Fall Beer Sampler

Or, how I spent my Halloween.

Tyranena Painted Ladies Pumpkin Spice Ale

I wasn’t getting so much of a pumpkin spice vibe from this one, but it still was quite enjoyable. It had a nice toffee color and a toffee/caramel flavor. The first few sips had a hoppy finish, but the last few sips had a very creamy, sweet finish with just a touch of hops. It was very smooth.

Shipyard Brewing Company Pumpkinhead Ale

It had a light golden color, and it smelled very spicy, and it had a crisp taste with a strong and sweet cinnamon spice flavor. It was closer to a cider than to a beer (even though it’s technically an ale). I wasn’t really feeling the cider vibe, but if you’re in the mood for cider or something sweet and light, this might be a good seasonal choice.

Lakefront Brewery Pumpkin Lager

I thought this was the best of the lot. It embodied the spirit of pumpkin beer. It had a strong spice flavor to it (more like clove than cinnamon), was a nice amber color, and had a deep, rich flavor.

Three Squares and Claddagh Irish Pub, Maple Grove

I met a couple friends for happy hour on the west side of town. We started the evening at Three Squares, which is owned by the folks who such nice work at the Groveland Tap and the Highland Grill. We started auspiciously with the sweet potato fries with chipotle pesto aioli. There was something just a little off about the texture– they weren’t crispy enough yet they were kind of tough in the middle. They were still tasty and we had no problems cleaning our plate.

We also tried the pierogies, the pulled pork quesadillas, and the beef and vegetable fondue (with polenta, grilled zucchini, and oven-roasted tomatoes). All were incredibly satisfying and flavorful. 

For beverages, I had a pear martini, which was crisp and refreshing, followed by a tequila mockingbird, which was smooth and had a salty rim. After several sips, I would mutter some sort of thanks to the gods who created tequila. It’s been my beverage of choice lately. 

We each had two drinks and we split the four appetizers, and before tip the bill came to less than $15 each, which was a great deal. 

Not ready to call it an evening, we skipped across the street (some of us literally) to the Claddagh Irish Pub. It was warm and cozy, and they gave us a table in a small  room all to ourselves. 

We split the Warm & Tipsy Bread Pudding and the Caramel Whiskey Apple Crisp. The pudding was served in a bed of cream sauce, and the apple crisp was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Both were warm and comforting and sweet, exactly what we were looking for to end the evening before we had to head out into the cold. 

I couldn’t resist ordering the Paddy’s Pumpkin, made with Bailey’s, Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liqueur, Kahlua, and Hot Damn! Cinnamon Schnapps. It had a brown sugar and cinnamon rim. It was excellent, and I made everyone else at the table try it and rate it. We all agreed that although it was an incredibly tasty drink (and I would definitely order it again), the flavors of the pumpkin didn’t really shine through. We were using the Iron Chef system of judging. 

Rating for Paddy’s Pumpkin (on a scale of 1 to 5 pumpkins, with 5 being the highest): 3 pumpkins 

Pumpkintastic! Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard

I’m just waiting to accidentally type “blumpkintastic.” You know it’s going to happen, especially if I keep posting while I’m half asleep. Photographs would most definitely not be involved.

I had high hopes for the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard at Dairy Queen, I really did. For the first half of the concoction, I was extremely pleased. The last half was a letdown. They do not take their mixing skills seriously. 

My first few bites were blissful, a wonderful mix of pumpkin and crust and ice cream. It was creamy (ice cream will do that, hence the name) and crunchy and flavorful. Then, I ran out of pie. It would be one thing to go from plain ice cream to the added element of the pumpkin mixture, but not the other way around. My cup was half full… of pumpkin. 

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 3 pumpkins for the first half

0 pumpkins for the second half (because they were conspicuously absent)

Pumpkintastic! International Delights Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

 

 

Coming soon to a teacup near me.

I wore my cranky pants to work this morning. When the temperature hasn’t been above 45 and the sun has been out for approximately 10 minutes in the last week, that will happen. (Also, when your otherwise lovable dog decides to wake you at 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. to go outside.) And if you think this is fun, just wait until January! 45 degrees feels like a sauna then. People start wearing shorts and tank tops. 

I’m also developing a theory about my caffeine consumption. After the hyperactive rush wears off, I’m left with a cup full of cranky. I think caffeine makes me edgy. Not in a “screw the establishment, I’m an outsider” kind of way, but in an inventing new swear words and yelling at traffic and my computer screen kind of way. Today I was especially fond of compounds involving the word “douche” (douchestick, douchemuffin, doucheburger, douchelord, and my new favorite, douchewurst, which I used on a slow-moving Volkswagen). Some say “douche” is on the way out. I say it’s time for “douche” to reinvent itself, before “chode” takes over. 

So, anyway, caffeine + me = cranky. Yet, I crave pumpkin. What about a decaffeinated PSL? Sure, I could order that, but a gal’s got to watch her calories (and budget) too. And also, I’d have to leave the house. And put on pants. This is where some decaffeinated tea and two heaping tablespoons of International Delights Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer enters the picture.

You do have to be careful which tea you pair it with. If you choose a tea that’s too strong (like Celestial Seasonings decaf chai), it can overpower the creamer. But when you choose the right one, it’s wonderful. 

My tea of choice lately has been decaf vanilla chai by Stash (who, incidentally, make a pumpkin spice tea that I need to get my hands on). This mix has just the right blend of cream and spices with just a slight hint of pumpkiny goodness. Plus, it’s nice and warm and comforting, and I don’t even have to leave my house to enjoy it. 

