Oct. 12, 2012
Fall in the high country is winding down. A few breezy days have stripped most of the golden-orange leaves from the aspen trees, and the days and nights are getting cold enough for snowmaking at area resorts. But before we say goodbye to autumn and hello to ski season, let’s take one last fond look at some crisp fall beers. Like those aspen leaves, much of this season’s beer selection has been stripped from local liquor store shelves, but a few tempting brews are still clinging on and are worth grabbing up.
We know that cooling weather demands spicier beer with a
clean finish for sun-spotted autumn days, but what else makes certain brews the
perfect companions to this season?
“While we do choose seasonal ingredients for our fall beers,
there is also a historical context for how these beers came to lend themselves
to the fall season,” said Jennifer Glanville, brewer for Samuel Adams.
“Traditional Oktoberfest beers, like Samuel Adams Octoberfest, are marzen-style
lagers. The term marzen — German for the month of March — gets its name from
the last month in which the beer was traditionally brewed.”
Before refrigeration, Glanville said, March was the last
month that beers could be “lagered,” or put into cold storage, to survive the
warmer summer weather.
“By doing this, the beers could age during the summer and be
enjoyed around this time of the year for the annual fall harvest,” Glanville
said.
>> Oktoberfest beers.
Though not all brewed in the marzen style, lager Oktoberfest beers
claim a large chunk of the fall brewing market. David Courtney, of Beaver
Liquors, said a couple of favorites that can still be found at his store are
the Santa Fe Brewing Oktoberfest, a lighter, lager-style, sessionable brew, and
the New Belgium Red Hoptober, which is darker but also easy-drinking.
Hoptober has also been popular at Riverwalk Wine &
Spirits in Edwards, said Tim Consadine, along with Beck’s Oktoberfest, another
traditional marzen-style lager brewed in Germany. He said he’s also sold a lot
of the aforementioned Samuel Adams Octoberfest.
“Our Octoberfest … blends together five roasts of malt to
create a brew complete with sweet flavors, including caramel and toffee,”
Glanville said of the Sam Adams incarnation. “The malty sweetness found in
Octoberfest pairs well with some of my favorite fall dishes, such as bratwurst
and roast pork.”
Mickey Werner, of Alpine Wine & Spirits, said the Sam
Adams brew also has been a popular one at his shop, along with Left Hand’s Oktoberfest.
Left Hand brews in the marzen style, starting in the spring and eating up two
months to get the beer to its medium-bodied lagered finish.
“Oktoberfest beers have a deep red amber color that itself
is characteristic of autumn and the color of the changing leaves, together with
a rich malt complexity,” Glanville said.
>> Pumpkin beers.
One of the great things about being a woman is that you can drink fruity beer
without worrying what your friends will think or whether it will somehow ruin
your masculinity. I’ll happily guzzle a framboise or a shandy alongside an IPA
or a stout because, as they say, variety is the spice of life, and I want to
grab it with both hands.
Consequently, pumpkin ales are my favorite fall style of
beer. Brewed infrequently in limited batches, they disappear quickly. There are
still a few six-packs of pumpkin brews to be had here and there around the
valley, so stock up while you still can.
Consadine said Riverwalk is home to a diminishing supply of
Tommyknocker Pumpkin Harvest Ale, brewed with a bit of molasses and spice, and
Woodchuck’s Pumpkin Cider, a private-reserve selection that combines
Woodchuck’s signature cider flavor with a pumpkin finish.
Also spotted around the valley this month were Dogfish
Punkin Ale, which comes in at a higher price point and is packaged in a
four-pack, and Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale, one of my personal favorites.
If you’re looking for something a little more main stream that’s a little less
flavorful to ease you into this style of beer, try Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat or
Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale. Both of these beers dial down the pumpkin and
spice ingredients, making for smooth, easy-swilling suds.
Finally, if you want to venture into the unknown recesses of
fizzy pumpkin lore, loiter around the Fireside Bar at the Vail Cascade Resort
and try to get your hands on some Avery Rumpkin, the crème de la crème of
pumpkin beers. This monster of a pumpkin brew is finished in rum barrels and
spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. I’d be willing to shoulder blue-haired
ladies out of the way for a bottle of this stuff. To me, it captures that last
bit of fall.
Krista Driscoll
Hophead
