What’s Brewing?
September 30, 2010

The wait is finally over… the Lot 13 staff has put together a ranking of their favorite fall seasonal beers to sit back and enjoy during the football season. So take some notes and pick up a 6-pack of one of these tasty brews for your next PSU tailgate…just watch your glass bottles out in the parking lot!

Oktoberfest:

5. Sam Adams Oktoberfest – rich and malty, goes down smooth and provides a wonderful transition from the lighter beers of summer to the heartier brews of winter. Stop by Nittany Beverage and grab a case.

4. Schell’s Oktoberfest – nice deep amber color and caramel malt (slightly sweet) flavor make this one a favorite. Silver Medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival 2010.

3. Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier – brewed in the traditional German style and in accordance with the Rheinheitsgebot, this beer has a paler color than most American Oktoberfest varieties but is extremely drinkable…over and over again!

2. Spaten Oktoberfestbier – The Original. You can’t go wrong with this German beer steeped in history…and in taste!

1. Victory Fest Bier – deliciously malty, yet has a hop backbone that most traditional Oktoberfest varieties lack. Gold Medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival 2007.

Pumpkin:

5.  Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale – almost a butterscotch aroma with a mild to medium pumpkin spice flavor…smoother than most.

4.  Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale – a little different take on the pumpkin style in that it displays more brown ale taste with mild pumpkin flavor.

3.  Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale – made by Anheuser-Busch, but that doesn’t take anything away from the taste. Look for it at W.R. Hickey’s.

2.  Southampton Pumpkin Ale – medium pumpkin flavor but seems to have the perfect balance of pumpkin and ale…definitely not a “malt beverage”.

1.  Michigan Brewing Screaming Pumpkin – strong pumpkin flavor; an absolute hit whether it’s at a brisk fall tailgate, watching the game at home, or drinking at Thanksgiving dinner…but don’t forget to rim the glass with pumpkin spice! (Fun fact: the wife of one of our staff members says this is her all-time favorite beer.)

Prosit!