It’s decorative gourd season, motherf@^#%*$. That means it’s also time for beer that includes the more edible varieties—pumpkin ales are everywhere.
After three years of tasting every pumpkin beer we could get our hands on—28 that are still commercially available—we’ve learned that there are a lot of bad pumpkin beers out there. Thankfully a handful of breweries have taken the somewhat gimmicky style and created liquid works of art—the perfect blend of fall spices with a hint of pumpkin sweetness. The secret is that pumpkin ales and lagers are really more about the spices—the gourd is usually just there for decoration.
Here, ranked from worst to best, is our Guide to Pumpkin Beer. Let us know which ones we need to add to next year’s tasting in the comments section below.
Note: We’ve updated our guide with seven more beers, including commenter-favorite Schlafly (which was delicious!). See the expanded list below:
35. Horny Goat Horny Copia Pumpkin City: Milwaukee ABV: 5.7% Tastes like: A Pier One scented candle Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: High Perfect for: The Halloween frat party The verdict:: This is everything wrong with pumpkin ales. It tastes more like whoever dreamed up the Bud Light Lime Lime-a-Rita imagines pumpkin beer should taste like.
34. Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat City: St. Louis ABV: 5.2% Tastes like: Budweiser made it. Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Low Perfect for: Putting out the fire of your jack-o-lantern The verdict:: Q: What do American macrobrews and making love in a canoe have in common? A: They’re both f—-ing close to water.
33. Southern Tier Imperial Pumking City: Lakewood, N.Y. ABV: 8.6% Tastes like: Candy Corn Pumpkin flavor: Very high Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Handing out to adult trick-or-treaters The verdict:: This is one of the most divisive beers we’ve come across. Though one of our judges thought this was the best of the bunch, several named it the worst. I guess it depends on whether you like beer that tastes like a bag of candy corn was simply melted into the batch. Even the mouthfeel is a little like drinking a candle. As one of our tasters put it: “You never go full pumpkin.”
32. Anderson Valley Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale City: Boonville, Calif. ABV: 6% Tastes like: Pumpkin juice Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Low Perfect for: When you’re so thirsty you don’t care what your beer tastes like. The verdict:: The only real flavor coming through is the pumpkin sweetness, but even that doesn’t hit you very hard in this bland entry from a promising brewery.
31. Shipyard Pumpkinhead City: Portland, Maine ABV: 5.1% Tastes like: Cinnamon Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Very high Perfect for: Making gingerbread men The verdict:: The lightest colored beer of the bunch has an overpowering cinnamon flavor that overshadows other notes like pumpkin…and beer.
30. Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale City: Golden, Colo. ABV: 5.7% Tastes like: Lemon-ale Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Low Perfect for: Fall…in Florida. The verdict:: Blue Moon’s attempt at a pumpkin ale tastes a lot like you’d expect. Call it a citrus-y pumpkin wheat.
29. Cisco Pumple Drumpkin City: Nantucket, Mass. ABV: 6.88% Tastes like: A thin spiced beer Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: High Perfect for: A bachelor’s version of potpourri The verdict:: Hops meet spice with very little body or complexity.
28. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin City: Portland, Maine ABV: 9% Tastes like: Someone spiked the pumpkin ale Pumpkin flavor: Very high Spiciness: High Perfect for: Late-night Halloween pranks The verdict:: The booziest of the bunch unfortunately wasn’t one of the best. Like Southern Tier, the idea here seems to be Maximum Pumpkin Overdrive and only works if you love pumpkins even more than you love beer.
27. Post Road Pumpkin Ale City: Brooklyn ABV: 5% Tastes like: Light pumpkin ale Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Listening to The Fall. The verdict:: Brewed at one of our favorite breweries, Brooklyn, this one nonetheless left a lot to be desired with several judges complaining of wateriness and one saying “it tastes like pumpkin stem.”
26. Lakefront Pumpkin Lager Beer City: Milwaukee, Wis. ABV: 6% Tastes like: Drinking Bud out of a hollowed out pumpkin Pumpkin flavor: Very High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: People who love redundancy The verdict:: This “lager beer” definitely doesn’t skimp on the pumpkin but that didn’t turn out to be a great thing.
25. Bluepoint Pumpkin Ale City: Patchogue, N.Y. ABV: 6% Tastes like: A solid beer Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: An unseasonably early snowfall. The verdict:: Last year we were unimpressed by Bluepoint’s pumpkin beer, but it faired a little better this year—either the beer or our tastebuds must have improved.
