While it is well documented that I had a splendiferous summer, my favorite season has just begun. Red and orange leaves, a chance to wear (and buy) fabulous boots, and the countdown to Halloween all excite me beyond belief guys, almost as much as the spiced, mulled, and seasonal libations! I’m psyched for cider and warm boozy beverages, for soups and the chance to use my oven again! All of fall’s wonder pales slightly when viewed through the orangey glow of a toasty pumpkin ale.
Last weekend I took my first upstate trip, five years of living in the city and somehow I never managed to see more of New York than Long Island and the Hamptons. I am ashamed. Joe and I took the train up the Hudson to his Grandparent’s place in Millbrook for his family’s annual Cider Fest weekend, where about 50 of his relatives gather, whip out the antique cider press and turn eleven bushels of assorted apples into amazing cidery goodness.
Their family tradition reminded me of my own NY tradition: a yearly harvest themed fiesta in my apartment where copious amounts of bourbon cider and pumpkin beer (usually Brooklyn’s Post Road Pumpkin) are consumed. One year my old roommate and I even stole three bales of hay and dragged them up to our roof for extra seating and ambiance (don’t tell my landlord). It was at the first one of these Harvest Parties that Joe and I began dating four years ago: he opened a beer bottle with his teeth and I was toast.
After getting back home to Astoria after all the appley fun I had a serious craving for a beer. During my lunch shift I was talking with our beer rep. and he ran down the list of places putting the pumpkin on the menu. I knew the usual spots that were sure to have at least one pumpkin ale: Sparrow has the Dogfishhead Punkin’, Hell Gate just got Shipyard’s Pumpkin, Sunswick has a variety to choose from (as always), and Yolo/Ditmar’s Station has Wolaver’s, Smuttynose, and Dogfishhead. The last bar piqued my pumpkin curiosity (a) I had never been into Yolo or the “new” Ditmar’s Station and (b) they had Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale! Field Trip!
I dragged my rather out of sorts friend Josh off his bar stool at Sparrow and down to 31st Street to check out this old/new place. At first glance it is very white, tall, and clean with a smattering of TVs playing assorted sports games. Their menu boasts 14 draft lines and 14 bottles and an assortment of sports bar snacks: wings, pizzas, sliders, and onion straws. Josh and I each ordered a bottle of the Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale and toasted the change of seasons. Then he asked me how Pumpkin beer is made and this, my friends, is the story of one of our country’s first “craft” brews.
The Pilgrims were given the pumpkin during their first fall at Plymouth, and soon they, like the Native Americans had before them, found a myriad of uses for the noble gourd. It was only a matter of time before someone got the bright idea to use it in booze! The recipe for Pumpkin Ale dates back to around 1771, at least that’s when an article describing such a beer appeared in the papers of the American Philosophical Society. Since then it has been a welcome addition to brewing. Some brewers add the flesh of the pumpkin to the mash during brewing, some roast the pumpkin before adding it, and then “pumpkin pie spices” are added to round out the flavor. The amount of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, cloves, and allspice depend on who is making the beer.
The Smuttynose Pumpkin that Josh and I were enjoying came from Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmith, NH. A warm, mellow ale results from adding real pumpkin and spices to the mash and at only 5.4%abv you could drink it all day! I look forward to this beer every autumn, and you should too. Most delis even offer it in six-packs, which makes this Wench pretty darn happy.
Dogfishhead’s Punkin’ won 1st prize at the Punkin’ Chunkin’ Recipe contest a full six months before the brewery was even open! The brew was created in honor of Delaware’s annual Punkin’ Chunkin’ event—if you haven’t heard of this look it up and set your TiVo’s to the Discovery Channel because it is intense and hilarious! My friend Rob has gone every year to join the throngs of revelers and their homemade pumpkin launching apparatuses and watch as the giant orange squash are hurled through the air before smashing onto the Delaware earth. The beer itself is a full-bodied brown ale made with pumpkin meat and organic brown sugar. If you want your pumpkin beer to taste more like beer than pie, this one is for you!
The last offering at Ditmar’s Station, the Wolaver’s Pumpkin is my least favorite. It’s a lighter brown ale with hints of pumpkin and spice but never quite manages to satiate my need for pumpkin.
As soon as I get a night off I plan on enjoying the zesty pumpkin offerings at Sunswick, rumor has it they have an Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Mmmmm I love fall!
Want To Make Your Own Bourbon Cider?
The Wench’s Brew
1) Procure some cider (store bought or farm fresh)
2) Find Mulling Spices (Wench Recommends Alice’s Tea Cup Mulling Spice)
3) Or Make Your Own (you will need cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peel, all-spice, fresh nutmeg, brown sugar, and ginger)
4) Heat Cider and Spices in A Large Pot or Crock-Pot For About 30min
5) Pick Your Poison: Bourbon or Spiced Rum (I <3 Maker’s Mark)
6) Add 2oz Booze and 1/2oz Cointreau for each 6oz of Cider (don’t over heat once you add the booze-you don’t want it to cook out!)
7) Serve
8) Top with Grated Orange Zest For Extra Sass!
9) using bales of hay for seating is optional, enjoy!
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