Love ’em or hate ’em, more are on the way! 3 more pumpkin beers will be joining the likes of O’Fallon, Schlafly, and Sam Adams, and New Holland on our shelves. Rogue’s Pumpkin Patch Ale, New Belgium’s Pumpkick, and the unique Boulevard Funky Pumpkin will be hitting Eastern Iowa shelves soon! Here’s more on each of these offerings:
Rogue Pumpkin Patch:
Independence, Ore., September 1, 2015 – Rogue Ales and Spirits announces the early release of Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale, brewed with fresh pumpkins grown and harvested at Rogue Farms in Independence, Oregon.
Oregon’s heat-wave sped up the growing process this year, giving us ripe pumpkins in the middle of August. Thanks to Mother Nature, the fall favorite will be available earlier than ever before without the use of canned pumpkins, purees or concentrates.
“It’s worth the wait,” says Rogue Brewmaster John Maier.
Pumpkin Patch Ale begins in the dirt at Rogue Farms. Six acres of GYO DreamTMSugar Pumpkins were planted in May alongside the Rogue Farms hops, rye, hazelnuts, jalapeños, marionberries and buzzing honey bees. As soon as they were picked, the pumpkins were driven to the Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon just 77 miles away. The pumpkins were hand-chopped and seeded, roasted in pizza ovens, and pitched fresh into the brew kettle along with vanilla bean, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and Rogue Farms Independence hops to create pumpkin patch ale.
Pumpkin Patch Ale will make its worldwide debut in 750 ML bottles and on draft September 15th. For more information on Pumpkin Patch Ale and growing pumpkin beer visit rogue.com.
New Belgium Pumpkick:
What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. PUMPKICK is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your tastebuds sailing.
Boulevard Funky Pumpkin:
Deliveries of Funky Pumpkin, our new fall seasonal, will begin in the Greater 
Kansas City Area on September 1st with other cities to follow soon. Funky Pumpkin will be available on draft and in six packs of twelve ounce bottles.
Spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger, Funky Pumpkin is a blend of brewhouse soured beer and beer aged in a stainless steel tank with brettanomyces. Tart and slightly earthy, Funky Pumpkin features a subtle toffee/caramel malt character that allows pumpkin pie spices to shine against a soft acidity.
Wasn’t really a fan of Pumpkick and I know Rogue is sometimes hit and miss but I do think their Pumpkin beer is one of the better ones on the market. I think Boulevards will be an interesting try.
Ahhh pumpkin beers…..Everyone’s favorite style…..well, maybe not. But, I can’t lie, I do enjoy a pumpkin brew everyone once in awhile, especially on a crisp Iowa fall day. I can understand the people who don’t like them either, I’ve found myself scoffing at a few pumpkin offerings trying to figure out what exactly the brewer was trying to do to make their pumpkin beer stand out from the others and I mostly realize that they aren’t. That’s what I liked about Boulevard’s Funky Pumpkin, it’s relatively unique twist on a pumpkin beer.
