Pumpkin Beer That Doesn’t Suck: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

One of the first “weird” beers many deign to try is a pumpkin ale, a relatively common seasonal variety that should be firmly in stores these shortened days. The problem with pumpkin ale is that most of the ones I’ve tried have been pretty horrid, either blandly vegetative or not tasting of pumpkin at all, but pumpkin pie spices. (Pie spices in a pumpkin beer aren’t bad, per se, but you wouldn’t want to eat a pie tasting only of spices, either.)

Predictably, Dogfish Head’s “Punkin Ale” avoids the leaf-litter pits into which most other pumpkin beers plummet, offering a fully round ale with just the right balance of pumpkin, spice, and malt flavors—and just a touch of brown sugar. If you’re in New England you should track it down. I wouldn’t want to drink it all year long, but it’s a nice fall alternative to my standard, go-to beers.

(Actually, that would be a great beer name: “10 Beer; 20 GOTO 10.” Okay, maybe not great.)

I’ve heard of other pumpkin beers out there that don’t suck turbid, trubby butthole: Do they exist? And just as importantly, what pumpkin beers out there are confirmed losers?