When it comes to pumpkin beers, craft brewers have a lot to say. Here they weighed in on their favorites, all sans peaches.
Elysian’s Blight Pumpkin Ale
My favorite pumpkin beer comes from Elysian Brewing (Seattle, Washington), a brewery that is well known for its endless and playful experimentation with pumpkin beers. I’m particularly fond of beers that push the pumpkin boundary by transcending the pie-spice experience. Sour pumpkin beers are interesting, but the one that stands out the most is Elysian’s Blight Pumpkin Ale, which uses Vietnamese cinnamon. —Thomas Bleigh, Director of Brewing Operations at Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, Oregon
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela, Allagash Ghoulschip, Pumpkinator, Russian River Pumpkin Sour, New Belgium Pumpkick
For the past ten years I have tapped and tasted all the beers at Elysian’s Great Pumpkin Beer Festival. Here are my favorites, in no particular order. I love Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela (Dexter, Michigan) aged a year. It’s sour but not sharp, deep, rich, and spooky. [Editor's note: you can try your had at brewing La Parcela with our recipe.] Allagash Ghoulschip (Portland, Maine)—too cool, very rare. I want more. Saint Arnold’s Pumpkinator (Houston, Texas)—what a smooth yet big, flavorful mouthful of pumpkin stout. It’s one of the best out there. I must be a pumpkin sour guy because Russian River Pumpkin Sour (Santa Rosa, California) was amazing and may never happen again. New Belgium Pumpkick (Fort Collins, Colorado), like a great side dish, was also fabulous— cranberry, pumpkin, and a touch of sour. It used the brewery’s Felix as a base. How can that suck?—David Buhler, Cofounder of Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, Washington