It might be both the most loved and most hated seasonal beer ever brewed. Yes, we are talking pumpkin beer, that little spice bomb that shows up every fall. Actually, it kind of shows up every summer. For some unknown reason, breweries release pumpkin beer earlier and earlier every year, with bottles starting to, er, litter the shelves in August. Or do they grace the shelves?
By this point in the fall season, you've probably happily tried your fair share of pumpkin beers. Or you've turned up your beer snob nose and just had another New England IPA. So what's your take on this popular fall style?
So do friends let friends drink pumpkin beer? And are all pumpkin beers created equally? I'll let y'all argue this one out. In my opinion, this style has been played out and saturated the market, mostly with beers that don't even have pumpkin in them, and that hide the real beer behind massive amounts of various spices.
That's not to say that there aren't some good pumpkin beers out there. There are, and they are the ones that use a deft hand in creating a beer that is beer first, and a pumpkin spice latte second. Personally, I love using these beers to cook with. They add a level of interesting flavor to dishes like chili or roasted root vegetables.
This incredibly popular style might not be going anywhere soon. Actually, I misspoke. This quintessential beer of fall will be mostly gone off of shelves by Halloween. Please brewers, keep it a true fall offering. I hate to have to lay down my Thanksgiving supply in August.