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 4 pumpkins

Pumpkintastic! Starbucks Pumpkin Scone

This is the last of the Starbucks entries, I promise. Unless I try their pumpkin loaf, or a frappucino version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, that is. 

The pumpkin scone is topped with a light white glaze and an orange-colored swirl. It has a hint of orange zest, and I’m not sure if it’s coming from the frosting or the scone itself, or both. It adds a tinge of complexity to something that could be plain and straightforward. 

However, given the choice between a scone and a muffin, I’ll pick the muffin every time. Scones go well with coffee, but it’s because they’re usually so dry you’re required to take a sip of something afterwards to quench your parched tongue. Still, you could do much worse than this, especially if you need a carb fix in the morning. 

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 3 pumpkins

Pumpkintastic! Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin

 

Yum.

Sorry, just licking my monitor.

For a chain, Starbucks makes mighty fine muffins. Take this little confection, for example. They could have mailed it in, just throwing some pumpkin bread mix into some muffin tins and charging people $1.95 for something to absorb their coffee. 

Instead, they throw in some nice details, like the dab of cream cheese in the middle, or the roasted pumpkin seeds around the edge of the muffin top. The pumpkin seeds, really, are what make this item stand out. They add one more layer of flavor and texture to an already good thing. 

The muffin is not too dry, and not too moist, although it can sit in the Starbucks bag for a couple days and not lose its freshness. (Normally, they’re gone within minutes. But I once bought one for my husband, and he didn’t get around to eating it, so I decided after two days to take matters into my own hands, and face.)

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 5 pumpkins

Pumpkintastic! Archer Farms Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

 

The opposite of heaven in a cup

This isn’t really a post. It’s more of a public service announcement. 

Archer Farms Pumpkin Pie yogurt is not good. 

Yogurt is good, and pumpkin is good. But these two things do not mingle well together. They confuse my taste buds. They expected something sweet, and ended up with something really tart. And don’t get me started about the aftertaste. 

Luckily, the yogurt was on sale this week (which was how it came to my attention, through the weekly Target flyer, which is a blessing and a curse). So I’m only out 50 cents.

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 1 pumpkin

Pumpkintastic! Pumpkin Latte at Dunn Bros

With the weather starting to get colder, and the darkness coming earlier, I’ve been craving warmth and caffeine. And it’s ever so handy when you can get both in the same beverage.

Dunn Bros (short for “brothers,” not an homage to the pop group from the late ’80s), serves a warm pumpkin latte for just that purpose. I could have sworn it was called a Pumpkin Pie Latte in the store, but the Web site says that it’s a Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

(Incidentally, the Bros album was one of the worst things I’d ever heard. I heard it at a friend’s church party– yes, you can imagine a bunch of Texas Baptists getting down with Europop. I thought “When Will I Be Famous?” was kind of catchy, and purchased it on cassette shortly afterwards. I later exchanged it for the Information Society album. The Bros album was so bad, I didn’t even want it in my house.)  

The Dunn Bros heated pumpkin beverage is much more subtle than the Starbucks version. It’s not as creamy, and it has a much darker, deeper taste, almost bitter but not quite. The foam is also less creamy and has more air pockets. The drink had a nice texture, and it definitely fulfilled the requirements for keeping me warm and awake. However, even though I prefer my beer to have more subtle pumpkin notes, I like to have them just a touch more evident in my coffee. 

The beverage went well with the organic pumpkin bar. The bar was moist yet fluffy, and covered with a thick layer of cream cheese. I do have to say that pairing them together worked well, and I didn’t have competing pumpkin allegiances in my mouth. So perhaps the subtle flavor was a good thing after all. 

Ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest):

Pumpkin Pie/Spice Latte: 3 pumpkins

Organic pumpkin bar: 4 pumpkins

Pumpkintastic! The Beer Edition

Because pumpkin beer disappears quickly, I thought I’d better get to these items sooner rather than later just in case this inspires people to scan the shelves of their favorite liquor store.

I have tried three types of pumpkin beer. 

• Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale, from Trader Joe’s
• Pumpkin Ale, from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery
• Harvest Moon, from Blue Moon

Harvest Moon is the darkest of the three beers, and it also has the most subtle pumpkin flavor. Kristen does a much better job describing the flavor here. Incidentally, it pairs really well with Bacon Salt. There’s something about knocking back a Harvest Moon with some fries sprinkled with Hickory Bacon Salt. If you have both of these items at your disposal, I highly urge you to try the combination. Harvest Moon also goes well with the real thing. 

When I went to Cost Plus World Market a few weeks ago, I noticed several cases of Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale. I asked the cashier, and she said in so many words that it kicks Blue Moon’s ass. Based on that description, I had to buy some. It was lighter than Blue Moon, but it still retains a subtle pumpkin spice flavor. I would almost describe it as creamy. It was excellent, yet I would rank it slightly below Blue Moon if I absolutely had to choose between the two.

Trader Joe’s Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale is the lightest of the three beers, and also the most overtly pumpkiny. There’s nothing subtle about it. At first I liked this, but it makes it harder to drink more than one (a surprising feat for me, I know). Also, when you overindulge and buy two cases and they sit in your refrigerator for several months until it’s technically no longer pumpkin season, the bottles mock you every time you open the door. So I might be biased. It’s fine, and it will do in a pinch, especially if you want a strong pumpkin flavor, but in beer, I’ve discovered that I prefer just a hint of spice. Here’s an alternate take from Twin Cities Eater.

Ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest): 

Blue Moon Harvest Moon – 5 pumpkins

Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale – 4 pumpkins

Trader Joe’s Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale – 3 pumpkins