"Pumpkin" beers made with actual pumpkin?

Question

It's about that time of year again, when pumpkin flavored beer (and everything else) starts making its way onto store shelves.

I was wondering, what pumpkin flavored beers are out there, if any, are made with actual pumpkin and not just pumpkin pie spices?

My personal favorite is Pumpkin Head by Shipyard, but I've been unable to find any evidence that would suggest it is made with real pumpkin. Are there readily available beers made with real pumpkin? I live in western PA, but any brand not specifically available here would be good to know.

Answer 1

My favorite is Pumpking from Southern Tier. They claim it is brewed with real pumpkin.

Schlafly also makes a popular pumpkin beer with real pumpkin.

Answer 2

Along with Marty's reccommendation of Pumpking, Southern Tier also makes an Imperial Pumpkin Stout called Warlock. Best Pumpkin beers I've had so far ( Warlock > Pumpking imo ).

I've also heard Griffin Claw makes a good one too: Screamin' Pumpkin

Answer 3

I drank once Post Road Pumkin Ale from Brooklyn brewery that is brewed with, to quote them,

Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins [...] blended into the mash of each batch: Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Answer 4

At least some pumpkin ales are brewed with real pumpkin (for example polish Dyniamit brewed by PINTA). If you are interested in recepies you can look for them from the examples found at Brewtoad.

Answer 5

Elysian Brewing in Seattle has a beer made with pumpkin festival every year. Their festival site has a great list of beers to try - http://www.elysianbrewing.com/great-pumpkin-beer-fest/

My favorites are the ones which taste nothing like pumpkin pie and Black Raven's Harbinger is the top of that list - http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/black-raven-harbinger-strong-pumpkin-squash-stout/189456/

Answer 6

Pump Up The Volume by Hi-Fi Brewing is the best pumpkin beer I've had, but you'll only get it poured in Redmond, if you're lucky enough to find it.

"Pump Up the Volume A blast of pumpkin pie aroma introduces you to this full-bodied and fairly malty beer. We brew it with fresh Washington pumpkin and add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla after fermentation. It finishes with a very subtle warmth. Alcohol: 6.8% ABV, Bitterness: 35 IBU."

Witch Hunt by Bridgeport Brewing was decent, but doesn't specify whether or not it's made with actual pumpkin flesh. I think we got a 22oz at Costco.

Answer 7

If you are a fan of BIG beers. Let me suggest the mother of all pumpkin beers, Avery's pumpKYn. I try to land a few bottles every year. It is expensive, but it is not the type of beer one drinks several bottles of. Each year, the ABV sits around 15 to 16 percent. I like to say that this is the pumpkin beer that should end every other breweries' attempts to craft a pumpkin beer. They should all stop and deem Avery the winner. It is not just a little aroma of pumpkin, it is a mouthful of thanksgiving with each sip. This beer is heavy and creamy and fills your nose with nutmeg and cinnamon. Skip a meal for this one, it will fill your stomach.

If you want to explore a wonderful variety of this brew. I would suggest Avery's RUMPKIN, which is their pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels. This is a bit more of a kick in the mount though, as it not only get's a great deal of sweetness from the rum, it also gets a bit more alcohol too. Rum barrel aging is a unique process. So you get to try something that is likely new to you. So often, brewers use other spirit and wine barrels, but you do not see as many use rum or tequila barrels. Kudos to Avery for that.

Both brews are priced around 10 bucks per 12oz bottle. And you will need to shop at a specialty store for them. I occasionally see them in Schnucks in Saint Louis though (which is a grocery store). They are pretty rough when they are fresh. So I like to grab a stock each year, then drink the ones I purchased the year before. Age them upright at cellar temps, IN THE DARK. I can not stress that enough.

Hope you enjoy them.

Answer 8

I saw today that my local Whole Foods had on display an island of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale which is brewed with real pumpkin, though I myself prefer Southern Tier's.