August 27, 2013 | Posted in:Craft Beers

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen pics of my hauls of pumpkin beers acquired over the past few weeks. Like a squirrel stockpiling nuts for winter, my must-have fall beers have already been plucked from local store shelves and socked away to be enjoyed, well, THIS FALL. After all, the heat index is 115 degrees out right now! Who wants a heavier style, complexly flavored, pumpkin pie bomb when it’s so stinking hot, humid and super steamy out?

To be fair, fall in Central Florida doesn’t bring too much of a chill to the air…but in my many years of enjoying falls in Florida, it’s been cooler than 100 degrees when the harvest themed ales were brought out. The summer of 2012 brought this disturbing trend of forcing Fall beers onto the shelves during into the inferno-like month of August. (Even Target hasn’t had the gall to put up the Halloween decor and costumes yet!) This left last October and November pretty bereft of any type of fun (decent) pumpkin, Octoberfest and fall themed brews on the local shelves. I find this new trend of Thanksgiving in August annoying. Since I felt so slighted of my favorite beers last year, much like Charlie Brown in search of The Great Pumpkin, I was on the hunt early this season and I was not going to miss out. So when fall beers started hitting the shelves around the Orlando area on August 15th, I was there. I even attended the Shipyard Pumpkinhead release party.

After I had loaded up on bombers, 4 packs, 6 packs and some fall themed 12 packs, a friend pointed out a timely Facebook post from Oviedo butcher, gourmet shop and craft beer seller- Cavallari Gourmet. I whole-heartedly agreed with their sentiment and applaud them taking a stand. I will continue to buy beer from their great selections and I will happily stalk them in a month to buy some (more) delicious Pumpkin craft beer offerings. Take a moment to read their comments and to like their page, if you are so inclined. (They had Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale on the shelf when I visited last week, but no other Pumpkin beers. Weyerbacher is high on my list of must haves and I have some sitting in the garage fridge, it’s delish.)

What is the larger problem of pumpkin beers being rolled out in the summer months? Not everyone has climate controlled environments for transportation and storage. I had more than one skunky beer at a (chain) Pumpkinfest tap takeover last fall.  Many local retailers don’t have extensive temperature controlled storage conditions to stockpile and hold seasonal brews for a more appropriate release so when the beer shows up, its on the sales floor or on the taps. That also means your kegs or cases of beer sat for awhile in the 100 degree warehouse, were then transported on the 150 degree truck and unloaded in the 115 degree heat index for you to enjoy. In August. Cheers.

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• A New Way to Rate Pumpkin Beers (now in July!) (thisiswhyimdrunk.wordpress.com)

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2 Comments

1. Your wait for pumpkin beer is over…. | Craft Beer and Running - […] Christmas In July, Pumpkin Beers In August (tastecooksip.com) […]
2. Taste Cook Sip | Top 5 Friday - […] Fall hits Central Florida! Not really, just the fall beers. […]

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