As the weather starts to turn, so does a taste in beer. The fall season brings a wide variety of delicious-tasting beer that includes pumpkin ales and Oktoberfest lagers.
The Oktoberfest style originated in Germany around 1818 during their annual October festival. Since then, breweries have put their own unique twist on the amber ale in its honor.
Oktoberfest beers are also known as Marzen ales. Marzen, which means March in German, are brewed during March and are ready to drink in October. The Oktoberfest style was created when brewers toned down their batch of Marzen on accident. This accident of a beer has been brewed ever since.
Most Oktoberfest beers are amber in color and feature a huge malty flavor. Breweries stick close to the traditional Oktoberfest style, but many break the tradition and brew up an unbalanced batch. These abstract ales add to the rise of the craft beer sensation.
Craft beer is brewed by “micro-breweries” that produce small amounts of beer. Most craft beers go beyond traditional beer styles and add a bit of complexity to their batch.
Youngstown, Ohio, is home to the Rust Belt Brewing Company, which is named after the former steel production town. The Rust Belt Brewing Company is Youngstown’s only brewery, and it produces a small line of craft beers. The rise of craft beer is at large, and it is good to see a local company take part in its culture.
During the fall, the craft beer sensation ignites when Oktoberfest and pumpkin ales hit the shelves. Pumpkin-flavored beers have gained a lot of attention recently, as they are the perfect treat for the fall season. Most pumpkin beers have a distinct sweet pumpkin flavor with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Notable Oktoberfest Beer:
Samuel Adams Octoberfest, a popular American craft beer, features a unique blend of caramel malts and toffee flavor that will forever remind you of the fall season. Enjoy this ale in a glass with a brown sugar rim to enhance the flavors of fall.
Yuengling Oktoberfest has a huge malty flavor that provides a delectable sweetness of caramel and toffee. Last October, Yuengling became available to be sold and purchased in Ohio. This year, the company brings more to the table providing us with their take on the Oktoberfest style.
Notable Pumpkin Ales:
Southern Tier Pumking, as the name implies, is the king of all pumpkin-flavored beers. It provides an interesting combination of cinnamon, hazelnut, ginger and nutmeg. Each sip serves a dose of vanilla flavor that will leave you wanting more.
Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale is brewed with baked pumpkins and tastes more like an Oktoberfest lager. Punkin’ Ale is named after the annual Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival held in Lewes, Del. The beer has a beautiful brown hue that is characterized by dark malts, brown sugar and cinnamon.
