My latest article for The Bulletin is on pumpkin beer, one of my all-time favorite categories! I profile three Central Oregon pumpkin (or pumpkin spice, in the case of one of them) ales, as well as delving briefly into the history behind the gourd.

Pumpkin beer as we know it today is entirely a modern creation — in fact, it was created by William Owens, owner of Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in California, in 1985. Owens read about George Washington brewing with pumpkin and decided to try it himself.

His first attempt used only roasted pumpkin, and he found that it didn’t add any flavor or character to the beer. He realized that the flavor profile he was looking for was pumpkin pie, which meant using pumpkin pie spices. Owens brewed a similar beer without the pumpkin, only spices, and found what he was looking for.

Thus, modern pumpkin beer was born, although most brewers today use real pumpkin in their recipes. Since then, the number and variety of pumpkin or pumpkin-spiced beers has proliferated, and while the popularity of these beers waxes and wanes in cycles, you can always reliably find them this time of year.

The three beers I reviewed are Boogie Gourd from Boss Rambler Beer Club, Cow In A Pumpkin Patch from Sunriver Brewing, and Pumpkin Spice Brown Ale from Bridge 99 Brewery. And yes, pumpkin beer season is the most wonderful time of the year!