Photo: Pekic (Getty Images)
If you’re anything like us, even though fall hasn’t even started yet, you’re already tired of pumpkin spice-flavored products. This goes double for beer. While many people get amped for pumpkin beer season, we stay as far away as possible.
We prefer our fall beers to actually taste like beer as opposed to a fizzy pumpkin pie. In that vein, we decided to ask a handful of bartenders to tell us their picks for the best fall beers that have zero hints of the dreaded pumpkin spice. Check them all out below.
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12 Kick Ass Fall Beers
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Buffalo Bayou Wake & Bake
“Buffalo Bayou's Wake & Bake. I drink this one year around. It starts off like a coffee stout or porter but finishes super light and is packed with coffee and Madagascar Vanilla flavors.” – Emmanuelle Massicot, beverage director of Kata Robata in Houston
Photo: Buffalo Bayou
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For Point Resonance
“I always look for the Resonance Saison from Fort Point Beer Company. Its golden hue catches the last light just perfectly and it is a truly refreshing and elegant take on the traditionally rustic style.” – Rachel Malm, bartender at Camper in Menlo Park, California
Photo: Fort Point
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Four Peaks Kilt Lifter
“Four Peaks Kilt Lifter is a great fall transitional beer. It's got a big malt backbone that will please dark beer fans who want something heavier.” – Michael Stelzner, bartender at Parkside Bar & Grill in Concord, California
Photo: Four Peaks
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Great Divide Barrel-Aged Yeti
“Barrel-Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Company is a great option for fall. Their flavorful stout gets aged for a year plus in repurposed whiskey barrels. The aging process brings the bite of the beer down slightly and the toasted malt flavor of the stout pairs perfectly with the whiskey-infused oak.” – Dannika Underhill, bartender at Kindred in San Diego
Photo: Great Divide
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Great Lakes Eliot Ness
“Great Lakes Brewing does Eliot Ness amber. That for me is one style that really works well in the late summer and early fall nights. Not too heavy but with a little richer build to chase the long days before they are gone.” – Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami
Photo: Great Lakes
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Guinness Stout
“I'll take a Guinness any day (especially in the fall). It’s full bodied, creamy and has those grain, chocolate and vanilla flavors that work perfectly as the seasons change from warm to cold.” – Jorge Centeno, chief spirits officer at The Bar at Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, Illinois
Photo: Guinness
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Night Shift Fluffinity
“I am finding myself drawn to hazy New England-style IPAs as the summer is waning, and Night Shift's Fluffinity with its delightful tangerine, pineapple, and mango notes has become a house favorite here.” – Frederic Yarm, free agent bartender in Somerville, Massachusetts
Photo: Night Shift
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Ommegang Rosetta
“I absolutely love sours in the early fall, especially when they're combined with my favorite fruit - cherries! Ommegang's Rosetta is my go-to. It combines a brown ale with a cherry beer to create this beautifully fruity sour.” – Christina Mercado, owner of ShakeStirPour in Newport, Rhode Island
Photo: Ommegang
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Oskar Blues Old Chub
“Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale: Drawing influence from the malted barley it and single malt Scotches share as their base, this delightful ale is packed with all the notes a Scottish whisky drinker loves - dark bread crust, stone-fruit, and just the right amount of smoke from the beechwood roasted barley.” – Nicholas Wyatt, bar manager at Teddy’s Bourbon Bar in Prattville, Alabama
Photo: Oskar Blue
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Saison Dupont
“Saison Dupont, a Belgian Farmhouse Ale. Just a great beer all-around to enjoy for the rest of the summer and even at the beginning of the fall. It has the perfect balance of malt, citrus and hops.” –Damian Langarica, head bartender at a.bar in Philadelphia
Photo: Brasserie Dupont
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Bell's Oberon
“Bell's Oberon has a fresh citrus summer taste, but the wheat notes make it a good transition into cooler weather. Spring, summer, fall, it works for all seasons. Except maybe winter.” – Kyle Strategier, bartender at Soul at the Joseph in Columbus
Photo: Bell’s
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The Brewer's Art Beazly
“Beazly by The Brewer's Art. This Belgian golden ale is full bodied with a surprisingly dry finish. Whiskey drinkers will almost immediately pick up the corn in the mash build, which is why this particular rendition of a classic Belgian ale has an earthy sweetness that can't be rivaled by other grains.” – Gloria Otley, bartender at Brewer’s Art in Baltimore
Photo: Brewer’s Art
