Want to have your pumpkin pie and drink it too? You've come to the right place.
Seasonally-released pumpkin ales occupy that small space of time between Oktoberfest beers and holiday ales, and taste like it too. They are malty like many Oktoberfest märzens but spiced like holiday ales with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
The best pumpkin ales, in my opinion, are brewed with actual pumpkin. This can be anything from pumpkin puree to actual pieces of roasted squash, but a little pumpkin goes a long way to making a truly unique beer.
These are a few worthy contenders for your fall pumpkin cravings:
1. Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Rich pumpkin flavor with a backbone of brown sugar.
2. Pumking from Southern Tier Brewing Company - Nutmeg and cinnamon spices are very forward with this one. Vanilla adds a warming note.
3. Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery - Less pumpkiny than other brews, but with a nice spicy character.
4. Frog's Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale from Hoppin' Frog Brewery - Stronger and bolder than other pumpkin ales, from the pumpkin to the spices to the ABV.
5. UFO Pumpkin from Harpoon Brewery - Malty, spicy, and earthy with an appropriately autumnal crisp finish.
Love pumpkin ale? What's your favorite?
Related: DIY Recipe: Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte (Just Like Starbucks!)
(Image: Flickr member foilman licensed under Creative Commons)
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Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is the best!!!
I haven't tried all of the pumpkin ales listed so I'm no expert, but I recently picked up Punk'n Harvest Pumpkin Ale from Uinta Brewing and am really enjoying it (http://www.uintabrewing.com/brews.php -- love all their labels, too!). It's subtly spiced with a hint of pumpkin on the finish.
Shipyard. Hands down.
I agree with BrittanyB -- Uinta's is quite tasty.
But my current Very Favorite Pumpkin Beer is Big Boss Harvest Time. Mmmmmmmmomg.
Shipyard (regular OR smashed!) is by far the easiest drinking and best tasting out of all the pumpkin beers I've had, and I've had a lot. Most aren't spicy or pumpkin-y enough for me.
Out of that list, I don't think I've had Frog's, but I think Pumpking might be my fave.
Pumpkinhead Ale from Shipyard!
I love pumpkin beers during the fall! My favorites are Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and Shipyard's Pumpkinhead.
Shipyard Pumpkinhead and Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin are two more good ones.
After searching for (seemingly) ever, my husband finally got to try the Dogfish Punkin Ale and loved it. Shame its so hard to come by.
I tried a few pumpkin beers and a (even though I'm not a beer drinker) for him and me, when they pack on the pumpkin pie spices its a deal breaker. I find the minute they add nutmeg or more than a little cinnamon, the beer reeks like an air freshener.
I've had the Pumpking and would take that over actual pumpkin pie any day!
Shipyard's good, but I find it gets to be really sweet really fast.
I'm DYING to try Harpoon's Pumpkin UFO (Harpoon's one of my favorite overall breweries) and Dogfish's Punkin.
This season, I tried Post Road Pumpkin Ale and have determined that to be my favorite-- still tastes like beer, but with a little pumpkin spice finish at the end, not overpowering at all.
Honestly, I found the Dogfish kind of meh, it left me wanting a bit more spice to the flavor. I preferred the Southern Tier and also Bluepoint makes a nice Pumpkin Ale.
I've always wanted to try a pumpkin brew but while I say this every year, I have yet to buy or try any. I MUST make this my mission in the next few weeks.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale is awesome.
I've tried just about every kind of pumpkin ale out there and Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is my absolute favorite. It's amazing. Pumking is also fantastic.
Love Dog Fish and Shipyard. Wish I could get Shipyard in my area! It is great for dessert with a sugar cinnamon rimmed glass too.
For all the talk about the ABV of Hoppin Frog's, Southern Tier's is higher ABV.
I like the Post Road but I LOVELOVELOVE Shipyard Pumpkin Ale
I like DOgfish head the best-- it still tastes like beer and is more pumpkin than spice. Everyone I know looooves Shipyard, but I find the spices a little overpowering and it can be really sweet. It's great for floats, though!
Here in Toronto you can get a delicious pumpkin ale from Black Creek Pioneer Village. It's brewed in the village with local ingredients using techniques from the 1860's so it's only got a shelf life of about 2 weeks but it rarely lasts that long.
Pumpkin beers are my current drink obsession. LOVE.
Dogfish is good, but I agree with TheSaucyLady, it's a little more mellow. I believe Harpoon is my favorite so far, but the two bars I tend to haunt (hehe) aren't done with pumpkin beers yet!
yessss Pumpking is the BEST
Shipyard's is amazing, and I'm also a big fan of O'Fallon's. I found Southern Tier's Pumking *way* too sweet for my liking.
The Williamsburg AleWerks Pumpkin Ale is fantatically tasty!