Serious Eats: 5 Great Beers for Pumpkin Beer Haters

Quest Pumpkin Saison, odd combo, nice light pumpkin flavor, pretty good beer

 

You better be sorry! Grab the Marzen when you see one that looks like it hasn't been sitting around for ages. Should be easier to find. From that one, you'll know if their beer suits you. (kidding about the sorry part)

 

I haven't found any American breweries that do smoked beers quite right, does anybody have any recommendations? None of them take over your senses like Schlenkerla, which is what I like about it.

I said this in a different post, but a number of years ago, I just happened to go to Bamberg on a day trip, and I just happened to go to Schlenkerla because the city's tourist info had a recommended beer tour, and it was all very happenstance. I took one sip of their beer and just about fell over, because I was quite certain that I had just discovered beer nirvana, and the source that all was good and true in the world.

The end.

 

Nice list......fall drinking season is awesome!

 

I'd be surprised if you'll find something you prefer over Schlenkerla, and as long as their bottled beer is available where you live, there's little reason to long for anything else. The price might be cheaper in Germany, but it's still a killer deal when up against other options in the US.

 

I haven't received all of my pumpkin beers yet, but in order here are my favorites so far......Tyranena Painted ladies, Stevens Point Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, and Southern Tier Pumpking. I've tried more than this but I don't like to say negative comments about other beers unless they are just horrible.

 

I also thoroughly enjoy the aforementioned Alaskan Smoked Porter- the malt is smoked with alderwood at a local salmon smoking facility. There are other good smoked porters available, like Captain Lawrence and Stone, but none are quite like Alaskan. They should be released in a couple of months, too, so keep an eye out.

For an easy-drinking smoked beer I will get Smoke and Dagger by Jacks Abby- it's a lightly smoked Schwartzbier that had a really nice balance about it. It seems to be have made quite a few fans, too, so something like that could pave the way for another wave of smoked beers. They also make a Smoked Marzen which approaches the Bamberg rauchbiers in style, but doesn't quite match the character and finesse. (Obviously you can't get these in California- I guess I'm just listing favorites at this point )

In the end, there is nothing quite like Schlenkerla, though- it definitely seems to make the world stand still while you are drinking one..

 

I live in San Jose, and I found TREAT at my local Whole Foods last year for about $13.

 

Uinta's Oak Jacked Pumpkin is a favorite too that also isn't awful like many pumpkin beers can be. The barrels do it wonder. And of course I can't say enough good things about Pumpkinator from St. Arnold.