HOLIDAY BEERS PART I...Pumpkin and Spice and Oktoberfests...OH MY!

ITS FALL! The air is getting a chill, the leaves crackle under your feet, and pumpkin has been added to absolutely everything to let you know in case you had any possible doubt WHATSOEVER...that it's fall. Pumpkin. It's not just for pies anymore. These days its in everything come fall time. It's in your coffee. It's in your muffins. Your cookies. Your pancakes. Your soups. Your ice cream. Your non-dairy creamer. Your candles. Your beer. WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY? You're beer!

IT'S PUMPKIN BEER SEASON!!!

I don't really like pumpkin. I like carving them. I do enjoy a pumpkin muffin in my caffeine haze from the local coffee franchise. But that's about it. The smell of the seeds roasting makes me gag. I generally associate pumpkin with the smell of the guts as you scrape them out with a giant wooden spoon before carving something into them...

But beer is something different. Every year we wait with impatience, tapping feet and something resembling the pee-pee dance at the end of the summer for the seasonal beers to be put out. By mid-August I have grown tired of summer brews with their blond crispness and lemon additives. I want something new! So as soon as the pencils, erasers, and trapper keepers hit the shelves, we know it's time for fall beers. And we get REALLY excited.

And then we remember no one actually has a trapper keeper anymore.

So this is our review of the best and worst of the fall beers! Mind you, there are OODLES of beers we just don't have access to here in North Jersey due to differences in distribution. So what you are getting here is a fine variety accessible to us. We are fortunate enough to have some GREAT liquor stores around our area that really tap into the craft and seasonal selections, so we will do our best to provide you with a well rounded review. Without further ado...ROUND ONE!

PUMPKIN BEERS:

Southern Tier Pumking

Yes, I spelled that correctly. This is truly one of my favorites of the fall brews. Southern Tier Brewing, located in Lakewood, NY, already has a great reputation amongst the beer snobs like ourselves for well made beers. They have a delicious variety pleasing every pallet in the beer drinker spectrum. It's this one beer I wait for though. This one beer, only available (at least for us locally) in a pint bottle that glares at me lovingly and a little bit crazy from it's display in our favorite beer spot. I won't lie...it's not cheap. A bottle of this stuff will set you back $7 or $8 in North Jersey, but trust me when I say it's money well spent. This is not a brew that you pound. This is a brew you sip and enjoy in a snifter rimmed with cinnamon and sugar. It's a deep, tasty ale with just enough pumpkin and spice to keep you satisfied without going over the top or too sweet. I first had it on tap at a great place in Wakefield, Rhode Island called Mews Tavern. They served it just as I described above, snifter with cinnamon and sugar on the rim. One taste and I was hooked. I now wait annually for this one to hit the shelves.

Wolaver's Pumpkin Ale

There is no denying I am a Wolavers fan. I first discovered these tasty brews when our local craft beer spot had their Oatmeal Stout on the "make your own six pack" rack. (one of our favorite pass times and one of the BEST ways to find new beers you dig) I was instantly addicted. They promise their beers to be made with Vermont organic ingredients and they are very well done and REALLY tasty. I am a bit of a stout snob, and their Oatmeal is one of the best. But on to immediate pressing matters...WOLAVERS PUMPKIN ALE! Wow, this one is good. Made with organic Vermont pumpkin, its crispy clean and very flavorful ale without the sticky pie taste that some seasonal beers have. You know what I mean? Almost sweet. It's not spiced. It's a true pumpkin taste. A warm fall flavor. Very yummy. Also, it's organic! (if that's important to you) Serve it in a pint glass chilled, or let it decant. Our other suggestion is to put the bottles upside down in the six pack holder in your fridge when you get home. The ingredients will settle on the bottom a bit and this seems to disperse them evenly. It's good.


Arcadia Ales Jaw-Jacker Spiced Ale

Don't let the picture fool you...this is NOT a pumpkin beer! It's deceiving and if you buy it and taste it without looking into it's recipe, you will SWEAR it's full of pumpkin. Its an unfiltered beer so you can watch the little beer goodness pieces floating around in your glass as you wait for the beer to decant slightly...which is really the best way to enjoy it. Arcadia Ales of Battlecreek, MI has outdone themselves with this one, and fooled us for sure...which I am sure was not their intention! Eric and I had a few of these and thought for sure they were pumpkin flavored. Turns out, NO PUMPKIN! None at all. They do however incorporate all-spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon into the mix creating a delicious spiciness. The folks at Arcadia Ales state that these ingredients are added in the exact proportions of pumpkin pie, giving it that very feel. This is definitely not a heavy drinking beer. Its one to be sipped, pondered, and enjoyed with friends in the fall weather. Think crackling leaves and hoodies around the fire pit.


