WASHINGTON 鈥� The pools remain packed, the sidewalks continue to sizzle and flip flops are still the footwear favorite. But on the beer front, your beloved summer seasonal is nowhere in sight.
After all, it鈥檚 August. And in the craft beer world, that means it鈥檚 time for pumpkin beer.
It may seem a bit premature for fall flavors, but Greg Engert, beer director for , says pumpkin beer鈥檚 late-summer release is the new normal for a number of reasons.
For starters, most breweries don鈥檛 rely on fresh pumpkin to make their beers, and thus aren鈥檛 confined to the months of September and October for the brewing process.
鈥淲e associate the fall with pumpkin pie, so I think it鈥檚 weird to some people that it comes out in the summer, but of course, we鈥檙e not using fresh pumpkins pulled from the ground,鈥� says Engert, who was named Food & Wine Sommelier of the Year in 2010.
Instead, many brewers use pumpkin pur茅e or pumpkin pie spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice, to flavor their beers.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e based on 鈥� a presumed seasonal appetite for specific flavors,鈥� Engert adds.
And let鈥檚 not ignore the business motive: Shelves are stacked with fall beers as early as July because of consumer demand.
鈥淔rankly, it鈥檚 because they sell. As craft becomes more mainstream year over year, these seasonal beers just continually crush it,鈥� Engert says.
In 2014, seasonal beers accounted for more than 20 percent of the craft beer market, . And fall seasonals, including pumpkin and Oktoberfest varieties, make up the biggest seasonal sellers.
The New York-based brewery Southern Tier says its sales have increased 50 to 80 percent since the debut of its pumpkin beer, Pumking, . And accounts for 10 percent of the company鈥檚 brewing, which is more than its hefeweizen or k枚lsch.
鈥淪ome of these breweries, their pumpkin ale is their biggest seller for the year. And I don鈥檛 see it abating anytime soon either,鈥� Engert says.
It鈥檚 not just the beer industry capitalizing on the pumpkin craze. These days, everyone is jumping in on the gourd game.
Starbucks鈥� Pumpkin Spice Latte, or 鈥淧SL,鈥� has become a celebrity in its own right. The drink has more than 84,000 followers on , and each August, fans anxiously await the date of its yearly debut. (The company that this year鈥檚 PSL will be available starting Sept. 8.)
Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookie dough, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin candies and even pumpkin Pop-Tarts and Oreos dominate display shelves at grocery stores as early as September.
Some pumpkin fans, however, refuse to acknowledge the season until cooler air moves in. If this is your stance, Engert says just be sure to check the beer bottle鈥檚 鈥渂est by鈥� date before you pop it open. Since pumpkin beers are distributed in August, the first batches are typically brewed in June.
But Engert says most breweries will keep up production, at least for a few months.
鈥淲ith the popularity of pumpkin ales and people wanting to extend the season, many breweries are brewing it consistently through the season, so it鈥檚 not like you just get one drop in the middle of August and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 on the shelves in October. You鈥檒l see them brewing a ton early, some mid, some late,鈥� he says.
Only, don鈥檛 wait too long, or you鈥檒l miss out entirely.
鈥淐ome the day after Thanksgiving, they鈥檙e done with pumpkin ales, so drink them now while you can because pretty soon it鈥檚 going to be time for the Christmas ale.鈥�
Just in time for Halloween, no doubt.
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We caught up with Rob Fink, certified cicerone, bar manager and brewer, to get his take on the best pumpkin beers out there this season. Here are his top five:
- Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
- AleWerks Pumpkin Ale
- Southern Tier Pumpking
- Avery聽Brewing Company聽Rumpkin
- Fat Head’s Brewery Spooky Tooth Imperial Pumpkin
海角社区app’s Brennan Haselton contributed to this report.聽
