It’s that time of year again for FSBC – Pumpkin Belgian Ale time.
Pumpkin ale is a popular style of beer in the United States. Pumpkin ale may be produced using pumpkin flesh in combination with malt or other more typical beer grains as a portion of the mash bill, contributing fermentable sugars to the wort. It may also be produced by adding natural or artificial flavor to a finished beer. Spice flavor may be added to evoke the flavor of pumpkin pie, a popular American wintertime dessert.
The brewing of beer with pumpkin in the United States dates back to 1771. The first commercially brewed pumpkin ale came from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward, California, in the 1980s, the recipe based on brewing studies made by George Washington.
The beer’s contemporary popularity has been described as part of a “pumpkin spice craze,” initiated by a rash of pumpkin- and pumpkin-spice-flavored consumer food products, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
(Source Wikipedia)
Four Saints and Pumpkin Beer
Whether you like pumpkin beers or not, they are here to stay for at least a little longer. If anything, they are gonna get more obtuse before they go away. Heck, there’s even a pumpkin IPA.
We will stick to what we do best, our Pumpkin Belgian Ale. The traditional Belgian sweet malt, caramel, and spicy notes work well with the natural roasted pumpkin flavors. (FUN FACT: Andrew personally roasted all the pumpkins in his kitchen.) When the light pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg – are added to the boil, it’s almost a religious autumnal ritual asking fall weather to show up.
And, wouldn’t you know it, this week the daily temps around here are supposed to hover between 50 and 65 degrees.
So, is this beer magical? Maybe.
It is certainly Saintly, and on tap starting Tuesday, October 12.
