Photo by Erin Kelly.
By DCist contributor Juana Summers
For some people the appearance of the pumpkin spice latte is the signal that fall is coming and winter’s just around the corner. For others, it’s the pumpkin beer.
Pumpkin beers have only become particularly popular in the last three decades. As Cindy Ott, author of the book Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon, explained in a recent interview, pumpkin ales weren’t “treasured” when they first emerged. Instead, they were associated with the poor.
“Pumpkin ale and beer were economical substitutes for more popular malt drinks,” Ott writes. “In an era before sanitized and filtered water, many colonists had a healthy and reasonable distrust of the safety of water, which commonly carried parasites or worse. They deemed cider, beer and rum to be safer and better tasting than water.”
Things have changed quite a bit since the 1700s. Now pumpkin beer isn’t associated with a social class, but rather with a season, and there’s no shortage of brews to try out. We’ve rounded up a sample of pumpkin beers you can try in D.C. and pointed you in the right direction for bars to find them out. You can also check out 70 pumpkin beers and ciders at both Scion restaurants and Crios Modern Mexican through Sunday.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale: The smell of this beer alone makes it worth a pour at your local bar. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove notes are powerful, yet not overwhelming. This is more spice-heavy than some of the season’s pumpkin beers. It’s easy to drink with a sweetness that reminds you of a homemade pumpkin pie.
Find it at The Black Squirrel, 2427 18th Street NW.
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale: This beer topped Paste Magazine’s best pumpkin beer list this year — and with good reason. It’s a pretty big beer, coming in at eight percent ABV, and shares some things in common with Saucony Creek’s Maple Mistress, namely the butternut squash hints. It’s one of the more complex pumpkin beers I’ve tasted and has a really rich, balanced flavor with strong hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The fact that it’s a Saint Louis brewery is just icing on the cake.
Find it at Boundary Stone, 116 Rhode Island Avenue NW.
Williamsburg Alewerks Pumpkin Ale: The brewery described this beer as”loaded with pumpkin pie aroma and flavor” and I couldn’t agree more. It’s sweeter than some of the other pumpkin beers on this list, and has notes of vanilla, caramel and crème brûlée.
Find it at Glen’s Garden Market, 2001 S Street NW.
Terrapin Pumpkinfest: Pumpkinfest, from Atlanta-based brewery Terrapin is something of a seasonal staple. But that doesn’t make it any less worth drinking. It’s worth noting that this is a pumpkin lager, and not technically an ale.
Find it at Jackpot, 726 7th Street NW.
New Holland Brewing Company Ichabod Pumpkin Ale: The spicy bitterness of Ichabod makes the beer. It’s a great pumpkin brew if you’re not all that crazy about pumpkin; the flavor doesn’t overwhelm.
Find it at The Liberty Tree, 1016 H Street NE.
Ithaca Country Pumpkin: Crack open a Country Pumpkin and you’re immediately greeted by a sweeter smell with notable nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. According to the New York based brewers, this harvest ale is brewed with pumpkin puree and Magnum hops. It’s not the kind of beer where the pumpkin flavor will hit you over the head, but it’s definitely a pumpkin beer that you can reach for a couple of without getting tired of it.
Find it at Maddy’s Taproom, 1100 13th Street NW.
Saucony Creek Maple Mistress Imperial Pumpkin IPA: Like your pumpkin beer with a side of butternut squash? Look no further. This IPA blends pumpkin, butternut squash, maple syrup and “rum spices” which results in a flavorful beer that pairs well with a side of bourbon. I tried this one for the first time at this year’s Snallygaster and more than a few friends declared it the best pumpkin beer they’d sampled yet.
Find it at Meridian Pint, 3400 11th Street NW.
