Brewing pumpkin beer comes with very little structure or rules that must be followed. You can find pumpkin beers with a base of a standard ale, a heavy stout, a coffee porter, a sour ale, a Märzen lager, and so many other styles that can be utilized with pumpkin.

Most pumpkin beers taste great, but my second reason for being so interested in this style is that pumpkin/yam beers were a popular style in early American societies. Many scholars believe that, around 1620, colonial brewers used pumpkins and squash—among many other adjuncts containing natural sugars—to help with fermentation. In Joshua M. Bernstein’s The Complete Beer Course, he explains:

“To stretch out the costly grain, crafty brewers grabbed anything and everything that contained fermentable sugars and flavor, such as Jerusalem artichokes, persimmons, spruce tips, molasses, corn, and pumpkins.”

When enjoying pumpkin beer, we can go out on a limb and say that we’re drinking ales and lagers similar to what colonials consumed over 400 years ago. Thankfully, our society has the resources to craft more palatable pumpkin beers than those brewed by our ancestors. Read on to learn about some of Houston’s own renditions of this broad style!

“Pumpkin Spice Oktoberfest” – Saloon Door Brewing

While I’m not sure how German brewers feel about it, I’m a big fan of using pumpkin to add a little fun to a classic Märzen-style lager.

This version of Saloon Door’s classic Oktoberfest lager has organic pumpkin puree and spices added. The brewers achieved a perfect balance in what I believe was the intent of this brew. The adjuncts are present and welcome but not too robust, allowing the base beverage to shine. I enjoyed the light scent of cinnamon and subtle taste of pumpkin upfront, with the malty, lightly hoppy finish you’d expect from a quality Oktoberfest/Märzen lager.

“Nightmare on 1st Street” – No Label Brewing Company

If you enjoy vintage slasher films like I do, you might appreciate this beer just for its name. Of course, it comes with cool artwork and marketing to match.

As fun as this beer is, drink it slowly—it clocks in at 9.27% ABV, making it the second-strongest beer on this list.

What makes this pumpkin beer unique is No Label’s use of an imperial amber ale as the base. The beer is bready and malty, with light notes of caramel or toffee. On top of that, cinnamon and ginger take center stage as the dominant flavors. No Label suggests pairing this beer with roast turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, and I think they nailed it.

“Nightmare on 1st Street” is a perfect addition to this list of late fall treats, guaranteed to warm you up on a cool Houston night.

“Pumpkin Coffee Porter” – H Town Brewing Co.

H Town Brewing Co. may have been first this season to release a pumpkin beer in the greater Houston area.

“Pumpkin Coffee Porter” is a coffee porter first and a pumpkin beer second. It has a rich coffee flavor with a light scent of pumpkin to complement it. The beer’s consistency is on the lighter side for a porter, a welcome trait when enjoyed outdoors on a warm September afternoon.

“Yeller Weller Pumpkin Spice” – Elder Son Brewery

Elder Son Brewery has a seasonal milk stout called “Yeller Weller,” a semi-sweet, well-balanced dark beer with vanilla bean added. This October, they released both the seasonal ale and a pumpkin variant called “Yeller Weller Pumpkin Spice.”

This 5.7% ABV milk stout has light coffee and chocolate notes from its base beer, complemented by fall spices and pumpkin flavor. This beer is a sweet treat and my current favorite dessert beer in town.

“Pumpkinator (2024)” – Saint Arnold Brewing Company

No list of Houston-area pumpkin beers would be complete without our region’s most popular pumpkin beer: “Pumpkinator.”

This heavily layered, complex stout is perfect for sipping slowly. Each sip brings new flavors to the palate. The 2024 version offers robust notes of pumpkin, brown sugar, and molasses up front, balanced by the black coffee flavors typical of this style.

“Pumpkinator” earns high regard not just for its flavor but also for being brewed with real pumpkin—a brewing practice that seems to be fading.

Finally, one of my favorite things about “Pumpkinator” is the bottle. Packaged in a 22oz bomber, “Pumpkinator” can be enjoyed by one’s self, but it is quite a commitment. The other purpose of this size bottle is to enjoy it with someone you care about. 22oz of this beer with a friend or family member is the perfect vehicle to enjoy one’s company, share memories and
make new ones.

“Old Gourd” – Vallensons’ Brewing Company

Although the beers in this article aren’t ranked, Vallensons’ “Old Gourd” is my personal favorite of the season.

This ale contains real pumpkin, a rare but admirable choice among brewers. It’s packed with flavor, making other traditional pumpkin ales seem bland. The beer features squash flavors complemented by cinnamon and other spices. At just 5% ABV, it’s a flavorful yet sessionable option.

