Fall. It’s a time for football, campfires, long hikes in the woods and, most importantly, awesome craft beer. It’s Oktoberfest, tailgates, chili, and jumping into piles of leaves to feel young again. On the beer end, it means pumpkin beers, Oktoberfests, and harvest ales hitting the shelves of your local liquor store. But which of these offerings is the BEST fall beer for your fridge?
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says the word fall? I think of fall color, sweater weather, and PUMPKINS. Whether it’s carving out that Jack O’ Lantern or baking that perfect pie, everyone has a connection with pumpkin. Just like the basic girls of America look forward to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, I count down the days till the pumpkin seasonals are released.
Once you get bored of the classic summer pilsners and lagers, you crave something more flavorful and savory. I can’t think of a better way to transition from summer to fall than sipping an adult beverage with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger. One of the best parts of trying different pumpkin ales is noticing the great variety between breweries. Whether you like heavy on the pumpkin or a plethora of spices, there will be an ale out there that fits your palate. Additionally, pumpkin ales are a great compliment to any fall activity such as apple picking, Halloween parties, and of course Trick or Treating.
Some of my favorites this season are Quaff On’s Put a Fork In It andFlat 12’s Flat Jack Pumpkin. At the end of a crisp fall day, you can’t go wrong with a bold pumpkin ale.
What speaks louder about beer and fall than Oktoberfest? I mean, after all, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival and travelling funfair. Arguably the most talked about fall beer this year (at least among the seedy group of misfits I call friends) has been Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest, a classic collaboration between America’s juggernaut craft brewery and Brauhaus Riegele of Augsburg.
I think everyone can agree that there is something magical and heartening about a crisp fall evening spent in revelry with good company that makes an Oktoberfest the perfect choice. It’s a beer that drinks like a Gin Blossoms song – classic, clean, free of jealousy, and not easily forgotten. Meanwhile, the bonfire is crackling and you’re sitting in splendor, getting lost in the nostalgic stories being traded back and forth among your cohort of friends.
Here’s my swan song and I’m forcefully putting earmuffs on my inner hop head: when pumpkin beers have regurgitated themselves out to the point of nothing more than a laughable cliché AND as more and more breweries continue to pop up – entertaining the idea that we could have an American hop crisis, pushing harvest ales to become as rare as a Westy XII, Oktoberfest will still remain the king of campfires.
I can’t stand pumpkin pie in a can or bottle! I do not get excited about Oktoberfest beers! When fall arrives I am ecstatic to see harvest ales hit the shelves. I did a little research and found harvest ales used to refer to any beer made with anything from the fall harvest. But what I am talking about is beers made with a ton of delicious, citrusy, piney hops that have vine ripened and are still fresh. I will take those over any other fall beers every day.
My favorite harvest ale year after year has been Founders Harvest Ale. From the piney grapefruit flavor to the citrus rind peel and peppery flavor I can’t get enough of it! This beer doesn’t stick around on the shelves long but there are others in the market that I enjoy. Sierra Nevada has their series of five harvest ales that are reasonably priced and very good. My favorite of the five is the Harvest Wet Hop using Centennial hops for bittering and finishing while also adding Cascade hops for finishing. This profile is right up my alley! Recently I found Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop for $5.99 a bottle and there was plenty of it. The fall is a wonderful time for hop heads and I am still a hop head at heart.
You can have all of the pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers on the shelves at the local liquor store. I understand they are popular and people enjoy them, but for me there is nothing better than a fresh or wet hopped IPA in a proper glass while enjoying the crisp fall weather. Trust me this fat boy loves the chilly fall weather and being outside in it! Having a delicious hoppy beer in my hand just flat out makes fall more enjoyable.
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So, what do YOU think the best fall beer is? Let us know in the comments!
