Ah fall, that beautiful display of colors that nature assumes right about this time is something that we all look forward to after the sultry heat of summer. All of a sudden, tailgating, long nature hikes, visits to pumpkin patches, oyster roasts, and bonfires seem inviting, and what better way to bring in the season than with some fall themed brews!
Now, sure you can get just about any food item year round in supermarkets and grocery stores, however nothing can compare to the fresh bounties of autumn!
As a part of our Octoberfest celebration at the Co-op happening all month long, we’re stocking these top 4 seasonal local beers, along with many other fall favorites. Not only that, but we’re putting them on sale all month long! Check out some of these seasonal beers that have our highest recommendations this fall.
1. Foothills Cottonwood Pumpkin Ale
The Foothills has many awesome beers to its credit, however their Cottonwood pumpkin ale simply stands out. Medal winner at the 2000 World Beer Cup and the US Beer Tasting Championship, the Cottonwood offers a nice ginger crispness, followed by a peck of cinnamon and nutmeg that is hard to beat in terms of embodying the flavors of fall.
Pouring it into your glass, you are greeted by the beerÕs hazy deep reddish color, which does ample justice to its fall flavoring. While there are a variety of different pumpkin ales out there; the CottonwoodÕs appearance and aroma are just peerless! The strong pumpkin base makes this beer the perfect pairing for your favorite fall foods.
You can detect the CottonwoodÕs pumpkin malt almost immediately as you first sip it in. The spices do a good job following up the beerÕs pumpkin base and keep hitting you playfully when you least expect it. Be ready to be surprised if you have never tasted this beer before, and do pick some up at the Co-op while you still can, as it can only be found from September to October! In fact, the Co-op is a great place to find almost any seasonal or local beer in Wilmington. If Tidal Creek doesn’t have it, we can always order it for you!
2. Erie Brewing Johnny Rails Pumpkin Ale
Did you know that each of Erie Brewing CompanyÕs products is named after a local person? Johnny Rail for instance, was named after one of ErieÕs employees – John Rails who with his blond hair, skinny body, and surprising strength and BIG head instantly became the perfect choice for ErieÕs autumn ale.
An unusually spicy beer, Erie has added plenty of spice to this concoction. Indeed, you can smell the nutmeg the moment you open up the bottle. The beer has an orangish-brown coloring along with a hint of gold. It is also a little bit foggy and does not bubble as much as most other beers do.
Fortunately though, the spices are not as pronounced in taste as they seemed in smell (even if they are stronger than other ales). The beer almost has a slight sweetness to it and its pumpkin flavor is abundantly palpable. Erie has added a measure of sizzle to the Johnny Rails and it certainly compliments the aleÕs rich presentation of spicy sweetness in style. We think this beer perfectly embodies the festive fall spirit of Octoberfest happening all month long at the Co-op!
3. Southampton Pumpkin Ale
Perhaps the most balanced pumpkin beer that you will find this fall season! Neither its pumpkin base, nor its spices really seem to come out on top at any time. In fact this beer just keeps on becoming better and better the more you drink it!
The ale pours into the glass with a nice copper red tint that is followed up with an aroma of the spice flavoring. The first sip is a revelation! What a perfect blend of spice and malt! ItÕs as if the bottle just came out of a high tech lab with all the tools to get the combination just right, rather than a typical brewery cask.
The Southampton Pumpkin Ale has all of the pumpkin pie flavors, thanks to the judicious usage of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
The brewers have also expertly used genuine pumpkin flavor that gives the beer a rich natural texture. It’s on sale until October 31 at the Co-op!
4. WolaverÕs Pumpkin Ale
Last but in no way the least, the WolaverÕs Pumpkin ale boasts of Vermont grown organic pumpkins as its base, and a fine selection of spices to keep your taste buds tingly. Wolaver’s was the first certified organic brewery in the United States, and they uphold this standard by sourcing their organic pumpkins from a grower less than 15 miles away from where the brewery.
The beer reveals a beautiful copper like color with gold, orange hues when poured. Its perfect texture and haze gives it an appearance that is commensurately better than other ales out there.
This ale is a little heavier on the spice side of things, so the pumpkin flavor is a little hard to detect. Its cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove base will keep your taste buds busy, and midway through the experience comes the pumpkin flavoring. If you enjoy pumpkin ales, Wolaver’s unique blend is something that you have to experience before the season is over!
Honorable Mention: Ace Perry Cider
While it’s not a beer and contains no pumpkin, this hard cider does embody one of our other favorite fall produce flavors: the pear! This award-winning cider is also sure to please anyone who can’t partake in other festive brews due to a gluten allergy. All of the hard ciders you’ll find at Tidal Creek are gluten-free!
The pour of the Ace Perry Cider is a transparent golden color with almost no head. Upon opening the bottle and taking in the aroma, you might even be tricked into thinking this cider was strictly of the green apple variety, when in fact, it is composed of both pear and apple juices. It’s a perfect blend of tart and sweet, just like the balance you’d expect from the pear crisp your grandmother makes. This cider will please friends who don’t tend to like overly sweet ciders while still appealing to those who do.
Ready to enter autumn with a fall flavored ale? We offer a “Build Your Own 6 Pack” at Tidal Creek with which you can try out multiple beers and ciders instead of buying 6 of each. You can try all the flavors, or fall in love and stick with one! All of the beers mentioned here, along with many others, are on sale all month long. Because fall!
Come celebrate the season with us and join in on the Octoberfest fun. Click here for more information about our Octoberfest happenings, or simply stop in at Tidal Creek to join in on the fall festivities!
Bonus: When you become an Owner at Tidal Creek, you can get extra savings on your favorite foods an beverages!