"pumking" news and stories

Photo: Joshua M. Bernstein.

Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and the New York Times.

When fall hits, kids get giddy about the mother lode of Halloween candy to come. But adults, too, have reason to celebrate the harvest season -- namely, pumpkin beers.

These vegetable-influenced ales are as varied as jack-o'-lantern carvings. They range from Cape Ann's smooth and chocolaty Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout to Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale, a rich ale dosed with brown sugar and pumpkin flesh. But our favorite Halloween sipper hails from Lakewood, N.Y. -- Southern Tier.

Since the western New York brewery's humble 2004 beginnings, it has spread across the country like kudzu, reaching more than 20 states. The rapid success is due to burly brews like the ludicrously hopped Unearthly Imperial IPA (11 percent ABV!), the dessert-like Crème Brûlee Imperial Milk Stout and the Pumking.

If you've made your way to a bar or local beer seller in the past month, you can't help but notice pumpkin beer season is in full swing. BeerAdvocate has 197 products in their "pumpkin ale" reviews archive, and since pumpkin products tend to be seasonal, familiarity can be fleeting, often making it feel like we might as well have all 197 in front of us when making a selection.

Adding to the confusion, Pumpkin beers cover quite a range. Some emphasize subtlety, showing almost no overt pumpkin flavor, instead focusing on light winter spices (like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves). Others can be like pouring a piece of pumpkin pie down your throat with a sugary, sweet taste and a huge mouthfeel.

Like all beers, personal preference is the final factor, but with pumpkin beers especially, when trying one for the first time, it might behoove you to know what you're diving into before you make your purchase.

After the jump, find a quick breakdown of BeerAdvocate's eight most reviewed pumpkin beers, with some personal thoughts on each.