Author: Chad Gascho
Once again, we’ve approached that time of year when everything goes pumpkin! Pumpkin glazed doughnuts, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, our favorite here at deVine…pumpkin beer.
Documented use of pumpkin in brewing beer has been occuring for roughly 400 years, predominantly in the U.S. and Canada due to the pumpkin being a plant native to North America. In earlier centuries, pumpkin was more easily acquirable than the other grains typically used for malt, and many a brew was concocted using 100% pumpkin flesh as the fermentable sugar.
The 18th century was the most popular time for pumpkin beer, but as decades passed, it’s prevalence waned as pumpkins became perceived as old fashioned and unsophisticated. Further, it became more ‘run of the mill’ to have access to quality malts in the 19th century. Since then, the use of actual pumpkin in brewing has lessened, and generally given way to the use of the spices that are used in making pumpkin pie (i.e. nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger) that reminds us of Fall and the familiar flavours of Thanksgiving desserts. Although the pumpkin pie style of brewing pumpkin beer is usually more popular, there are still breweries that use the flesh and meat of the pumpkin itself to make more of a ‘true’ pumpkin ale.
Here’s a few we think you’ll enjoy:
Bridge Brewing Pumpkin Porter (BC, Canada) – $9.99
Parallel 49 Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter (BC, Canada) – $7.99
Fernie Brewing Pumpkin Head Brown Ale (BC, Canada) – $7.99 Phillips Crooked-er Tooth Imperial Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $8.99
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale (Maine, United States) – $23.49
Alley Kat Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ale (Alberta, Canada) – $18.49
Central City Red Racer Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $7.49
Yukon Brewing ‘The Angry Hessian’ Pumpkin Spice Ale (Yukon, Canada) – $8.49
Howe Sound Brewing Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $11.49
St. Ambroise Pumpkin Ale (Quebec, Canada) – $12.49
Epic Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Porter (Utah, United States) – $16.99
Phillips Crooked Tooth Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $8.99
Russell Breweries Pumpkin Harvest Ale (BC, Canada) – $7.99
Salute!