By Evan Crouch
As we begin to turn the page on another sultry North Carolina summer, the anticipation of the fall season and the pleasures it brings is upon us. Autumn is harvest time – a time to reflect on the year’s toil and enjoy the fruits of our labors before girding against winter’s chill. Food and drink lovers in particular rejoice the coming of rich, hearty autumnal flavors that characterize the seasonal cuisine. Just as the leaves will soon change their hue, so too will delicious seasonal beer offerings get a shade or two darker as the cooler months arrive. Many fall beers are all about balance and smoothness, with a little extra heft to warm the body and soul on a crisp autumn night. Others can be spicy and bold, showcasing the flavors of seasonal produce. The following is a primer on a few seasonal styles to look out for in coming weeks.
Harvest ales
Sometimes referred to as “fresh,†“green†or “wet†hop ales, these beers are brewed with hops that are harvested on the very same day as brewing. (Usually beers are brewed with hops that have been processed in some way, either frozen or compacted into pellet form, and often both.) For those who enjoy the floral, fruity or citrusy character imparted by hops, harvest ales are the ultimate in fresh hop flavor. Imagine eating, say, a frozen strawberry versus a fresh-picked one. The frozen strawberry still tastes like a strawberry, but it lacks that right-off-the-vine intensity of flavor. Harvest ales are much the same, and demonstrate the purest, least-diminished form of hop character. Check out Founders’ Harvest Ale when it comes around in late September; it’s perhaps the best around.
Schwarzbier
From the German term for “black beer,†this style is a dark yet smooth lager that is a perfect session beer for a cool fall night. Despite its dim color, schwarzbier is quite quaffable. These beers are fairly low in alcohol and do not have the thick body of a stout or porter. Characterized by present but not heavy-handed notes of coffee, chocolate and dark bread, schwarzbier is a good pick for those who might like the flavors of a stout or porter but don’t want to feel too weighed down by the heft of those styles. Try the Full Sail Session Black Lager, even if you don’t like dark beer – you might be pleasantly surprised. For an authentic German schwarzbier, pick up the Koestritzer – it’s a classic.
Pumpkin ales
One of the most popular fall beers utilizes the iconic autumn gourd for a portion of its fermentable sugars. Pumpkin ales are often brewed with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Pumpkin ales can range from cloyingly sweet to subtle and rather dry. I find the best examples are ones that achieve a good balance, with no one flavor getting too far ahead of the others. A couple of choice pumpkin ales are New Holland’s Ichabod Ale and Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale. The Ichabod is a well-crafted brew because it tastes like a great amber ale with just a faint suggestion of pumpkin and spice hiding in the background. It’s the epitome of subtlety in a pumpkin ale. If you want something a bit more reminiscent of grandma’s pumpkin pie, the Weyerbacher is the way to go. It’s slightly sweet, spicy and satisfying, and clocking in at 8 percent abv, it’s got some kick.
Oktoberfest
This is what fall beer is all about. If there were ever a beer to capture the essence of all that’s wholesome and right about the harvest time of the year, it’s a good oktoberfest. Also known as “Maerzen†(German for beer brewed in March and kept in cool storage to be enjoyed in the fall), these brews are celebration in liquid form, paragons of balance and drinkability to be consumed in mass quantities. They are arguably the height of the brewing art, insofar as they strive to strike a perfectly harmonious chord between appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel. The best examples offer an exceedingly smooth caramel malt character of fresh-baked bread. They should have a lush, creamy tan foam that sticks nicely to the glass as you work your way to the bottom. Expect a slightly herbal, subtle hop bitterness in the finish. I’d suggest either Hacker-Pschorr or Ayinger’s version. Both are top-notch and authentically Bavarian.
If these fall styles sound intriguing (or you just want to revisit an old favorite), a great way to learn more is to attend tastings offered at your local craft beer retailer. Carrboro Beverage Company, T.J.’s Beverage and Tobacco and Weaver Street Market all host free weekly tastings. Whether you’re new to the craft beer scene or a veteran aficionado, it’s a great way to get involved in one of the hallmark flavors of the fall season. Because one thing’s for sure: Beer is a lot more fun as a shared experience, so get out there and celebrate with a hearty harvest-time brew!
Beer-braised bratwurst
Ingredients
1 bratwurst
1 onion
1 bottle beer (Suggestion: Heavy Seas’ Maerzen)
a pinch of chili pepper
mustard (Suggestion: Sierra Nevada Stone Ground Stout Mustard)
Procedure
Sear the brat in a big shallow pan, and remove when browned. Put some sliced onions in the same pan, adding more oil as needed, and cook slowly until they are gold in color. Throw in a little chili pepper and cook for a minute, then add the bottle of beer and reduce the liquid by half. Put the brat back in and cook until done. Serve with onions and mustard.