There are so many things to look forward to as summer fades into fall. The changing leaves, brisk autumn air, and longer nights are all lovely, but if you're a beer enthusiast, you're probably most excited about the release of seasonal beer selections. Along with Okoberfest, harvest, and saison brews, one of autumn's most popular beer styles is pumpkin.
There's no rigid definition of a pumpkin beer, and in fact, every brewery that makes one puts a wildly different spin on it. The thing that ties them all together is the addition of pumpkin in some shape or form, whether it's the use of actual pumpkin puree or pumpkin flavoring. I spent many years working behind the bar at an establishment that focused primarily on craft beer, and I always got giddy when the autumn beers started rolling in.
Some beer aficionados may look down on pumpkin beers as gimmicky and not serious, but I think, just as with any other style, there can be subpar offerings as well as many that knock it out of the park. There are a ton of pumpkin beers on the market, all wildly different. Here's a guide to a dozen of them.
You can find more detailed information on our methodology below, but basically, they're ranked based on quality and flavor, as well as how successfully pumpkin, the key ingredient, is integrated into the beer. Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc. 12.
Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale Despi.