Jacko Traveler Seasonal Shandy


Have mercy, this is TASTY! This beer tastes like pumpkin pie. Like, REAL PUMPKIN PIE. I know that sounds odd or off putting to someone who doesn't have a taste for flavored beers, but if you do...man. THIS ONE IS DELICIOUS. I opened the bottle and let it decant for a few minutes. Then I poured it into stem wear rimmed with cinnamon and sugar. I felt darkly elegant. It was a perfect pairing! I would imagine this one might be just as tasty on tap, if you are fortunate enough to find it in your area. I have not yet. Traveler Beer Company, located in Burlington VT where it must come with state residence requirement that you make good beer, have been on a mission to bring the Shandy to the US masses. What is a Shandy? It's a beer served with a citrus soda, cider, ginger beer, or something along those lines that dates back to the 17th century in parts of Europe. They expertly bring this style to their fall brew with a Shandy-inspired beer made with fresh pumpkin. FRESH PUMPKIN! It's bold and evident, tasty and spiced. An all around yummy fall beer.



So there you have it. Chapter One of our fall series. Thoughts??? I would love for you all to scamper on out and grab a few of these, give a taste, and give your thoughts! There are MANY more to come, as we have much more fall to drink in...and then winters...and holidays...oh beer!

COMING UP...Chapter Two...Falala-la la la la!

Introducing...your beer snobs...

This would be a good spot to start I guess, right? We might as well introduce ourselves.

My name is Amanda. I'm a mom and an admin for an ad firm. I'm a writer, blogger, ska and reggae enthusiast. I tended bar for years and enjoy coming up with new ways to spike coffees, cocoas, and punches in my spare time. I love to entertain.. I like food. I like beer.

My fiance's name is Eric. He went to culinary school (that big famous one), cooked, ran some delis and restaurants and shit. He was a glazier...for those of you who are like me and think of donuts and tarts when you hear glazier....its actually putting windows in buildings. Who knew, right? So he is super great at math. He's worked with old cars too. Now he is a musician. He likes food. He likes beer.

Together, we are a barrel of gluttony...but of the most particular kind.

We both have a taste for beer. Having both spent many years developing a keen pallet for what we like and don't like, we have also learned to appreciate the work that goes into brewing. While we may not prefer a particular brew, we are never shy to issue credit to a job well done. It has created road trips and great nights throughout our courtship...and more than a few heated debates. Eric prefers an IPA, I prefer a good smoky stout. Both of us can appreciate an ale. Filtered, unfiltered, fresh ingredients, the debate about extracts, etc etc etc. We have had them all. But no matter what, we always want to try something new.

And we feel the same way about food. There are so many kinds. So many variations on kinds. So many experiences you can have simply by tasting something new. Eric understands food prep from the bottom up. He is the first one to pick out a bad piece of meat, improperly prepared sauce, or old bread. We both reside in the great county of Sussex in New Jersey...the garden state. That's right, out-of-staters, we are actually loaded with farms! Not mafia, hair spray, and refineries. Not that those things aren't here. We would just rather talk about the produce. Ahem...MOVING ON!

Sussex County is one of several in our state famous for great produce. Fresh grown, tasty off the plant kind of produce. New Jersey is famous for tomatoes and corn. You can't find better anywhere, in my opinion. (I won't usually eat a supermarket tomato...the difference in taste is undeniable) We also have superb berries, fruits, and grains. This makes for easy access to great food for local restaurants. Unfortunately...a lot have not discovered this money saving, economy boosting, delicious tasting truth. These are the things we think when we go out to eat.

On many occasions, we have found ourselves staring at one another as we grab fork fulls from one another's plates and wondering why we don't delve into this topic in a way that other people can actually read. We will spend a long time eating, discussing, observing at an establishment. It's time we shared our findings with you all. I don't promise they will always be pleasant...but I DO promise they will always be honest. From local brews to eateries to food festivals...we will try to taste it all, and present our findings...and off we go!