Seasonal Beverage: Pumpkin Beers!

By: Katie Grandy; Beverage Buyer

This weekend I learned a new trick that really helped enhance my pumpkin beer experience. I simply chilled a pint glass, and then rolled the rim in a cinnamon and brown sugar mix.  It was so good! I already love pumpkin beer this time of year, but this tasted like a little bit of pumpkin pie in every sip.

For this occasion, we have several really good pumpkin beers in stock through November. They are located on the end cap, with other seasonal items. The Rogue farms Pumpkin beer, Pumpkin Patch Ale—in its cheerfully orange bottle—is just one of our selections. I always taste a slight sourness to good pumpkin beers—similar to a flavor profile I get in pumpkin pie—and this profile is slightly evident here, with lots of spice in the flavor. This beer holds up to the Rogue standards, and you will not be disappointed.

The next kind of pumpkin beer we have is by The American River Brewing Company; Pumpkin Falls. This one, I must admit, is my favorite. It is light to medium in body with a sharp, lively bite from the carbonation, and goes down crisp and clean.  There are strong notes of pumpkin and cinnamon spice upfront and throughout. Nutmeg and earth hit moderately toward the finish. An ever so distant spice bite, like Red Hots, lingers in the finish.

Lastly we have the Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale. This is a full on, simultaneous assault of all the flavors: strong pumpkin and nutmeg flavors, with mild flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar, and subtle caramel flavors (these are a pleasant addition that weren't detected in the smell). As the flavors begin to fade, cinnamon lingers, leaving a nice aftertaste. This is an award winning pumpkin beer, and it is not hard to see why when you try it!

Please enjoy, and try different flavor combos on the rim of your glass and let me know what your favorite one is!