It was a few years ago when ‘pumpkin spiced’ took over Autumn, and although it was a little later to the party, you can now find pumpkin popping up in a load of craft beers with delicious results.
Pumpkins ale, or beer, is brewed flavoured with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and often brewed with real pumpkin meat. This isn’t just a few days over Halloween either, but from September right through to the New Year, Pumpkin Ales soar in popularity.
Some traditionalists see it as a tacky gimmick, but in fact fruit ‘n’ veg have been used in beer making for centuries, as a relatively cheap way to add sugar or natural flavour. Now, don’t get us wrong, some of them are pretty naff, but, don’t dismiss them just yet because there whilst many end up cloyingly sweet with baking spice, others get it spot on…
Abbeydale Brewery - Pilgrim
An independent brewery since founding in 1996, Abbedyale have introduced pumpkin to their pale and hoppy house style with Pilgrim, part of their small batch Brewers’ Emporium range. It’s a fragrant and full-bodied golden ale with an elegant bitterness to the finish that emits so much cosiness with those autumnal spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice.
Size: 440ml
ABV: 5%
Price: £18.50 for 6
Elusive Brewery – Carve’n Yams Pumpkin Coffee Porter
A deliciously dark seasonal Porter next, with pumpkin meat and pumpkin spice added to Elusive’s sweet Coffee Porter, creating a swirl of bright single origin Hasbean coffee layered up with aromatic baking spice. Everything is balanced subtly, and the touch of creaminess combined with the flavours mirrors a Pumpkin Spiced Latté somewhat.
Size: 440m
ABV: 5.2%
Price: £25.90 for 6
Wychwood Brewery – Hobgoblin - Pumpking
This has been at supermarkets like Aldi and Morrisons in the past so keep your eyes peeled. It’s unusually light for pumpkin beer and doesn’t overload with the pumpkin spice if you’ve been put off by either of those things in Autumns gone by, then give it another go. It’s ruby coloured, earthy, apricot-y, and only presents a delicate biscuity, vanilla sweetness, rather than the intense fruity sweetness of stronger ales.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 3.8%
Price: £1.99
Barrier - The Carver Pumpkin Beer
This New York beer costs a little more because of the import, but it’s gone down very well. Tastefully brimming with all spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and of course, full-bodied pumpkin, the balance of sweetness, malt and hops is perfect, an the foamy mouthfeel plays into the pumpkin pie vibes.
Size: 473ml
ABV: 6%
Price: £7.40
Some might say that just trying a pumpkin ale is experimentation enough, but why not go the whole hog and see how they do in cocktails? The spicy sweetness could work very well in many of the recipes in our Beer Cocktails guide.