Every year, I stockpile bottles for the long winter and spring months ahead. From December to July, I pine for the start of pumpkin beer season - that magical week in August when beer bottles with tiny cartoon jack-o-lanterns finally pop up at my supermarket, signaling the arrival of shorter days, chillier nights, and beer that tastes like candy. Actually, "love" is an understatement I crave pumpkin beer, with a ferocity that is downright unseemly. A through-line of vanilla flavor will evoke thoughts of pie-we say pairing the two is nothing but a great idea.I love pumpkin beer. Brown ale is brewed with local, organic pumpkins and pumpkin seeds and complementary spices, resulting in a smooth, warming, 7.17 percent beer. This hometown hero of a pumpkin beer is perfect for foggy nights in the Haight, or the Dogpatch, for that matter. Their secret ingredient is the addition of cocoa nibs, which intensifies the flavor, which is nicely balanced by a clean hoppy finish. ![]() Try them both at Jupiter’s Bay Area Pumpkin Beer Fest this weekend in Berkeley.Ī regular seasonal release from the folks up north at the Mendocino Brewing Company, their 5 percent pumpkin ale is brewed with “copious amounts of pumpkin,” plus nutmeg, cinnamon, and spicy ginger. Expect a deepening of the lightly-spiced pumpkin flavor, and likely a good ol’ fashioned buzz from trying them side-by-side. Get double the pleasure with Drake’s 5 percent Orbiting Gourd, featuring fresh-roasted pumpkin and spices, by tasting this year’s batch alongside the barrel-aged version from 2013. The good people at Anderson Valley recommend drinking this 6 percent baby with brie and aged cheddar we see no good reason to not do so, as much as possible. The rich, copper-colored beer is laced with deep notes of cinnamon and nutmeg we love the way the caramel flavor is balanced with a little hit of hoppy bitterness. Fall Hornin’, Anderson Valley Brewing CompanyĪs soon as we feel a fall chill in the air, we like to crack open a cold Fall Hornin’ from AVBC. The 4.8 percent beer is not only sessionable, it’s best enjoyed by one of the Brewery’s outdoor fire pits overlooking the water.Ĥ. When you’ve got pumpkins on the mind there’s no place like Half Moon Bay - in addition to hosting an all-out pumpkin festival, HMB is home to delightful pumpkin patches (with pony rides available!) and a top-notch brewpub brewing a classic, pie-spiced pumpkin ale. ![]() Mavericks Pumpkin Harvest Ale, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company How can you really decide between their luscious, boozy Barleywine-Style ale aged in brandy barrels and the delightfully mouth-puckering Dark Pumpkin Sour? Gun to our heads, we’re going with the sour-the 7 percent beer has an addictive savory note (and was brewed with local heirloom pumpkins), making it a perfect pairing for all of those pumpkin desserts you’ve been taking down lately.ģ. ![]() The hardest thing about picking a pumpkin beer from farm-to-bottle mavens Almanac Brewing is picking just one. Not to play favorites, but we’ll take 21st Amendment’s Belgian-Style Tripel over Elysian’s Baltic-Style Porter (which is delicious, too)-the 8.7 percent beer is brewed with pumpkin puree, pumpkin juice, tarragon, and galangal for a spicy, smooth flavor profile. Much as we’re about the local love, we dig 21st Amendment’s He Said collaboration with Elysian Brewing in Seattle-the two breweries are offering a one-two punch of potent pumpkin beer (charmingly available in a two box set). The great news? You’ll be able to find one to suit any mood, from sweet, heady brews to tart, refreshing sippers.ĭon’t forget to add a “Humm, baby!” to that toast, now. Raise a toast to all things orange and awesome with seven delicious pumpkin brews from some of our favorite Northern California breweries. Oh hey, Orangetober! As if the spate of 80-degree weekends wasn’t enough, this decorative gourd season is full of things to celebrate.
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