24. Hoppin’ Frog Double Pumpkin Ale City: Akron, Ohio ABV: 8.4% Tastes like: Pumpkin pie Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Very high Perfect for: Spiking the eggnog The verdict:: The nutmeg hits you before you even take a sip. The spices almost hide the flavor of the pumpkin. Not the best balanced, but undeniably flavorful. It’s the first beer I’ve tasted that begged for a scoop of Cool Whip on top.
23. Uinita Punk’N City: Salt Lake City ABV: 4% Tastes like: Something out of Harry Potter Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Serving at The Three Broomsticks The verdict:: Very strange flavor that split the jury, with some praising the unique spices and one proclaiming, “I’d only drink this Punk’N if I was more Drunk’N.”
22. Harpoon Pumpkin UFO City: Boston ABV: 5.9% Tastes like: It just came out of the oven Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Low Perfect for: Making sure First Contact is a friendly affair. The verdict:: This unfiltered ale smells like pumpkin bread with mild but tasty pumpkin and spice notes.
21. Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale City: Idaho Springs, Colo. ABV: 5% Tastes like: Pumpkin pie flambe Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: A late-night campfire The verdict:: In addition to pumpkin and spices, molasses gives Tommyknocker an almost smoky malt flavor
20. Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus City: Itterbeek, Belgium ABV: 4% Tastes like: Veggie lambic Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Low Perfect for: Celebrating The King’s Feast in Belgium (Nov. 15) The verdict:: This is a lambic without the fruity sweetness. “Sour” and “vegetables” don’t necessarily go together well, though. We prefer the rest of Timmermans line-up to this one.
19. Heavy Seas The Great Pumpkin City: Halethrope, Md. ABV: 8% Tastes like: An IPA Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Watching some Charlie Brown The verdict:: Heavy Seas took the best name for a pumpkin ale, but it’s a PINO (pumpkin in name only). That’s not to say that it’s not still yummy. The hoppiest beer of the bunch, The Great Pumpkin is a little soapy on the head but with hints of spice that still make for a tasty fall beer.
18. McAuslan St. Ambroise Pumpkin City: Montreal ABV: 5% Tastes like: Pumpkin cider Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Remembrance Day The verdict:: The McAuslan is unique in that the pumpkin flavor is at the front without the beer becoming too syrupy sweet. A cider-like effervescence gives it a lightness that balances the spice.
17. Terrapin Pumpkinfest City: Athens, Ga. ABV: 6.1% Tastes like: Octoberfest, Southern-style Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Carving a masterpiece in your jack-o-lantern The verdict:: A flavorful beer with more hops and even malts peeking through the always-present pumpkin notes—all the more surprising since this is technically a pumpkin lager, not an ale. Creative stuff.
16. Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela No 1 Pumpkin Ale City: Dexter, Mich. ABV: 5.9% Tastes like: Pumpkin Sour Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Low Perfect for: People who only drink sours. The verdict:: Jolly Pumpkin must have felt some pressure to brew a pumpkin beer—it’s in the name for crying out loud. But be warned that this is full-on sour—and the combination of pumpkin and sour takes a little getting used to.
15. Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale City: Portsmouth, N.H. ABV: 5% Tastes like: A PPA (pumpkin pale ale) Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: People who want to get in the spirit of the season but frankly would rather just drink an IPA. The verdict:: This is no hop bomb, but the floral notes still overpower the pumpkin and spice flavors.
14. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale City: Hayward, Calif. ABV: 5.2% Tastes like: Beer! Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Low Perfect for: Halloween in May. The verdict:: This is a year-round pumpkin beer, ‘cause that’s how they roll out in California. The pumpkin is mild, but the beer is very drinkable.
13. New Belgium Pumpkick City: Fort Collins, Colo. ABV: 6% Tastes like: Cranberry sauce Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Low Perfect for: A non-traditional Thanksgiving meal The verdict:: Made with cranberry juice and lemongrass in addition to the usual pumpkin and fall spices, Pumpkick has a pleasant tartness not found elsewhere on this list. It’s a more accessible version of last year’s Kick from New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series.
