Seasonal

Is green-colored beer just a contemporary gimmick to drum up business on St. Patrick’s Day? Not necessarily—its history is longer than you think.

When most people hear “bock,” they think malt—and there’s no question that maibock is a malt-forward style. However, you can lean into hops and other flavor elements to add interest, and—done well—the result is much more than a “strong helles.”

Not every beer needs to chase the latest trends and tech—consider Sierra Nevada’s Celebration IPA, the fresh-hopped seasonal that remains reassuringly old-school. here, chief brewer Brian Grossman explains how the team works to keep its profile consistent in the face of changing tastes and changing hops.

Easy to forage and easy to use, spruce tips can add a range of flavors to your beers and be used in a variety of ways—and the best time to harvest them is just around the corner.

Be generous with the gourd and toast your own allpsice for this smashing pumpkin ale that’s easy as, well, pie.

Pumpkin ale is a seasonal American tradition strong enough to smash even the most cynical pumpkin-spice fatigue. It’s also fun to make—and drink, and share—at home.

In looking for tips on what makes for a great pale bock, Josh Weikert reaches out to owner-brewer Stefan Zehendner of the highly regarded Brauerei Zehendner, makers of the Mönchsambacher beers.

We know: It’s time to drink it, not brew it. Yet while you’re hoisting a few at the season’s festivities, it’s never too early to start thinking about your spring brewing schedule...

Matthew O’Hara, brewmaster at Beau’s Brewing in Ontario, Canada, talks about how the stout—once associated with colder drinking months and St. Patrick’s Day—is now a year-round affair. (It's still nice in winter though.)

Once upon a time, beer led us through a cycle from winter warmers to spring ales to fruit beers before greeting us with Oktoberfest and, of course, pumpkin beers. Seasonal offerings kept beer moving. Times have changed.

From making the most of the harvest to a long-simmering pot on the stove, Justin Wright and Justin Kruger, a.k.a. “Two Fat Justins,” have created recipes to make your autumn a little more vibrant.

Popular legend holds that colonists brewed ales with pumpkins, even if the evidence is scanty. But if they did, what would they have been like? Frank Clark, food historian and brewer at Colonial Williamsburg, walks us through his highly educated guess.

Drink this one as soon as it’s ready. It doesn’t age poorly, but the seasonally-evocative nature of the recipe might make it seem out-of-place. Happy (early) Holidays!

While many variations exist, the recipe that follows takes a solid amber-brown ale and adds in both the real (pumpkin) and “evocative” (pumpkin pie spice) ingredients necessary to call to mind falling leaves and football (European or American).

Add these new beer releases to your bottle-shop shopping list and stock up for the season ahead.