09/12/2011 - QC Beerguy - Fall Seasonal Beers
Fall Seasonal Beers
If
you have been in your local beer store lately you probably have noticed
that the fall seasonal beers are appearing on the shelves. When I say
fall seasonals I am talking about Pumpkin beers and the Oktoberfest
beers. Both are sure signs that Fall is quickly approaching and
unfortunately that means colder weather is not far behind.
Both
are associated with Fall but for different reasons. The Pumpkin beers
is a harvest beer, using the gourd you grew all season in your beer.
The Oktoberfest beer came from the annual Bavarian harvest festival
first celebrated in 1810 to honor the marriage of Prince Ludwig and
Therese of Saxe- Hildburghausen. I will attempt to give a background of
each and some of the more classic examples, as well of any local
examples in the QC.
First
up Pumpkin beer, the base beer is usually a mild beer with little
bitterness and a good malt backbone. In other-words it is quite
frequently an amber ale, but it is not the only beer used I have seen
pumpkin stouts and sour Belgian beers. The pumpkin is added at various
times, sometimes in the mash, sometimes in the boil or even as the
fermenting vessel itself. Also the pumpkin is added in various forms
raw hand cut, pureed, roasted and canned. Since it is a starchy gourd
it can contribute to the mouthfeel of the beer and if it is mashed some
of the starch could be converted to sugar thus adding to the potential
alcohol content of the beer. A key to just about any pumpkin beer is
that it tends to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, such as: cinnamon,
nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice and clove. The alcohol runs the gambit
from 4-11%+ ABV, just depending on the beer style and if it is
imperialized or not.
On Beer Advocate there are over 250+ beers listed as pumpkin beers http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/72/?start=0,
with almost all of the beers if not all coming from the US. The
pumpkin is truly an American original, the world did not know of the
pumpkin until it was discovered in America. This is a fruit that the
American craft brewer loves to play with. Some of the more recognizable
pumpkin beers are Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head Brewery, Pumking from
Southern Tier Brewing, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill's
Brewery, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale from St.Louis Brewery, and Shipyard
Smashed Pumpkin from Shipyard Brewing. The last two I mentioned are
favorites of my wife and I, she really loves the Schlafly because as she
says, " You can taste the whip cream on top of it!".
Please
do not think that you should only look for the ones I mentioned, follow
the above link to find some that you may like. The proceed to your
local beer store and purchase your choices. If you do not find the ones
you want on the shelf at your local beer store, just ask the staff if
they will be receiving the pumpkin beer you want. If not try some of
the ones on the shelf, some beer stores will have a section where you
can do a mix and match so you may be able to pick up six different
pumpkin ales in on six pack.
I
am not aware of any local brewery currently working on a pumpkin ale. I
know last year Great River had a Pumpkin Ale, but unsure if that is in
the plans for this year. Also I know that traditionally Bent River has
made a Sweet Potato Ale each year, spiced with pumpkin pie spices. So
be on the look out to see if either of these beers show up this Fall.
The
Oktoberfest beer is a traditional German beer that has been well
received by the American beer drinker and because of that has become a
staple of many American craft breweries. Traditionally the beer was
brewed in March, thus the alternative name Marzen. Before modern
refrigeration March was still cool enough to properly brew a beer and
then stored in cool caves under a coating of ice harvested during the
winter. Oktoberfest beers are lagers, this is a type of beer made with
bottom fermenting yeast and fermented for a long period of time at cool
temperatures. The beer is rich, full-bodied and usually light to dark
copper in color. Most are between 5-7% ABV, but there are some Imperial
Oktoberfests that check in at up to 10% ABV.
On Beer Advocate there are over 600+ beers listed as Oktoberfest beers http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/29/?start=0,
since this is a classic German beer some of the best examples are from
Germany. Look for such names as Spaten, Paulaner, Ayinger and
Weihenstephaner at your local beer store. There are some American
craft brewers that make very good examples as well so search for
Oktoberfest from these breweries as well Great Lakes, Samuel Adams,
Victory, Great Divide, Sprecher and New Glarus (New Glarus is sold only
in Wisconsin). If you can not find any of these or you are unsure which
one to purchase as for assistance from the staff at your local beer
store. As I mentioned with the Pumpkin Beer you maybe able to build
your own six pack, that way you can try six different Oktoberfest beers
in one six pack.
The
only local craft brewery that I am aware of producing an Oktoberfest is
Great River Brewing. They are having a special tapping on Thursday,
September 15th from 5-11PM at their Davenport Tasting Room. So if you
are able head on down and try a locally produced Oktoberfest.
Hopefully
I have intrigued you enough that you will do some exploration on your
own and find your favorite Fall seasonal beer. Do not be afraid to ask
our local beer store for a specific beer, they may surprise you and be
able to order it in for you. Just because you may not see it on the
shelf it does not mean that it is unavailable to your local beer store.
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