When the fall winds begin to swirl, it’s tough to get away from the onslaught of pumpkin spice. Loved by many and hated by even more, when autumn arrives it feels like all other flavors are no longer acceptable. Everything from lattes to candles to Twinkies to bodywash gets pumpkin spiced.
This includes, of course, beer.
Just like pumpkin spice being added to every other product on the market brings out squeals of delight and groans of annoyance, pumpkin (or pumpkin-spiced) beers are both beloved and hated by the beer-drinking community. If you enjoy them, this is your favorite time of year. If you don’t, you’ll avoid them like a pumpkin pie-flavored plague.
Regardless of the divisiveness of this beer style, brewers all over the country drop their own pumpkin-centric beers each fall. Not all of them are worth trying though. To find the ones actually worth your effort, we went to the professionals for help, asking a few of our favorite craft beer experts and brewers to tell us their go-to pumpkin beers for fall.
Keep reading to see them all.
Southern Tier Pumking
Dan Schmelzer, head brewer at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California
ABV: 8.6%
Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
Though not readily available out in the Pacific Northwest where I currently reside, Southern Tier’s Pumking Imperial Ale reminds me of the autumn days back in my native Chicago where I got my start in the industry. At 8.6%, it’s strong enough to help that summer-to-fall transition become a bit more pleasant, while the light body keeps it drinkable for the duration of whatever autumnal sport suits your fancy. A great balance of pumpkin pie spices makes this brew stand out in a crowd of this uber-seasonal style.
Oliphant Blizzard of ’91
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Oliphant Brewing combines slices of pumpkin and pecan pie to make their annual Blizzard of ’91 beer. It’s spicy and sweet and just robust enough that it doesn’t kill your palate, but wow, do the sweetness and spicy notes dance well together. For the greatest flavor impact, let it warm up a touch.
Cigar City Good Gourd
James Bruner, director of production at The Bruery in Placentia, California
ABV: 8.8%
Average Price: $11.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
As much as a seasonal creep on pumpkin beers has become somewhat of a joke (read: breweries making pumpkin beer in July), I have always been a fan of Cigar City Brewing’s Good Gourd. The deep color and higher ABV sets the tone for intense flavor. The bready and toasted malts give you enough of the pie crust flavor as a base before all the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, and vanilla goodness start to take over.
Pumpkin beers are definitely intended to be pumpkin pie beers, and this one hits all the notes I want, unapologetically. Plus, they make a rum barrel-aged version that is an even more decadent treat, if you can find it.
Wasatch Pumpkin
Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, Arizona
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Wasatch Pumpkin. It’s not flashy or all that rare, but dammit, it gets the job done. The beer’s greatest feat is in its flavor transitions: Up-front spices—clove and cinnamon—fade into caramelized squash and baked bread, with lingering notes of cinnamon frosting and coffee ice cream. The sip finishes on the sweet side, melding smooth vanilla and coffee with hazelnut creamer and nutty cocoa nibs, all supported by just enough breadiness to keep things drinkable.
With clear squash character, skillfully integrated spices, supportive malts, and balance, this is everything I look for in a pumpkin beer.
Bier Brewery Pumpkin Ale
Broc Eichhorst, brewer at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana
ABV: 5.4%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
I’m not a big fan of pumpkin-spiced beer, however, Bier Brewery Pumpkin Ale is the best one I’ve ever had. Unlike many others, this local Indianapolis brew is not overly spiced, nor overly sweet. They really nail the pumpkin pie spice without blowing you away with cinnamon.
Cambridge The Great Pumpkin Ale
Matthew Steinberg, head brewer and co-founder of Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $13.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
Cambridge Brewing Company The Great Pumpkin Ale is a great pumpkin beer. This beer has become a must-have every fall season for me. A balance of pumpkin flavor while staying true to style makes this smooth autumn ale a classic go-to cold weather seasonal for me.
Greenport Harbor Leaf Pile
Morgan O’Sullivan, co-owner of FlyteCo in Denver
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $14 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
My favorite pumpkin beer is Leaf Pile from Greenport Harbor Brewing. It’s an amber beer at its base with a hint of autumn spices – not just a ton of pumpkin hitting your face. It’s flavorful, complex, and surprisingly well-balanced for a pumpkin ale.
Two Roads Roadsmary’s Baby
Rob Day, vice president of marketing for Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
I love what Two Roads is doing with Roadsmary’s Baby. They get some automatic credit for horror movie references and deliver even more with the beer. It’s made with real pumpkins and aged in rum barrels with vanilla beans. That helps it stand out among the crop for sure.
Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin
Nick Nock, founding head brewer at SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
A couple of years ago, Atlanta was hosting the Super Bowl, and the Patriots were playing. We AirBnB’d our house to two ladies. They walked up in jean shorts, Belichick hoodies, two big gulps of Dunkin iced coffee, carrying a 12-pack of Harpoon, arguing about something I’m sure had to do with Matt Damon. It was the most on-brand thing I had ever seen.
So, to answer your question, there aren’t many great pumpkin beers in my opinion. But if I had to pick one to drink this fall, I’d give Harpoon’s Dunkin’ Pumpkin a rip just because of those women. Pumpkins, coffee — what’s not to love?
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Chris Spinelli, co-founder and brewer at Roc Brewing Co in Rochester, New York
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Pumkin Southern Tier Brewing is one of my favorite pumpkin beers. My wife and I have been buying two bottles every year since we started dating. This big bold beer holds up very well and builds in flavor over time. We have done a couple of vertical tastings with a few years’ worth of bottles and great friends. If that’s not available, you can’t go wrong with Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale.
This brown ale, named for Delaware’s “Punkin Chunkin” contest is well-known for its brown sugar, cinnamon, and ripe pumpkin flavors.