Honorable Mentions

Here are a few more pumpkin beers from the Houston area that I’ve heard great things about but haven’t tried yet. If you enjoy any beers mentioned—or others I’ve missed—let me know your thoughts!

• “Pumpkin Annihilation” – Spicy Pumpkin Barleywine – Excalibur Brewing
• “Gourd in the Stone” – Pumpkin Imperial Stout – Excalibur Brewing
• “Smashing Pumpkin” – Pumpkin Ale – Galveston Island Brewing
• “Haunted Toffee Harvest” – Pumpkin Toffee Cream Ale – Saloon Door Brewing
• “Scared of the Dark” – Pumpkin Pie Spiced Stout – Holler Brewing

Enjoy the rest of pumpkin beer season, Houston!

Cheers!

The post Pumpkin Beer Season is Still Upon Us, Houston first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Pumpkin Beer Season is Still Upon Us, Houston appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Anyone who has spent any time in our incredible city during the summer months knows that it is hot outside now and getting hotter! Although, that does not mean we have any reason to slow down when it comes to enjoying Houston’s local beer scene.

It has already been a great year for beer thus far. I know many of you readers have had your fair share of big, heavy beers in the last few months (I know I have).

Spindletap’s yearly springtime offering of their much sought after, “Juiceton” Double IPA at 8% ABV, has come and gone.  

Anyone who has made it over to Brash Brewing in the last several months may have enjoyed their popular “Vulgar Display of Power” Russian imperial stout at a whopping 14% ABV. 

Perhaps closer to the beginning of this year you had True Anomaly’s “Jupiter Drops” double IPA with lactose at 8.9%.

Of course, after this summer is over, we get to look forward to exciting fall time releases, like Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s “Pumpkinator 2024” imperial stout, and a multitude of other cool-weather, heavy-hitting Houston favorites.

If it is your prerogative to enjoy more big beers this summer as the sun stays up longer and our days get hotter, then you are a much bolder Houstonian than me. 

However, if you are interested in cooling down this summer with some of Houston’s lighter alcohol content beers without sacrificing awesome flavor, then I encourage you to continue reading this article.

The following beers are not ranked in any ascending or descending order. I think each and every one of these beers is a perfect summer-time refreshment, depending on what style ale or lager you happen to be craving.

1. “Pink” – Vallensons’ Brewing Company (Berliner – 4% ABV)

“Pink” is a Berliner Weisse style ale, that has some overlapping qualities to a sour, without quite as much tartness. It is light in consistency and is overflowing with cherry flavor. Given the style, you should expect this beer to be a bit sweet, but I personally would not consider it a dessert- specific beer. There are many beers available in this category that have a comparably beautiful color in the glass, but “Pink” is deceivingly better than the rest. It is slightly sweet, slightly tart, very refreshing, flavorful and completely crushable. It is no surprise that “Pink” has won several awards in the last few years. 

“Pink” is currently on tap at Vallensons’ Brewing Company at the time of this article’s publication.

2. “Pilsner Rešov” – Equal Parts Brewing (Czech Pilsner – 4.6% ABV)

Anyone who has done a little bit of reading about Czech pour styles or has spent any time enjoying beers in Europe, is probably quite refreshed when seeing a lager style beer poured with a head like the one in the picture here of “Pilsner Rešov” by Equal Parts Brewing.

Equal Parts Brewing has done an excellent job giving their visitors an authentic experience on how a cold-fermentation beer should be served, as well as how a high quality one should taste. 

In this article I won’t dive deep into different pour styles made famous by the brewers of Czech Republic, nor the Lukr side pour faucet that this beer was beautifully dispensed from. 

In my opinion “Pilsner Rešov” is about as close as we can get to the perfectly crafted pilsner that tastes exactly as it’s initial creators intended without leaving Houston. 

This pilsner has floral hop character, with nearly no bitterness. It finishes clean with a very faint note of pepper.

This award winning pilsner is currently on tap at Equal Parts Brewing at the time of this article’s publication. 

3. “Castle Pale Ale” – Walking Stick Brewing Co. (American Pale Ale – 5.1%)

For those of you looking for a slightly hoppier refreshment while remaining in the low ABV category, I recommend trying “Castle Pale Ale”. 

This is a British style pale ale with great hop aroma and relatively low bitter properties. This beautifully crafted beverage is slightly malty, but not quite as malt- forward as it’s amber color may lead you to believe. It is a refreshing ale with a ton of flavor for 5.1% abv. 

“Castle Pale Ale” is currently on tap at Walking Stick Brewing Co. at the time of this article’s publication. 

