Seasonal Beers: Pumpkin Pickin'

Our resident Beer Expert Tom Broderick writes today on an autumn phenomenon, pumpkin beers.

Pumpkin ales are truly an American invention. Long ago in colonial times when grains were scarce or too expensive, pumpkins were fermented instead to brew beer. Word is our founding fathers brewed their own pumpkin ales! They took it a step more extreme and added apples, squash, and corn to the mash. Unfortunately, pumpkin ales took the back seat for decades until resurgence in the 1980s when craft breweries started to toy around with some recipes.

Each fall, more and more pumpkin beers appear on store shelves. It's a fun game seeing how many different types I can squeeze into our stores without collapsing the shelves. They can range from having little to no pumpkin flavor (see Rock Art Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout) to tasting literally like pumpkin pie (see Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale). Typically, spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice are used during the brewing process – but some breweries venture further with non-traditional ingredients like vanilla extract (Southampton Pumpkin Ale) or spruce tips. The great thing about pumpkin ales is that there is sure to be a take on the style that will suit your needs.

There is nothing better for cool autumn nights than a glass of top-notch pumpkin ale. They also pair wonderfully with food or as dessert, especially at Thanksgiving dinner.

Here are a couple of my favorite (and trust me I've tried them all):

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
This is the perfect pumpkin ale, in my opinion. Rich and balanced, it never gets too spicy or too cloying. The pumpkin is there in full force but the cinnamon and other spices hold it in check.

Southampton Pumpkin Ale
At only 5.5% alcohol it is truly amazing how much flavor is packed into this beer. Great pumpkin and nutmeg flavors, but the real kicker here is the addition of vanilla extract. It’s a well-rounded and very clean beer.