Beer Spotlight!

Hardywood Park Farmhouse Pumpkin

$15.99 for the 16oz four-pack cans
Saison Style Ale with Pumpkin and Spices

It’s pumpkin beer season! Although, Starbucks has made everyone wince at the mention of “pumpkin spice,” we still stick by pumpkin ales, which pre-date cheesy lattes … by a lot!

Pumpkin ales originated back in Revolutionary War times, when our British colonial masters raised the price of barley causing American brewers to look for local goods to ferment instead — like squash. So, pumpkin ales are one of the few all-American beer styles! Plus, they’re great for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. So in the next few weeks, we’re going to run through some of our pumpkin ale offerings — some classic, some favorites, and some new to us.

Hardywood Park Craft brewery puts a different spin on the pumpkin ale. Every year, they put out their very tasty Farmhouse Pumpkin — a Wallonian style Saison brewed with pumpkin and spices.

Hardywood starts with a Saison made from a grain bill of wheat, barley, and rye and then goes all Virginia on us — flame roasted sugar pie pumpkins from Snake Creek Farms in Fancy Gap; whole nutmeg, clove, and allspice from Richmond’s C.F. Sauer; and fresh ginger root from Casselmonte Farms in Powhatan.

Usually the base for pumpkin ales are amber ales or brown ales, something with a little heft to hold onto the pumpkin and the spices. The Saison is not that kind of ale. The key is how Hardywood makes the Farmhouse Pumpkin just sweet enough for you to get the spiced pumpkin flavors but not so much that you loose the Saison’s light, refreshing nature. We know that Hardywood has made a much bigger splash with its Gingerbread Stout (and should), but we still see the Farmhouse Pumpkin as a fine feat of brewing.

Remember!

You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!