Fall is now in full swing, and that means a new seasonal arrival, pumpkin beer. You may be packing up the Halloween decorations for next year, but don’t get rid of those pumpkins just yet.

They can be made into a delicious pumpkin ale, a style that dates back to colonial times, when barley was scarce and expensive, while pumpkins and other wild squashes were very prevalent.

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Seasonal beers have become the number one selling craft beer style according to the Brewers Association. And with the holidays approaching, everyone is eagerly anticipating the diverse line-up of Winter Seasonals to hit the taps and shelves.

San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewing Company will be offering a new Belgian Brown Ale – the perfect beer for all your festive occasions. This beer has a sweet coffee-like maltiness from a blend of Caramel malts, Brown Malt, and rolled oats complemented by a unique peppery spiciness from the Belgian yeast and Saaz hops.

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Seasonal beer sales are on fire right now and the Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, has a web site and brand database dedicated to information on seasonal beers. Right now seasonal beers are the number one selling craft beer style, and information on fall and winter seasonals, and the food they pair with, are on the minds of many going into the holiday season. In a recent Brandweek article The Nielsen Company stated seasonal beer sales were up 29% in dollar sales.

“The web site, SeasonalBeerAndFood.org, is for beverage and food lovers interested in trying different beers at different occasions and seeing what food these beers pair with,” stated Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association.

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The 27th Annual Great American Beer Festival is set to kick off in Denver on October 9th. The event will run through October 11th and feature the largest collection of US beers ever assembled, served in one ounce tasting portions.

Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, said, “The Great American Beer Festival is the greatest beer tasting event in the world. It provides liquid proof that the United States is the world’s finest brewing nation, and shows why American craft beer is in such high demand.”

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The Future of Beer Distribution in America
By Charlie Papazi

With recent consolidation, mergers, buyouts and a continually changing retail landscape, it is well worth revisiting the dynamics of the four‐tier system that in principle has worked well in America: brewers, distributors, retailers and beer drinkers. There has never been a more exciting time for beer drinkers in America. It is all of our responsibility to build upon America’s new beer legacy.

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BEND, Ore. — Tucked in a corner at the Deschutes Brewery, barrels that once aged fine wines and whiskeys are nurturing beverages that are challenging drinkers to think of beer more like wine.

High-alcohol brews like Black Butte XX and The Abyss, known in the trade as big or extreme beers, are among many craft beers that are grabbing a growing market share in the United States from their mass-produced and heavily advertised counterparts — even at prices ranging from $4 to more than $100 for a single bottle.

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