Pairing Pumpkin Beer with Seasonal Foods

Pumpkin beer: beer geeks love it or hate it. "Liquid pumpkin pie", say the detractors: sweet and overly-spiced- hardly beer at all. However, many take pumpkin beer seriously. Very seriously. The Elysian Brewery in Seattle devotes an entire weekend to the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival every October; for this year's event, they brewed not one, not two but nine different varieties.

The pumpkin beer category encompasses any style of beer brewed with pumpkin and/or pumpkin pie spices; the base beer can range from a lager to a brown ale to a stout- whatever the brewer desires. The best pumpkin beer is a fine balance between pumpkin and beer, allowing the two flavors to coexist in harmony. These are the money beers, the ones that prove pumpkin beer is more than just a seasonal novelty or pie in a bottle.

Pumpkin beers are quite enjoyable on their own, but when combined with food are a delightful celebration of autumn. Don't throw out the usual beer pairing rules with pumpkin beers. Look for ingredients that will either compliment or contrast the flavor of beer, not compete with it. The sweetness, texture, and style of beer will dictate what recipes will work best with which foods: lighter beers tend to work well with lighter fare, while richer beers can stand up to heartier meals.

However, pairing completely contrasting flavors can also create a wonderful effect. For example, salty foods will enhance the sweetness of a sugary beer. This contrast should be a playful debate, not a fist fight: the flavors should not be grappling for dominance on your tongue. The differences between the beer and the food will coax out flavors in each that otherwise might go undetected.

While it's tempting to couple pumpkin beer with foods containing pumpkin or winter squash, the similarity in taste will generally cause the pairing to fall flat. Instead, consider other fall favorites. Try a lighter beer with turkey, poultry and root vegetables, or darker, richer beers with stews, brown butter, sharp cheese and lamb. Adding a hint of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to a recipe can make an otherwise unsuitable dish pumpkin beer-friendly.

For a sharp, strong beer like Dogfish Head Punkin Ale or Elysian Night Owl:

For a sweet, strong beer like Southern Tier Punking Imperial Pumpkin Ale:

For a lighter beer like Shipyard Pumpkinhead:

Need to find pumpkin beer? Beer Advocate has a good list.

(image from Flickr user euart)