I’ve noticed it and I know you have too, everywhere I look, everything is pumpkin flavored. It’s the new “Go To” for fall holiday flavors. Candles, breads, ice cream, soap. gum, it’s everywhere! But, one the best things flavored with pumpkin or pumpkin essence or pumpkin fairy dust (Whatever the hell it is they use!) is BEER. They’ve always been there, but in the last 5 years, the pumpkin beer business has exploded. Every brewery has at least one, if not more, pumpkin beer on the market. Now, keep in mind many beers are only available regionally, which is a real bummer. The ones I’ve chosen are carried at Total Wine or can be ordered through them.
- UFO Pumpkin –  The Harpoon Brewery describes it like this. Imagine a pumpkin vine wound its way in a field of barley, and a brewer harvested it all to make a beer. Add Northwestern hops and a blend of spices, and you’ve got UFO Pumpkin. The malt combination provides a smooth body and slightly sweet flavor, which balances perfectly with the earthy notes derived from the pure pumpkin. And like all of our UFO beers, UFO Pumpkin is UnFiltered. This is one of my favorites! It’s well balanced and I love the fact that it’s unfiltered.
- Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale – Here is the Blue Moon Brewing Co. describing their beer. We wanted to create a beer that was a little different than what was already out there and complemented the season by highlighting the flavors we’ve all grown to love during this time. It was so popular that it became the first nationally available pumpkin ale. Harvest Pumpkin Ale, as it’s called now, is crafted with pumpkin and spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for a taste you’ll want to fall right into. A lot of beer snobs will scoff at this one, but I have a method to the madness. This is a great beer to help introduce people to the whole “pumpkin beer thing”. It’s a little sweet and very drinkable.
- Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale – This is a great beer from the Unita Brewing Co. Malt and hops accented with roasted pumpkin and spices of the season. A subtle hint of vanilla and honey. Punk’n is a wonderful compliment to foods with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove flavors. Try it with roasted turkey, squash or pumpkin ravioli, peach cobbler, or pumpkin cheesecake. A great beer, with a beautiful finish and real pumpkin flavor.
-  Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale – The Brooklyn Brewery has some amazing beers and this is one of them. Early American colonialists, seeking natural ingredients for brewing ales, turned to pumpkins, which were plentiful, flavorful and nutritious. Blended with barley malt, pumpkins became a commonly used beer ingredient. Post Road Pumpkin Ale brings back this tasty tradition. Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins are blended into the mash of each batch, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center, and crisp finish. I tried this for the first time this year and I love it. I will be stocking up on this one before the fall is over!
- America’s Original Pumpkin Ale – Buffalo Bill’s Brewery has been brewing this beer for a LONG time. America’s Original Pumpkin Ale was first brewed in 1985. Made with real pumpkin, it has a golden amber color, and the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie. This brew is perfect for Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin Ale is available from August – November. This is the first pumpkin beer I ever tried and it sets the standard for me. It’s hard to brew a beer that hits every note and this is one of them. You can pair it with food or break it out at the next football game. Amazing!
I know for a fact that there are so many great pumpkin ales out there that I haven’t tried, so it’s hard to do a Top 5. But these are the ones that I dig on. I hope everyone has a great fall and drink responsibly.
What are your favorite pumpkin beers?