Craft Beer Selections: Best Autumn Beers in the Northeast

Photo: Thrillist

This weekend, we have the opportunity to sit down and interview Nichole Pelletier; the owner, and head-brewer of Crooked Current. We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to head to the brewery in person, and the episode will be published in the coming weeks.

Her story and background are incredible, as she is the only female brewer in the state of Rhode Island. Another thing that is awesome about Nichole is her Pumpkin Maple Ale. I kid you not this is one of the BEST seasonal beers I have ever had, and one of only four beers I have given a 5-out-of-5 on UnTappd.

Similar to my "Summer 6-Pack", I wanted to provide you with, what in my opinion, are the best fall brews available in the Northeast. I want to highlight more than just six beers, to ensure you get the full fall flavor profile, while showcases beers from a variety of states.

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Pumpkin Maple Ale

- Crooked Current Brewery (Pawtucket, RI)

- Pumpkin Ale

- 6.2% ABV

- As mentioned above, this is the creme de la creme of autumn craft beers. I see this beer as the perfect combination of smooth, refreshing, warming, flavorful, and sweetness. I describe the taste as taking a spoon of your grandmother's fresh pumpkin pie with a combination of fresh Vermont maple syrup. It is not overpowering or too sugary, and it smells and tastes exceptional. It is a hot commodity in the Rhode Island craft beer market, and it is only available at their location in Pawtucket. I'll put my money where my mouth is, and if you try this beer and don't think it's good, I'll buy you a round.

Photo: Crooked Current Brewery

Fall

- Maine Beer Company (Freeport, ME)

- Coffee Stout

- 5.6% ABV

- Maine Beer Company hardly misses, and Fall is another fabulous beer in their portfolio. This beer posses strong flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, coconut, cedar, citrus, and blueberries. This rich and warm beer is perfect after a full autumn evening, settled up next to a fireplace.

Photo: Maine Beer Company

Pumking

- Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)

- Pumpkin Yam Beer

- 8.6% ABV

- This beer has all the flavors that describe the word "Autumn". Pumpkin puree and pie spices, malty, bready; cinnamon dominates with nutmeg and vanilla in the background. They even have a Cold-Brew Coffee Stout version, if you are feeling fancy.

Photo: Southern Tier Brewing Co.

Leaf Pile

- Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. (Southold, NY)

- Pumpkin Yam Beer

- 5.2% ABV

- A may be biased to include this, and we already have a Pumpkin Yam Beer, but Leaf Pile should be on everyone's wish-list of fall brews. Greenport captures this autumn ale perfectly. Fresh ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, this combo is everything you can imagine.

Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.

Nyx

- White Birch Brewing (Nashua, NH)

- Dark Ale

- 7 % ABV

- Heading back to the darker beers, Nyx is a beer that is highly respected amongst the craft beer community. This beer is dark and black in color with a chocolate aroma. It’s also smooth, dry, and paired with American hops.

Photo: White Birch Brewing

Oktoberfest

- von Trapp Brewing Co. (Stowe, VT)

- Marzen

- 5.2% ABV

- I would be doing a disservice if I didn't include a coveted Oktoberfest beer. You wait all year to drink like you are in Germany, and these types of beers rarely disappoint. Von Trapp (yeah, the Sound of Music crew) produces high-quality beers that people travel hours for. Their Oktoberfest has the perfect blend of light and dark Munich malts, with nice sweetness, in addition to caramel and toffee notes that linger but are balanced by the subtle hops.

Photo: von Trapp Brewing

Crum

- Stoney Creek Brewery (Branford, CT)

- Amber Red Ale

- 6.5% ABV

- Stoney Creek is another brewery that has a wide variety, and are creative with their beers. Crum is one to add to your list, as it freshly created with apple cider and hints of oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The brewmaster at Stoney Creek stated that is their interpretation of a classic apple crumble and it is rich in full fall fun.

Photo: Stoney Creek Brewery

Cider Donut

- Downeast Cider House (Boston, MA)

- Hard Cider

- 5.2% ABV

- Cider is not a beer, but I will be including this for variety because this beverage screams fall fun. This cider is full of taste, as expected from the Downeast brand, and it literally tastes like an apple cider donut. If you want to drink dessert, this is your go-to.

Photo: Downeast Cider

Honorable Mentions

- Roadsmary's Baby: Two Roads Brewing Co. (Stratford, CT) (Pumpkin Beer, 6.8%)

- Darkling: Night Shift Brewing (Everett, MA) (Double Imperial Stout, 12.9%)

- Haunted House: Allagash Brewing Co. (Portland, ME) (Dark Ale, 6.6%)

- Ein Prosit!: Woodbury Brewing Company (Woodbury, CT) (Marzen, 6%)

- Copper Legend: Jack Abbey Craft Lagers (Framingham, MA) (Festbeir, 5.7%)

- Pumpkinhead Ale: Shipyard Brewing (Portland, ME) (Pumpkin Beer, 4.5%)

- Autumn Winds: Grey Sail Brewing of RI (Westerly, RI) (Marzen, 5.8%)

- JACK-O Pumpkin Ale: Sam Adams Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA) (Pumpkin Beer, 4.4%)

We have a lot of Beer content in the pipeline over the next few weeks. For more craft beer selections, check out the opening section of “Beers, Business, and Balls”.

Cheers!

Photo: VinePair