4. “Citrus Shandy” – Saint Arnold Brewing Company (Shandy – 4.5%)

If you are familiar with shandy as a beer style, then you likely know that a proper shandy consists of equal parts beer to lemon soda. Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s “Citrus Shandy”, is perfectly balanced between these two main ingredients that make up the perfect shandy.

The lemon and grapefruit soda in this beverage is citrus-y, (just as the can describes), and refreshing. Of course, just like any proper shandy, this is a sweet beer – but it still tastes like beer!   

I think balanced is a great word to describe this beer. This is a beautifully crafted lager, with the added refreshing compliment of Saint Arnold’s lemon and grapefruit soda. It is neither too bland nor too sweet. 

“Citrus Shandy” is available on tap and in cans to go at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. It is also available in cans to go at many Houston area grocery and liquor stores.

5. “Fire in the Hole” – Holler Brewing Company (Mexican Lager – 4.7%)

The last beer I will share qualifies as an incredible Houston beer at a low ABV to enjoy this summer – although this one may not actually cool you down!  

Spicy beers are not for everyone, but if you enjoy spicy food, then a little heat in your beer can really turn your pint into a party!

“Fire in the Hole” starts with a perfectly brewed Mexican style lager. Hot peppers used in the brewing process, provide this beer with some big flavorful adjunct notes that give off quite a kick. The spicy heat in this beer is presented evenly throughout the drinking experience. It may leave you never wanting to go back to a dressed Modelo. 

This beer is served ice cold at Holler Brewing Company and is available in multiple different serving sizes. If you are unsure as to whether you will like this hot and spicy beer, I encourage you to at least give it a try as part of a flight.

“Fire in the Hole” is currently on tap at Holler Brewing Company at the time of this article’s publication. It can also be purchased to go at their brewery if you provide your own clean growler. 

Houston’s craft beer scene is thriving, offering a vibrant mix of past achievements and future potential. The five beers mentioned are personal favorites of each style and not ranked in any particular order. I encourage you to try any of these beers and share your thoughts with me. Ultimately, the best beer is the one enjoyed in a place that makes you happy or with people you care about. Cheers to enjoying great beer this summer!

The post Beers under 5.2% to Cool You Down This Summer In Houston first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Beers under 5.2% to Cool You Down This Summer In Houston appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

There were 16 residential lawns that I took care of on a weekly basis, with a refurbished zero- turn lawn mower, a weed whacker from Home Depot, and a small 8 foot landscape trailer that I pulled with a beat up F-150.

My good friend, Carl lived just diagonally across the street from my mother’s house, where I stayed, and his lawn was always a $25 cut. The second time that I had ever cut Carl’s lawn; he came outside and asked me if I liked beer. Although I don’t recall my exact response, I’m sure I told him something along the lines of really enjoying a Keystone Light here and there. Then Carl asked me “But, do you like REAL beer?”.

Before you know it there was a cold can of Nimble Giant by Troeg Independent Brewing in my hand. Admittedly, I didn’t love IPA’s at first. The bitterness wasn’t something I craved at that time. Although, enjoying a high alcohol content treat while having some laughs and bonding with my neighbor on a hot asphalt driveway every week became something I quickly started looking forward to.

Every Thursday from that week forward, Carl would always ask me if I’d like to be paid $25 for lawn service or if I would settle for $20 and a cold craft beer. Some may say it wasn’t a good deal for me; but I’m glad that I chose the second option every time.

I love Houston and I really enjoy living in Texas, as a whole. I will likely be here for all my foreseeable future, and I’m happy about that! That being said; I am a true New Englander at heart. I know it’s not an original choice, but I can never say no to a hazy, dry-hopped New England IPA. Beer is too exciting to stop at one favorite style though. I have so many favorites! My second favorite style has to be a Schwarzbier/ black lager. It’s not every day that one can find a new beer that is pitch black as night, with a consistency lighter than any stout or porter.

Outside of beer, I enjoy being active outdoors. Recently I have been playing recreational men’s league lacrosse on the True Anomaly Brewing Company team. It’s a great pace to sweat and get in a fun workout without getting too beat up. And of course; we enjoy our share of True Anomaly offerings. I also really enjoy country music and especially, Texas Country. I will go anywhere that these sounds can be heard.

I am very lucky to say that all my favorite hobbies outside of beer, are all complimented very well by having a beer at the end (or during). I suppose everything comes full circle!

Instagram: Greg_Shawinsky
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The post Contributor Introduction: Greg Shawinsky first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Contributor Introduction: Greg Shawinsky appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.