When the leaves turn deep orange and the nights grow long, one beer style crawls out of the crypt: pumpkin ale. But not all pumpkin beers are created equal. Some are brewed with real pumpkin flesh, roasted and mashed into the grain bill like a true seasonal sacrifice. Others are just doused in cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove until they taste like a liquefied pie.
So which is which? Which are treats—and which are tricks? Let’s carve it up.
Pumpkin Ale (The Real Deal)
- Brewed with real pumpkin—mashed into the wort like a ritual offering.
- Earthy, smooth, and subtly sweet.
- Often paired with warming spices, but pumpkin remains the star.
- The ale that connects us to colonial brewing roots and harvest rituals.
The Verdict: A true treat. Worthy of a fiendish toast under the harvest moon.
Pumpkin Spice Beer (The Pretender)
- No pumpkin in sight—just cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice.
- Can be delicious, but sometimes tastes more like a candle than a beer.
- Lacks the depth and earthy soul of a true pumpkin ale.
The Verdict: A trick—fun at a costume party, but don’t expect the hearty depth.
6 Pumpkin Ales Worth Summoning This Season
Looking for the real fiendish flavors of fall? Here are six pumpkin ales (and one spicy bonus) that deserve a place at your Halloween table:
- Southern Tier Pumking (NY, USA) ~The King of Pumpkin Ales. Sweet, bold, almost like pumpkin pie in liquid form.
- Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (DE, USA) ~Rich malt backbone, brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices.
- Elysian Night Owl (WA, USA) ~ Roasted pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and seven kinds of spice. Dark magic in a pint.
- Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (MO, USA) ~A balanced, warming ale brewed with real pumpkin and a spicy finish.
- Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale (BC, CAN) ~Big and in demand. Imperial Pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & star anise.
- St. Ambroise Pumpkin Ale (QC, CAN) ~Classic. Baking spice, natural pumpkin, lightly sweet, nice finish.
Bonus Trickster: Shipyard Pumpkinhead (ME, USA) — Pumpkin spice without the pumpkin. The perfect example of the “trick” side of the debate.
Final Draft: Treat Yourself, Don’t Get Tricked
Pumpkin ales brewed with real pumpkin are seasonal treasures—rare, fleeting, and perfect for autumn nights. Pumpkin spice beers? Fun, but ultimately just riding the broomstick of the trend.
This season, summon only the beers that truly honor the harvest. And while you’re at it, dress for the season of the witch with Beerfiend’s Pumpkin Ale designs—because nothing pairs with a pint like a little devilish style.