12. New Holland Ichabod City: Holland, Mich. ABV: 4.8% Tastes like: All the right spices Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: High Perfect for: Getting ready for the haunted house The verdict:: Nutmeg and cinnamon are the basis for this spicy, complex, but smooth pumpkin ale that’s surprisingly flavorful for its low ABV.
11. Elysian The Great Pumpkin City: Seattle, Wash. ABV: 8.1% Tastes like: Low-sugar pumpkin pie Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: High Perfect for: When you really want to taste the pumpkin The verdict:: Elysian manages a massively pumpkin-y beer without the puckery sweetness of some of its fellow bombers. There’s a big bite and the front end that doesn’t let you forget you’re drinking beer.
10. Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale City: Boston ABV: 5.7% Tastes like: Fall Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Any day between Sept. 21 and Dec. 21. The verdict:: They may be just a few barrels shy of mass-produced but Sam Adams often beats the craft brewers at their own game. This was one of the best balanced beers of the bunch—darker, maltier and full-bodied.
9. Southampton Pumpkin Ale City: Southampton, N.Y. ABV: 5.5% Tastes like: Somebody cares Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Gearing yourself up for the onslaught of Trick-or-Treaters. The verdict:: Neither the pumpkin or spice is overpowering, but it all blends together in a way that says, “keep drinking me; I’m only 5.5%!”
8. Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale City: Seattle, Wash. ABV: 5.9% Tastes like: Gingerbread Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: High Perfect for: When you don’t want milk with your cookies The verdict:: Ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg make this a dessert of a beer while citrus hops bring it all into balance. Just a well-crafted beer.
7. Heavy Seas Greater Pumpkin City: Baltimore, Md. ABV: 9% Tastes like: Your dad’s liquor cabinet Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Alternating with shots The verdict:: We may not have been swayed by The Great Pumpkin, but the Greater Pumpkin just isn’t messing around. This is a boozy beer, aged in bourbon barrels, balancing the pumpkin and spice with a whiskey kick.
6. Chatoe Rogue First Growth Pumpkin Ale City: Newport, Ore. ABV: 5.6% Tastes like: Fresh pumpkin rind Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Harvest day The verdict:: Very pumpkin-forward without the cloying sweetness that other very pumpkin-y beers have. Rogue grows its own pumpkins and the beer is surprisingly light and fresh.
5. Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin City: Boston ABV: 8.5% Tastes like: An imperial stout in costume Pumpkin flavor: Low Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: A cold fall night on the porch. Cigars optional. The verdict:: This great, big beer is malty sweet as opposed to fruity sweet with just a hint of pumpkin and spices to qualify as a pumpkin beer. A definite outlier from the style, but so very delicious.
4. Schlafly Pumpkin Ale City: Maplewood, Mo. ABV: 8% Tastes like: Pumpkin beer! Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Any Halloween party The verdict:: This is center-of-the-bullseye pumpkin ale weighing in at a hefty 8%. The Missouri brewery’s secret weapon seems to be the butternut squash. So tasty and so refreshing.
3. Cigar City Good Gourd City: Tampa, Fla. ABV: 8.5% Tastes like: A strong, malty beer with pumpkin and spice to match. Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: Medium Perfect for: Impressing your beer-geek friends who think pumpkin beers are novelties. The verdict:: While the beers with the most pumpkin flavor tended to turn off our panelists with a cloying sweetness, Cigar City treats the pumpkin as a vegetable, finding sweetness from the ever-present malts in beer. The result is a very pumpkin-and-spice-forward beer that doesn’t taste like candy or pumpkin pie. It tastes first and foremost like a big, complex malty beer with strong enough of a backbone to carry the pumpkin and fall spice flavors. This is pumpkin beer done right.
2. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale City: Rehoboth Beach, Del. ABV: 7% Tastes like: Your spice rack Pumpkin flavor: Medium Spiciness: High Perfect for: A better football-watching party than your neighbors The verdict:: The pumpkin is subtle, but Punkin still tastes like fall thanks to all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of brown sugar. It’s a well-balanced, delicious beer—just what we expect from one of our favorite American breweries.
1. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale City:Easton, Penn. ABV: 8% Tastes like: Pumpkin Bread Pumpkin flavor: High Spiciness: High Perfect for: Every day in October The verdict:: This is what a pumpkin beer should be. It tastes unmistakably pumpkin-y while still very much tasting like beer. The label lists cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves, but no single spice throws it off balance. This is what a pumpkin beer should aspire to be.
