10 Pumpkin Beers To Try This Halloween

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1. The Fear, Flying Dog

flying

Frederick, MD
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: blog.mainstreethost.com

The Fear is brewed with a local pumpkin puree and secret blend of spices. But once you take a sniff and a sip, those spices become quite apparent. (Hint: Think pumpkin pie.) Anything seasonally spicy or sweet will beautifully complement this rich and complex brew.

2. Pumpkin Hunter, Devils Backbone

db_pumpkin_hunter

Lexington, VA
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: www.bassins.com

This frighteningly delicious ale is orange amber in color with subtle pumpkin sweetness. Enjoy the warming flavor and aroma of pumpkin pie in a glass. You’ll lose your head over this one!

3. 31, DuClaw Brewing

31

Baltimore, MD
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First brewed in 2008 as a Halloween one-off release, “31” took the classic Munich Dunkel and added seasonal spices to create a new fall favorite. Then, in 2011, they DOUBLED the spicing to take the taste of this amber colored, medium-bodied German-style lager to a new level of flavor. The resulting variant of “31” indulges your senses with its smooth, malty palate, moderate 5.2% abv, and double helping of fall spices for a refreshingly intense finish of cinnamon and nutmeg that makes Double Spiced “31” all treat and no tricks.

4. Greater Pumpkin, Heavy Seas

Heavy-Seas-The-Great-Pumpkin-1

Baltimore, MD
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: www.lostinthebeeraisle.com

In the most worthy of pumpkin patches and during the silence of the midnight hour, the Greater Pumpkin raises up and pours a rich deep and burnished orange color. Heady aromas of bourbon, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove linger seductively over the thick white head of this tremendous brew. It’s love at first sip as the full malt body, dominated by British crystal malt, brown sugar and pumpkin, slowly washes over your tongue. Bourbon barrel aging rounds out the flavors with notes of oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Pairs well with crisp autumn weather, crunchy fallen leaves, and the knowledge that your kids will be asleep soon so you can raid their Halloween candy bags.

5. Howling Pumpkin, Wild Wolf Brewing

HOWLING-PUMPKIN-FINAL-Rev091313

Nellysford, VA
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: beerpulse.com

A wonderfully spiced nose and a beautiful orange color lead into this perfectly balanced fall beer. Just the right amount of molasses and pumpkin pie spice make this a must have for the pumpkin beer lover.

6. Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale, Foothills Brewing

cottonwood

Winston Salem, NC
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This crisp, dry ale uses organic cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger brewed with real pumpkin and a blend of North American and British malts to give Mom’s pumpkin pie some serious competition. A fall favorite skillfully brewed by Foothills.

7. Pumpkin Ale, Captain Lawrence Brewing

captain-lawrence

Elmsford, NY
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: hipsterbeersnob.com

This is the perfect beer to drink as the weather starts to turn a bit cooler. Brewed with pureed pumpkins added directly to the mash, and traditional pumpkin pie spices added to the end of the boil, this beer packs a ton of flavor into a malty & smooth amber colored ale.

8. Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter, Starr Hill Brewery

starr_hill_boxcarr_pumpkin_porter

Crozet, VA
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: www.imagemme.com

Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter is a traditional English-style Brown Porter with pumpkin added to the mash. Light spicing allows the subtle flavors of pumpkin and roasty porter to shine through. Boxcarr is a session beer at 4.7% and very drinkable.

9. Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Brooklyn Brewery

BrooklynPostRoad4

Brooklyn, NY
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: www.ajaxturner.com

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.

10. Five Pound Fall Ale, 3 Brothers Brewing

3bros4

Harrisonburg, VA
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Photo: virginiabreweries.com

On September 14th, 2013, dozens of locals brought five pounds, or more, of hand roasted pumpkin to the brewery to contribute to outheir first ever community sourced beer. The Five Pound Fall Ale. With almost 400 pounds of pumpkin in a 465 gallon batch, the pumpkin is the focal point, with a family pumpkin pie spices supporting this fresh, ultra local, artisan brew.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy 9 VA Breweries To Watch and 9 Beers To Try In DC, RVA, CVille!

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