It’s one of those styles that (somehow) has stood the test of time. It’s also perhaps one of the original fruit (or veg) adjuncted beer styles in the modern craft beer world, and it always comes around this time of year in the US. It’s the Great Pumpkin (Ale), Charlie Brown!
Between the months of August and November, you can find plenty of these beers in American shops, alongside Pumpkin Spiced Lattes in coffee shops, and although it’s not a style that thrives as much down under, every year there is one or two breweries that will put out pumpkin beers!
The first commercial example of these beers come from Buffalo Bill Brewery in Hayward, CA in the 1980s, and it just resonated with the beer fans. Something so truly American like a Pumpkin Pie, but in liquid form! The rest is history with the craft beer revolution and the massification of this seasonal style linked with holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Trick or treat, or maybe a little bit of both. Many of the beers that say Pumpkin Ale actually don’t contain any pumpkin whatsoever; what they usually contain is ‘Pumpkin Spice’, a mix of different spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Their malt base can be light or amber, with many breweries choosing the latter of the richer notes. A beer made for comfort and reminiscence.
Love them or hate them, Pumpkin Ales are here to stay. Give them a try and taste this unique style that paved the way for the current spiced and adjuncted beers in the market. Thrills & cheers friends!
Image: Hargreaves Hill
