Drinking in Boston: Pounding Pumpkins

The pumpkins are leaving! The pumpkins are leaving! Run to your nearest liquor store and grab up whatever pumpkin beers you can find!

The season is nearly over, which was sad news for us. Unfortunately, similar to holidays such as Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Presidents day, pumpkin beer season begins far before it should (in the last week of August, which is still very much summer) and ends before we want it to (before Halloween weekend!). Therefore, you best use your own gourd and get the last of it.

As for pumpkin ales to stock up on, Bostonist suggests trying Southern Tier’s Pumking, Imperial Pumpkin Ale, which balances the alcohol with the pumpkin flavor quite well. Some may find it too extreme, however. Another favorite but slightly less bold pumpkin is Dogfish Head’s Punkin’ Ale. Lastly, something to satisfy all camps, is Shipyard’s Pumpkin Head. It’s not too extreme, alcohol-wise (4.5%) and its pumpkin flavor is delicate and just enough.

One seemingly obviously question we had though was what makes a pumpkin beer; or at least, what makes it different from a Harvest Ale? First off, of course, the pumpkin flavor is restricted to the pumpkin ales. However, that distinct spiciness is not. Harvest beers are fall beers, spiced ales. They’re also hard to come by. Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers far out-populate them in the liquor stores.

But don’t be too down about the pumpkin beers season ending, Charlie Brown. You can always head to the Cambridge Brewing Company on Halloween for the CBC Pumpkin Ale Festival: eight pumpkin brews and food to match. And of course we have something just as special coming up: Winter Ales! Bring on the cold nights: we’ll be ready.

Photo by samglover on Flickr, used with Creative Commons License