Boozin’ Blog

It’s finally autumn. This has always been my favorite season – crisp mornings, turning leaves, cool weather, all that crap.

But the autumnal beers are far and away my favorite part of the season. Here are some of the most popular styles of the season.

Oktoberfest – The party is so big that they named a beer after it. The Oktoberfest style beer is a brown lager that is light on hops with rich, roasted flavors. The style was developed in the late 1800s by a brewer at Spaten Brewery. The Oktoberfest was already a decades old festival by then and Spaten, a Munich based brewery, wanted to brew a beer specifically for it. The brewer was fond of a then popular Vienna style lager and tried to create a beer similar to it. What he wound up with was the brown lager that came to define the new style. Interestingly, the beer actually served in the tents in Munich is not the same as that sold in bottles under the Oktoberfest label. The festival beer is lighter and more comparable to Hellesbock.

Pumpkin – Is there a more natural choice for an autumn beer style than pumpkin? Pumpkin ales become more popular each year. You can find examples of the style from almost every brewery and no pumpkin ale is like another. Some breweries cram huge amounts of pumpkin pie spice into their brews creating beer with incredible aromas and flavors. Other avoid the spices altogether and stick with just pumpkin, malt and hops. When brewed correctly these brews can be incredibly complex and satisfying beers. Who makes the best pumpkin beer? It’s impossible to say but if you want to try the best available to you go local. Pumpkin beer is best when it’s freshest so rather than buying a 6 pack that was brewed and packaged 280 miles away three months ago, go to a brewpub and buy a pint that was brewed right there a couple of weeks ago.

Saison – This harvest-time ale isn’t for everyone. Originally brewed and sold at farmhouses in Northern France and Belgium, this style has been recently building a following in the US craft beer movement. Like many Belgium styles, saisons are big, complex beers. The combination of malts, hops, herbs, honey, candied sugar, and unique yeasts that go into the various interpretations of the style make it a spicy, hoppy, and somewhat acidic brew. If you like challenging beers, this is the brew for you.

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Anheuser-Busch’s Popular Flavored Ale Returns for a Limited Time

Click for Boozin’ Gear from Anheuser Busch

ST. LOUIS (Aug. 16, 2007) – As summer begins to wind down and autumn colors appear, let Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale get you in the mood for the approaching crisp, fall nights. Whether you’re planning to carve pumpkins or bake a pumpkin pie this season, Anheuser‑Busch’s fall beer offering is the perfect toast to the arrival of autumn.

Brewed with select seasonal spices and real Oregon-grown Golden Delicious pumpkins, this beer’s authentic pumpkin flavor tastefully complements the foods of the season – turkey dinners and pumpkin bisque – as well as dishes like teriyaki chicken and mild Italian sausages.

“For adults who’ve never tried a pumpkin beer before, we’d encourage them to experiment with Jack’s,” said Florian Kuplent, brewmaster, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Because the pumpkin and spice flavors are so well-balanced and subtle, Jack’s doesn’t overpower foods and makes for an ideal culinary experience. Year after year this is one of our favorite beers to brew and we hope beer drinkers who enjoy trying new flavors will sample this seasonal ale.”

Available nationwide through November, this popular robust ale is the perfect addition to adult Halloween parties and Thanksgiving dinners. With the aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and clove, Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale has a rich, full flavor that beer lovers will enjoy.

Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed with two-row, caramel and carapils barley malts, a blend of imported and domestic Hallertau hops and domestic Saaz hops. Enjoy this brew in a tall, fluted glass for the best tasting experience; allowing its rich aromas to funnel straight to the nose.

Brewed at the Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins, Colo. brewery, Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale has 5.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and is available on draught at bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as in 12-ounce bottles in six-packs at grocery and convenience stores. Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is the first in Anheuser-Busch’s series of seasonal beers, which also includes Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale, Spring Heat Spiced Wheat and Beach Bum Blonde Ale.

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