{"id":6213,"date":"2012-10-04T04:35:25","date_gmt":"2012-10-04T08:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/?p=6213"},"modified":"2012-10-05T05:53:21","modified_gmt":"2012-10-05T09:53:21","slug":"hop-line-the-politics-of-pumpkin-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/2012\/10\/hop-line-the-politics-of-pumpkin-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"HOP LINE: The Politics of  Pumpkin Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>by Evan Crouch<\/em><br \/>\nIn my day job as a beer peddler, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m frequently asked one question in particular this time of year: What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s your favorite pumpkin beer? <!--more-->Knowing that this can be a potentially polarizing topic, I have my diplomatic responses at the ready. I also know that, like many things in life, beer preferences \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially pumpkin beer preferences \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are a matter of subjective taste. I proceed with caution. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do you like your pumpkin beer? Spicy? Sweet? Pumpkin-y? Not-so pumpkin-y?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d There are no right or wrong answers to be gleaned from this line of questioning, just information. A common reply: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not sure \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just as long as it tastes like fall.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I think to myself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, that leaves it pretty wide open,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but offer an honest injection of personal opinion. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I tend to like the less-sweet-and-spicy renditions \u00e2\u20ac\u201c ones that have a solid malt backbone and taste slightly more like beer than pumpkin pie.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n<p>I find that this gives a point from which to triangulate, often resulting in the customer grabbing the stylistic opposite of the personal preference I described. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take the sweeter one, but thanks for your help.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n<p>It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not to be taken personally \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the customer leaving with a product he or she will enjoy outweighs all other considerations by a long shot \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but the situation does illustrate one of the endearing quirks of a quintessentially American beer style: pumpkin ale.<\/p>\n<p>Pumpkin ale is a beer style firmly rooted in early-American history. At the same time the Founding Fathers were penning documents that would shape the country for centuries to come, they maintained pumpkin patches on their family farms. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were all believed to have made pumpkin beers from their crop. <\/p>\n<p>A gourd from the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes squash and zucchini, the pumpkin was a New World staple that grew especially well in New England. Malted barley was hard to come by in the colonies; thus the starches and sugars in pumpkins made them valuable ingredients for brewing. One of the first American colonial folk songs from the mid-17th century praised the pumpkin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s utility:<\/p>\n<p><em>Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies,<br \/>\nOur pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies;<br \/>\nWe have pumpkin at morning and pumpkin at noon;<br \/>\nIf it was not for pumpkins we should be undone<br \/>\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Hey down, down, hey down derry down \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<br \/>\nIf barley be wanting to make into malt<br \/>\nWe must be contented and think it no fault<br \/>\nFor we can make liquor, to sweeten our lips,<br \/>\nOf pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While modern-day interpretations of pumpkin beers may lack the parsnips and walnut-tree chips of yore, they have certainly established themselves as one of the most sought-after and beloved seasonal beer styles. From humble beginnings as a potable invention of necessity, pumpkin beer as a style has flourished into a cornucopia of different iterations from myriad breweries across the country.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re inclined to try one this fall, below are a few exceptional examples to keep an eye out for. But remember: Much like politics, there are as many opinions on pumpkin beers as there are pumpkin beers themselves. Only your taste buds can navigate you faithfully through the tug-of-war of pumpkin-beer preferences. The best way to find out where you stand is to start trying as many \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pumpkins\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as you can!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Buffalo Bill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pumpkin Ale<\/strong><br \/>\nBuffalo Bill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brewery,<br \/>\nHayward, Calif., 5.2 percent ABV<br \/>\nThis is the pumpkin beer that started it all. In the mid-1980s, Buffalo Bill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brewery revived the pumpkin ale and served as a harbinger of the craft-beer movement toward making the style a fall standard. This one set the template for pumpkin-to-spice ratio; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s medium to low on both.<\/p>\n<p><strong>New Holland Ichabod Ale<\/strong><br \/>\nNew Holland Brewing Company,<br \/>\nHolland, Mich., 5.5 percent ABV<br \/>\nIchabod is a pumpkin beer with a great caramel malt backbone. It has the base of a sturdy amber ale with pumpkin and spice flavors playing on the periphery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thirsty Dog Spiced Pumpkin Ale <\/strong><br \/>\nThirsty Dog Brewing Company,<br \/>\nAkron, Ohio, 5 percent ABV<br \/>\nA personal favorite, this one strikes a perfect balance between beer flavor and pumpkin and spice flavor. Out late in the season (after pumpkins are actually harvested), it always tastes super fresh. It evokes the image of brewers scooping copious amounts of pulp from newly opened gourds into steaming brew kettles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale<\/strong><br \/>\nFoothills Brewing Company,<br \/>\n|Winston-Salem, N.C., 5.3 percent ABV<br \/>\nA perennial local favorite, this pumpkin ale is light on body and above average on spice. Formerly brewed out of Boone, Foothills has taken up the brewing of this brand and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s much improved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Punkin Ale<\/strong><br \/>\nDogfish Head Craft Brewery,<br \/>\nMilton, Del., 7 percent ABV<br \/>\nMore of a pumpkin brown ale, the Dogfish Head interpretation has a nice brown-sugar undertone and a little extra kick at 7 percent. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s versatile and complex enough to serve as an aperitif, with the main course or with dessert.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Imperial Pumpkin Ale<\/strong><br \/>\nWeyerbacher Brewing Company,<br \/>\nEaston, Pa., 8 percent ABV<br \/>\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Imperial\u00e2\u20ac\u009d connotes that this beer is stronger in alcohol, and boy is it ever. Weyerbacher redefined the style with their pumpkin ale, which is more robust in every possible way \u00e2\u20ac\u201c stronger, spicier and thicker than your average pumpkin.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pumking<\/strong><br \/>\nSouthern Tier Brewing Company,<br \/>\nLakewood, N.Y., 8.6 percent ABV<br \/>\nThe king stays the king. Perhaps the most popular pumpkin beer around, this one oozes pumpkin-pie flavor. Trying this might totally change your view of pumpkin beers. Pumking is best served with dessert in mind. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re feeling adventurous, try blending it black-and-tan style with an imperial stout for a truly unique experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Evan Crouch In my day job as a beer peddler, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m frequently asked one question in particular this time of year: What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s your favorite pumpkin beer?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[319,225],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6213"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6215,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6213\/revisions\/6215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/mill\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}