13 Pumpkin Beers You Need To Try This Fall
Spiced, sweet, and toasty—these are the brews you need to drink during sweater season.
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Once the temperature dips and the leaves start to turn, it's time to throw on your coziest flannel and head over to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Yes, fall is finally here and it's time to hunker down in front of the fire, get out your apple-scented candles, and start baking all the fall desserts. But the season wouldn't be complete without spiced, toasted brews. And the best ones for this time of year are pumpkin beers, which are typically brewed with pumpkin and fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon to create warm and toasty flavor notes.
Regardless if you go with fan-favorite picks from brands like Samuel Adams or brews from smaller breweries, there are a lot of pumpkin beers to choose from. And while many of them are only available as seasonal offerings, they taste so good that you'll want to stock up for the year. When putting together this list, we included Delish staff favorites, regional picks, some faves from restaurant folks, and the best-reviewed pumpkin brews on the internet. Keep in mind, many of these beers have varying release dates so some might not be on shelves just yet, but you'll certainly want to keep your eyes peeled.
Looking for some great fall cocktails for a nightcap? We've got you covered. And here are some cozy fall casseroles to go with your autumn ale.
Go traditional with this pumpkin ale from Two Roads. It's aged in rum barrels and has delicious notes of pumpkin, spices, vanilla, oak, and rum.
The Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale is full of big flavors. The light orange color makes it super festive while the aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg make it super autumnal. Just remember to enjoy it at 55 degrees, as the brewery suggests.
We love Elysian's Punkuccino, which uses Stumptown coffee with pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg to get the perfect seasonal flavor. This variety pack includes Punkuccino, along with The Great Pumpkin, Night Owl, and Dark O' The Moon.
Bundle up with Samuel Adams Beer Fest Variety Pack. It includes Jack-O Pumpkin Ale, classic Octoberfest beer, Flannel Fest, and Hoppy Lager.
This beer packs a lot in the bottle: rich sweetness but a dry finish, plus notes of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. It's consistently on BeerAdvocate's top-rated pumpkin beers and it's earned a bit of a cult status.
Yes, this is a cider, but it's still a delicious pumpkin-flavored beverage. Brooke Caison, our food editor, loves this cider from Hudson North for its toast-y flavor. "It's still refreshing even with the warm spices," she said. "It's also not super strong so you can have a few without feeling too sloshed."
Rogue roats its own pumpkins for this specialty brew that's brightened up with orange peel and vanilla. Plus, it's got 3.77 out of 5 stars on Untappd with over 56,000 ratings."Of course, it has your typical pumpkin spice aromas, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger," said Keon Davis, CEO of smoothie company Smooth n Groove. "But it also has hints of caramel and cocoa. It’s incredibly smooth and isn’t as heavy as other ales."
Instead of a PSL, this ale should be your first taste of fall. It is perfectly amber-colored and complements any cold weather activity thanks to real pumpkin puree. And this year, the can has a brand new look.
The Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale clocks in with 9 percent alcohol yet it still tastes exactly like pumpkin pie—except the spice is turned up a notch.
This pumpkin beer is warmed with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove to create a full-bodied brown ale with plenty of brown sugar flavor. Dogfish Head likes to change up the packaging of Punkin Ale each year too.
First brewed back in 1996, this seasonal offering is a favorite for good reason. Its hazy wheat base is simultaneously crisp, yet still warm with the addition of pumpkin spice.
"I like to find pumpkin beer that uses real roasted pumpkins in the mash rather only adding spices," said Ryan Schmidtberger, executive chef and partner of New York City bistro Hancock St. "Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale consistently is a home run each year. Never too much spice—that can overload a beer—well-balanced and drinkable."
Pounds and pounds of pumpkin go into every batch of this copper-colored ale to bolster its cinnamon-tinged malt flavor.
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