It's the time of the year for pumpkin ale:
The spicy suds were originally brewed by early New England colonist who sought to stretch their supply of costly imported malt by fusing it with fresh indigenous ingredients.
The trick of this adult treat is sweetening the brew with nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and of course the orange fruit of fall. Most of the autumn ales contain a higher alcohol content than the norm, peaking at 5.77 percent alcohol by volume.
The same article then ranks six good pumpkin ales. Here are one and two:
2. Sam Adam's Octoberfest -- Stop the hunt for red October, I found it in a local favorite brown bottle. The secret ingredients, caramel and toffee, in these smooth sippers satisfies that yen for a seasonal brew when the leaves change. A definite crowd-pleaser, this classic cooler will leave you wanting more after the last sip.
1. Shipyard PumkinHead Ale -- Shipyard takes the cake by resembling a liquid pumpkin pie. All that's missing is the whip cream and a fork. The spicy strawberry blond beverage has distinct nutmeg undertones and lacks that bitter beer aftertaste. Great for the light or occasional beer drinker with a sweet tooth.
