Now that Fall’s here, and everyone has enjoyed the last tastes of summer’s hefeweisens, pilsners, and light IPA’s… it’s time for the darker, richer flavors of Fall beers, released from mid-August through October.
Whether you’re watching football or hanging out by a firepit, here are some typical fall seasonal styles that will get you into the Fall mood:
Marzen
Medium bodied lagers, pale to brown, malty and dry, they were traditionally brewed in the Spring, cellared through summer, and opened to enjoy for the German Oktoberfest.
- Victory Feistbier (lager, hops flavor balanced with caramel malt)
- Great Lakes Oktoberfest (amber lager, rich malt flavor balanced with hops)
Pumpkin
This is a very broad category, brewed in a variety of styles with pumpkin, and are usually sweet or malty with pumpkin pie spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
- Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (spiced pumpkin pie, slightly sweet, smooth)
- Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale (dark and roasty with malt, hops, carmelized pumpkin)
Fresh Hop
Also known as wet hopped, these are brewed with freshly harvested hops, making them a little less bitter and more floral a typical IPA. Enjoyed these soon after brewing (don’t try to age them).
- Founders Harvest Ale (fresh grassy hop, slightly sweet, malty, citrusy)
- Sixpoint Autumnation (citrusy, hoppy, slightly malty, very slight hint of pumpkin)
A lot of brewers also release exceptionally good seasonal porters, stouts, and saisons around this time of year, so definitely keep an eye out for those, too!
