You know autumn has arrived when the air turns crisp and the leaves start turning different colors. These changes to the natural environment are part of the reason so many people name autumn as their favorite season and one of the best activities during this time is sipping on a hearty fall brew. Choosing which flavors to incorporate into fall-style beers can be overwhelming if you don’t know your way around the correct flavor palate, but that’s where we come in.
We can help you figure out how to create the best fall beers this season to suit your tastes and advise on which flavors will stand out to make new and interesting batches. Summer beers tend to be lighter, so it makes sense to make room for bolder flavors and richer colors this time around- characteristics that define fall seasonal beer.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfests mimic the style of the beer served in Munich during this time each year, but you can recreate that sweet, crisp taste in your own brews. Brewing this type of annual lager is a perfect choice for fall for a couple of reasons– first, it is probably the most popular seasonal beer known around the world.
Second, Oktoberfest beers have a beautiful amber color that makes it ideal for drinking in autumn. If you want to brew an authentic oktoberfest lager, you need to start a few months before the fall season begins, since lagers take longer to mature. These beers are generally sweeter than average, with an emphasis on malt. The sweetness, combined with the lovely amber/brown hue, make Oktoberfests a huge hit with beer lovers everywhere.
If you don’t have the time to devote to brewing a lager, you can still mimic the taste by brewing an ale and keeping it a secret to yourself. The product won’t be ‘authentic’ but it will taste very similar and most people won’t know the difference.
Pumpkin Beers
You can’t brew beers during fall without trying out a batch of pumpkin beer. Even if you’re not into the whole ‘pumpkin craze’, this is worth trying out just to say you’ve done it at least once. Plus, you are guaranteed to make a lot of friends or family members happy with this brew who do love all things pumpkin.
Some batches call for real pumpkin puree, but a lot of the time it really comes down to using the correct spices to create that delicious pumpkin taste. Some spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. There are tons of fresh fruit purees you can order online that come in aseptic packaging, which are perfect for ensuring longevity as part of your fresh ingredients.
Don’t forget when you’re brewing that you can always add more spices, but you can’t take any out when you’ve overdone it! So, when in doubt, go easy on the spices. This is a good rule to follow when cooking anything in general.
IPAs
We know IPAs are pretty popular all year round, but there is something so delicious about sipping on a bold IPA during the fall season. Consider brewing a batch of IPA or even double IPAs to create a super rich, hoppy beer that will taste delicious when it’s chilly outside.
Higher alcohol percentages usually come with IPA’s, which means they’re much better for slow sipping. Plus, they tend to be a lot more bitter than other beers, which means you can take your time enjoying their robust flavors.
IPAs are usually not the type of beer you can drink large volumes of, due to the excess bitterness and fullness of taste. But a couple of them are perfect on a cold fall day.
Amber Ale
Red or amber ale is the perfect fall beer because of their orange/brown hues that seem to glow, making them match the colors of the season But their festive color isn’t the only reason they make the perfect fall drink–they can be brewed to taste however bitter, hoppy, or even creamy you want them to! Amber ales are more flexible than other styles and this is one of the reason their fans love them so much. You expect an IPA to taste bitter and an Oktoberfest to emphasize sweet malt. But you never really know what an amber ale will taste like until you take a sip.
Common flavor combinations for an amber ale tend to be chocolate, caramel, and toasty malts with a slight bitterness. Malts are responsible for how a beer feels in your mouth, so more malts can lead to a smoother and creamier feel as opposed to light and fresh.
Brew up amber ales this fall and enjoy them while you’re roasting marshmallows over a fire on a cool night!
Brew Up Fall Favorites
The best part about brewing on your own is that you get to mix and match flavors to create totally unique beers. Sure, browsing local craft beer stores is a fun hobby, but there is something special about brewing your own lager or ale and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Impress your friends and family this fall with oktoberfest inspired beers, pumpkin flavored batches, IPAs or amber ales. Experimenting with new and interesting spices or flavors is half the fun of everything. Keep things festive by brewing beers with orange or red hues and enjoy sipping on your fun creations all autumn long.
Leave a Reply