The Tale of the Pumpkin Ale: A Love-Hate Relationship
October 3, 2023
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What is a pumpkin beer and where did it come from? There’s a long history of love and necessity that made pumpkin ales what they are today.
Arguments are aplenty in the world today, but none so fun as “to pumpkin” or “not to pumpkin,” especially when it comes to pumpkin ale.
How about you? Do you pumpkin or do you not pumpkin?
Where does this fascination with pumpkin beers come from in the first place?
Some might say that it’s as simple as turning the pages of a calendar. Fall has inevitably broken through the heat of the dog days of summer. There’s a chill in the morning air. Football is back on the screen. Leaves are crunching underfoot once again. And the smells of spices – pumpkin included – permeate the air.
Like it or not, pumpkin beers have become symbolic of fall and the start of the holidays. Right alongside pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and of course, pumpkin pie.
And that, my dear philosophical friend, is why pumpkin is loved so much. Or maybe why it’s hated. It’s all in the eyes of the beerholder.
As to where pumpkin beers originated from, those came more from necessity than comfort.
The Historical Roots of Pumpkin Ale
The story of pumpkin ale begins in the early days of colonial America when barley was not easy to come by. Pumpkin (then known as pompion), on the other hand, was an indigenous crop and readily available. And the settlers ate it with almost everything.
And, as far as we can tell today, brewed with it, too. And why not? Without access to the malts we have in the 21st century, brewers in the 17th and 18th century used pea shells, corn stalks, wheat bran, molasses, sage, chicory, even twigs. So why not pumpkin?
Pumpkin provided the fermentable sugars and there were plenty of them. So much so, because of this and the pulpiness of the pumpkin meat, the beer then was actually more like a thick wine than beer. As for the expected spices, contrary to many current pumpkin beer flavors, brewers in colonial America rarely used spices when crafting their concoctions.
Why? They were too expensive. Those that could afford a few spices here and there would often use ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The beginnings of what many pumpkin beer lovers today expect in the flavor profiles of a well made pumpkin beer.
The Love-Hate Relationship with Pumpkin Beer Today
But not everyone loves spices in their beer. In fact, believe it or not, not everyone loves pumpkin ales. But on that same note, not everyone loves IPAs, either.
Fast forward to the present day, and pumpkin ale has become a divisive figure in the craft beer community. Some eagerly await its seasonal return, relishing the blend of pumpkin, spices, and malt. For them, it’s a symbol of fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. A comforting reminder of the changing seasons.
However, not everyone shares this enthusiasm. Critics argue that the pumpkin craze has gone too far. They see it as a distraction from more traditional beer styles. As a result, a love-hate relationship has emerged, with some beer enthusiasts eagerly sipping pumpkin ales, while others roll their eyes at its popularity.
In the scheme of things, arguing over to pumpkin or not to pumpkin is a fun conversation to be had, beer in hand, regardless of the style of said beer in hand.
But there’s one thing no good craft beer lover can argue about…the malts that play the role in the beer we love.
The Malts Behind the Pumpkin Beers
While malts were supposedly not utilized in the first pumpkin ales, they play an integral role in the crafting of pumpkin ales today. Often a mixture of pale malt, Pilsen malt, Munich malt, and caramel malts or other specialty malts fit in quite well, too.
And just like the many different options with malts, there are also many different options with pumpkins. Chop it up raw. Chunk it and bake it. Create a pumpkin pulp or juice it. Add the pumpkin to the mash or to the kettle. And the same holds true for the spices. Anything goes.
Out of Necessity comes Love
Pumpkin beers made their way into American culture out of necessity. But they stick around out of love…or hate! To pumpkin or not to pumpkin!
“Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies;
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it was not for pumpkins we should be undone!
If barley be wanting to make into malt,
We must be contented, and think it no fault;
For we make liquor to sweeten our lips,
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips”
(excerpt from a 17th century settler’s poem)
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Here at Malteurop we pride ourselves on our high quality and diverse malts. Malts that are a perfect match for all the beers you diligently work to perfect, pumpkin ales or not. Click here to learn more.
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https://beerandbrewing.com/anatomy-of-a-colonial-era-pumpkin-ale/
https://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2021/10/05/an-ode-to-the-fall-time-classic-the-pumpkin-beer/
https://www.westword.com/restaurants/pumpkin-beers-a-spirited-defense-9452493
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/nGFPqJMIfH/
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/eight-things-you-didnt-know-pumpkin-want/