Pumpkin ale

Pumpkin ale is a popular style of beer in the United States. Pumpkin ale may be produced using pumpkin flesh in combination with malt or other more typical beer grains as a portion of the mash bill, contributing fermentable sugars to the wort. It may also be produced by adding natural or artificial flavor to a finished beer. Spice flavor may be added to evoke the flavor of pumpkin pie, a popular American wintertime dessert.

Pumpkin ale with a cinnamon sugar rim

Many styles of pumpkin ale are produced, including pale ales, wheat beers, porters, and stouts. Often produced as a seasonal beer in the fall,^[1] it is produced by several breweries including Sea Dog Brewery, Shipyard Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Blue Moon.^[2]

History

The brewing of beer with pumpkin in the United States dates back to 1771.^[3] The first commercially brewed pumpkin ale came from Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California, in the 1980s, the recipe based on brewing studies made by George Washington.^[4][5][6] The beer's contemporary popularity has been described as part of a "pumpkin spice craze," initiated by a rash of pumpkin- and pumpkin-spice-flavored consumer food products, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte.^[7]

See also

• List of squash and pumpkin dishes

References

1. Crouch, A. (2010). Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation's Finest Beers and Breweries. Running Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7624-4160-0.
2. Jackson, Josh (September 26, 2013). "A Guide to the Best and Worst Pumpkin Beers". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
3. Risen, Clay (11 October 2011). "The Divisive Pumpkin Ale". Atlantic Media. The Atlantic. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
4. "Buffalo Bill's Brewery (Hayward)". 6 December 2006.
5. "Pumpkin Power: The Rise and Reign of Pumpkin Beer".
6. "Buffalo Bill's Brewery - Total Wine & More". www.totalwine.com.
7. Brat, Ilan (November 25, 2014). "Haters Call Pumpkin-Spice Craze an 'Epidemic'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2015.