gentle leash, the finish calm and creamy, humming quietly like a winter evening well spent. Peanut Butter Milk Stout drinks less like a beer and more like a comforting, well-practiced ritual — familiar, indulgent, and deeply soothing in that unmistakable Left Hand way.
Lucky Envelope Peanut Butter Cream Stout
6.0% ABV | Milk Stout | Seattle, WA
Here, decadence slips quietly into comfort, swirling roasted malt and cocoa beneath a halo of real peanut butter. Lucky Envelope’s take drinks like dessert whispered through velvet — lush, nutty, and blissfully unconcerned with restraint. It’s the grown-up peanut butter cup your inner child always suspected was hiding behind the bar, waiting patiently for winter.
Lumberbeard Barrel-Aged Campfire Snack
12.7% ABV | Imperial Pastry Stout | Spokane, WA
This is Lumberbeard’s decadent séance — bourbon, chocolate, and smoke murmuring together after fourteen months in oak. Campfire Snack pours thick as midnight, stacked with marshmallow, graham, vanilla, cacao, and a sly hint of peanut butter mischief. Nostalgia goes nocturnal here, dessert turns ritual, and every sip feels like firelight flickering across your tongue.
Prairie Artisan Ales King Nut
11.5% ABV | Imperial Stout | Krebs, OK
Royalty rarely whispers, and King Nut certainly doesn’t. This full-crowned imperial stout arrives draped in chocolate thunder, roasted malt gravity, and a decadent surge of peanut butter richness. Cocoa brownie depths and nutty warmth move slowly through the glass while the alcohol hums like a well-tended hearth. Sweet without collapsing, powerful without losing poise, Prairie‘s King Nut drinks like a winter-night indulgence meant for patience, reverence, and the quiet understanding that sometimes the most festive thing you can do is sip boldly and let the world wait.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
