There are a few strange beer months throughout the year. Months that bridge the gap between two seasons. The most unique among these just might be September — with humid (oftentimes unbearably so) hot weather on some days (and in some parts of the country) and unseasonably cool days on/in others. This lends itself to a very broad range of beer styles. It’s a month when we still drink lighter, crisp, refreshing brews as well as darker, malty, and even pumpkin-filled beers. We also can’t forget Oktoberfest-style beers.
That being said, this also means there are a lot more flavors and styles to choose from in September than most every other month of the year. Don’t let that overwhelm you though. You don’t have to spend hours scrolling through online retailers or standing in front of the beer cooler at your local grocery store unsure of what to purchase — we did the work for you!
Below, you’ll find eight can’t-miss beers that you should track down this month. They run the gamut from sour IPAs to Oktoberfest-style beers, Goses, and we even snuck one pumpkin beer in there. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Paperback Brewmaster Jones
ABV: 7.2%
Average Price: $5 for a 16-ounce can
The Beer:
Just in time to stream the new Indiana Jones movie, September is when LA-based Paperback Brewing drops its third-anniversary edition of Paperback Brewmaster Jones. This West Coast IPA is brewed with Thiolized yeast as well as Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops.
Tasting Notes:
Thiolized yeast gives this West Coast IPA a very tropical nose with a ton of citrus, pineapple, and mango to go along with the expected dank pine. The palate continues this trend with more pineapple, grapefruit, mango, tangerine, and a nice kick of lightly bitter, resinous pine.
Bottom Line:
This is like a tropical escape for West Coast IPA fans. While it still has all the characteristics of a classic West Coast banger — it carries a nice aroma and flavor of tropical fruits.
Jack’s Abby Copper Legend
ABV: 5.7%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Available from August through October. This aptly named beer is (you guessed it) copper in color and is known for its mix of toasted malts, caramel, and noble hops. This 5.7% Marzen is a great example of American Oktoberfest beer done right.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of bready malts, toasted malts, caramel, honey, and floral Noble hops start everything off nicely. Sipping it reveals notes of caramel, toasted malts, honey, and a nice finish of floral, earthy hops. All in all, it’s a surprisingly refreshing, light Marzen-style beer.
Bottom Line:
As Oktoberfest-style beers go, this is a great choice for September as it’s lighter, yet still filled with caramel and Noble hop flavor.
Hopworks Barrel-aged Rindless Watermelon Gose
ABV: 6.7%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
There’s still time to enjoy salty, fruity, crisp Gose-style beers in the waning summer days. A great choice is the recently released Hopworks Barrel-aged Rindless Watermelon Gose. Long name aside, this 6.7% ABV Gose was aged in former tequila barrels for a full six months.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of ripe watermelon, lemon, margarita-like tequila, and sea salt. The palate continues this trend with more juicy watermelon, lemon zest, lime peels, vegetal tequila, oaky wood, and a gentle salinity throughout.
Bottom Line:
Barrel-aging in ex-tequila barrels gives this watermelon, lime, salt-driven Gose an added dimension. It’s a great end-of-summer beer.
Wallenpaupack Over Hyped
ABV: 7.4%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
The only thing more exciting than an IPA in September is a sour IPA. Luckily, the brewers at Pennsylvania’s Wallenpaupack made one. Called Over Hypes, this IPA is brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops and gets its tart flavor from the addition of lactobacillus.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of grapefruit, lime peel, bready malts, tart orange, and slight dank pine greets you before your first sip. Drinking it reveals tropical fruits, orange peels, grapefruit, pine, and a ton of welcoming tart acidity throughout.
Bottom Line:
This is a great respite from the usual IPAs of the end of summer. The use of lactobacillus gives it a nice tart flavor throughout.
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 8%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
While a lot of breweries drop pumpkin beers in August and September, they aren’t all worth your time. One of our favorite annual releases is Schlafly Pumpkin Ale. It’s known for its balanced flavor profile featuring caramel, pumpkin, ginger, and seasonal spices.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find a ton of roasted pumpkin along with ginger, cinnamon, clover, and pie crust. That’s definitely a good start. Drinking it brings forth notes of nutmeg, ripe pumpkin, graham crackers, cinnamon, and toffee. It’s all surprisingly balanced and nothing is over the top.
Bottom Line:
Schlafly’s take on the classic pumpkin ale is loaded with fall flavors and does taste like a slice of pumpkin pie. Yet, it manages not to overdo it.
21st Amendment Tall Hat Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%
Average Price: $8 for a 16-ounce can
The Beer:
If you’re feeling like having a ramped up imperial IPA this month, the brewers at San Francisco’s 21st Amendment has a new one for you to try. 21st Amendment Tall Hat Imperial IPA is brewed with 2-row and Munich malts as well as flaked rice, Magnum, and Centennial hops. It’s dry-hopped with Mosaic and Comet hops to add even more aroma and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of orange peel, grapefruit, tangerine, peaches, and floral, piney hops start this beer off on a great note. The palate is filled with even more citrus flavor, including grapefruit, ripe orange, lemon, wet grass, peach, and more floral, dank pine. The finish is a mixture of citrus and bitter, resinous pine.
Bottom Line:
This is the big, bold, citrus-filled IPA to end the summer with. It has enough ABV to warm you up on an unseasonably cool evening.
Spaten Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen
ABV: 5.9%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
The Beer:
No September beer list is complete without an Oktoberfest beer from Germany. It’s their festival after all. Spaten’s take on the traditional, fall Marzen is a perfect balance of caramel, dried fruits, honey, toasted malts, and Noble hops.
Tasting Notes:
Classic Marzen aromas of toasted malts, caramel, freshly baked bread, and floral, Noble hops transport you to the festival in Munich via pint glass. The palate only expands on this with a ton of freshly baked bread, caramel malts, honey, and light fruit up front with a nice backend of floral, earthy, herbal hops.
Bottom Line:
This is a very well-balanced beer and one well-suited for September weather. Sweetness, malts, hops, this beer has it all in perfect unison.
Allagash Sixteen Counties
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $12 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Allagash is a big name in the craft beer world. While you can’t go wrong with its classic Belgian-style wheat beer Allagash White, why not branch out this month and try something different? Brewed with Maine-grown ingredients including 2-row malted barley, raw wheat, and oats, this Belgian-style golden ale is known for its rustic, crisp, sweet, thirst-quenching flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of cereal grains, honey, candied orange peels, gentle spices, and floral hops. The palate is a symphony of sweet wheat, yeasty bready, cereal grains, honey, citrus peels, light spices, and more floral hops. It’s crisp, sweet, and highly memorable.
Bottom Line:
This highly complex Belgian-style golden ale just might be the best beer to bridge the gap between summer and fall. Crisp, refreshing, and perfect.