Pumpkin Spice Beer Style
- Color: Can vary from pale to very dark depending on the underlying style
- Clarity: Clear to hazy is acceptable
- Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Can vary from low to medium-high depending on the underlying style
- Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: None to medium and should not overpower spice, pumpkin or squash, if present, or overall balance of aromas and flavors.
- Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low
- Fermentation Characteristics: Typical of underlying beer style
- Body: Varies with underlying style
- Additional notes: These are any beers using pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) or winter squash as an adjunct in either the mash, kettle, primary or secondary fermentation. Pumpkin or squash may not be present or may range from subtle to intense. They are spiced with other ingredients whose character should be present and in balance. While cinnamon, allspice, clove and nutmeg are common spices added to American-type pumpkin beers, other spices may be used. For example, a brewer could replicate a Wit-Pumpkin spiced beer by using orange peel and coriander.
When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as spice(s) used, pumpkin or squash used if any and related processing, or other factors which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Pumpkin Spice Beer Vital Statistics
- Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.030-1.110 (7.6-25.9 °Plato)
- Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.006-1.030 (1.5-7.6 °Plato)
- Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.0%-9.5% (2.5%-12.0%)
- Bitterness (IBU) 5-35
- Color SRM (EBC) 5-50(10-100 EBC)
2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association.
Credit: 2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines – Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ale – Pumpkin Spice Beer