Oregon Pumpkin Beer Hunt

PumpkinsWhen it comes to pumpkin beers (one of my favorite “styles” as you all well know) it’s always seemed to me that they are more an East Coast regional specialty* (much the same way that fresh hop beers are a West Coast—and more specifically Pacific Northwest—regional specialty). Hence I am always excited when I find pumpkin beers being brewed by Oregon breweries.

Last year I had posted a (short) list of Oregon breweries that I found were brewing pumpkin beers; this year I thought I’d do the same, keep (another) tally of what’s out there.

  • Beer Valley (Ontario): Jackalope Imperial Pumpkin Porter: I tasted this at the Oregon Brewers Festival and it was available from the brewery back in July.
  • Laurelwood (Portland): Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale: I shared a bottle of this with friends this weekend, and plan to get more to review.
  • Fort George (Astoria): Drunkin Pumpkin: They had a series of posts on their Facebook page about this beer, which they were serving at the brewery earlier this month out of a pumpkin. (I don’t know for sure what type of beer this was, but a commenter mentioned “Pumpkin Stout”.)
  • Rogue (Newport): They posted an album to Facebook titled “The Great Pumpkin Roast” which I imagine will be for their Pumpkin Patch Ale. (Part of their Chatoe Rogue “First Growth” line.)
  • Breakside (Portland): I just took a look (today) at their current beer list and see a Pumpkin Bière de Garde on tap!
  • Silver Moon (Bend): Twisted Gourd is brewed and bottled annually—it hasn’t made an appearance (yet) but hopefully it will soon.
  • Deschutes (Bend): Last year they brewed a pumpkin ale (for the first time ever!) dubbed Pompion, and I’m hoping they decide to do another this year.
  • 10 Barrel (Bend): Judging the this photo and caption on Facebook, 10 Barrel’s first pumpkin ale will be named Ping Pong.
  • Natian Brewery (Portland): Pu-Pu-Pu-Pumpkin Ale, “Brewed & then aged for a year, this ale is like drinking pumpkin pie in a pint topped with whip cream.”
  • Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland): They may or may not have a pumpkin beer—all I can find so far is this Brewpublic post which mentions it, but nothing official on the HUB site (or Twitter or Facebook). Angelo in the comments notes that it was brewed on their pilot nano system using vegan pumpkin pie filling. Update: El Gourdo Pumpkin Ale is the name, and they posted a bit about it on Facebook.
  • Track Town (Rogue, Eugene): Like the HUB listing above, the mention is on Brewpublic but I can’t yet find it anywhere else.
  • Block 15 (Corvallis): A note on their Facebook wall reveals the October release of Jack Straw Strong Amber with Pumpkin.
  • Oakshire (Eugene): They have an Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter called Big Black Jack that is being released at the Portland-based Night of the Living Ales Halloween fest.
  • Flat Tail Brewing (Eugene): Offering up Feathertop Pumpkin Stout.
  • Two Kilts Brewing (Sherwood): They will be offering up a Pumpkin Ale “soon”.
  • Seven Brides (Silverton): They’ve been posting videos on their Facebook page documenting the brewing of their pumpkin beer.

I’ll update this list as I hunt out more Oregon pumpkin beers; if you know of any, leave a note in the comments!

Updated: Added 10 Barrel to the list.
Updated again: Added Natian Brewery, HUB, Track Town, based on Brewpublic’s Killer Pumpkin Fest. (Later, added Block 15.)
Updated yet again: Added Oakshire Brewing.
Updated: Flat Tail, Two Kilts, Seven Brides all have pumpkin beers.


* Although Elysian Brewing seems to be the exception to that rule—indeed, I tend to think of Elysian as the pumpkin beer brewer, what with their Great Pumpkin Beer Festival and all the specialty pumpkin beers they brew. And they are solidly West Coast, which is awesome.

4 comments

  1. I try… and try… and try, but I just can’t get into the pumpkin groove. I don’t know if it’s the spice or the pumpkin, or what it is, but I’m not digging it. What stinks is, every bar I go into this time of year has a pumpkin beer on. That’s one less beer for me to drink!

  2. Nothing wrong with not liking pumpkin beers, many people I run into are just “meh” on them or outright dislike them. Fortunately we have a ton of other types of beer to enjoy! And those taps will be freed up for you in a couple months or so…

  3. Does anyone know (if you can) where to get the Pumpkin porter that is made in Ontario, as well, the Midnight Sun’s Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter that is made in Ak? I have been wanting to try these, but have yet to find them in Eugene. Thanks!

  4. The Hopworks Pumpkin Ale was brewed on their pilot nano system. It features vegan pumpkin pie filling from what I heard from Walker there. It will be fun. Thanks for the mention!
    Angelo

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