Let the Pompion be beaten in a Trough and pressed as Apples. The expressed Juice is to be boiled in a Copper a considerable Time and carefully skimmed that there may be no Remains of the fibrous part of the Pulp. After that Intention is answered let the Liquor be hopped cooled fermented &c. as Malt Beer.

— American Philosophical Society, 1771 (quoted in the Oxford Companion to Beer)

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Pompion (or Pumpion) is the older English word for pumpkin, from the Greek pepon, a large melon. Pumpkin beer, you see, is an American invention, and it's been around for a long, long time.

And in terms of the beer, it is, in the end, a question of balance. When a beer contains an ingredient other than the traditional malt and hops, it has to be harmonious and not overpowering. The malt and hops character of the beer should still be there. As Randy Moser writes in Tasting Beer, “subtle is better.”

As we'll see in a minute, there's great variety in the making of these ales, though there are some factors in common. First, they have to contain pumpkin. Second, they always contain pumpkin spices, familiar to us all from pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving. These include, first and foremost, cinnamon, but also nutmeg and allspice. Sometimes ginger is added to the mix as well.

The manner in which a brewer prepares the pumpkin for fermentation into beer varies considerably to. Pumpkins can be added raw, after baking, or pressed like apples to get the juice out.

It's not October yet, but the brewers are getting a head start. I was at the tasting at Bert's Better Beers in Hooksett last week, where Bert and Ron were pouring a whole bunch of pumpkin ales:

Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale, 7% abv. Amber gold in color, with a pumpkin nose, and a very dry palate — the pumpkin is right up front, the spice in the background, adding a little kick on the finish.

Woodstock Inn Autumn, 4.4% abv. Amber beer, rich nose of caramel and spice, cinnamon standing out, and, of greta interest, apple and spice along the finish. This one's got character.

Mayflower Autumn Wheat Ale. As the name suggests, this one comes from Plymouth, MA. Also amber, and with the wheat base, definite grain notes on the nose and the palate, with the pumpkin in a very harmonious blend.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale. Amber to light brown, with a decidedly malt nose, rich and dark, smokiness, molasses and burnt flavors, and a broad rich palate through the end.

Shipyard Pumpkin Head. This was the spiciest of the show, gold colored, with spice and pumpkin very up front from the nose, through the palate to a long finish.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale. From the folks at Brooklyn Brewery, amber gold, with a rich nose of pumpkin spice reflected on the palate.

Pumpkin UFO. Unfiltered and wheat based, so a cloudy gold hue, light nose, with a seriously pumpkin pie back palate and finish. This one was on the lighter end of the spectrum, suggesting an aperitif.

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin. Golden, Pumpkin right up front, followed by cinnamon and pumpkin spice and along pumpkin finish.

And lastly, (from a previous article, but included here again for completeness), Sam Adams “Fat Jack” Double Pumpkin Ale “Ale brewed with pumpkin and spices”, 8.5% abv. It's got 28 pounds of pumpkin per barrel. Pumpkin and spice are right there up front on the nose, with the cinnamon being most noticeable. Interesting and fresh. They recommend pairing with duck, lamb, roasted pork, especial pork made with spice rubs. Carrot cake for dessert.

Since beer pairs with food, Marie-Chantal Hardy, owner and baker of the Beerkery Company of Northfield, was on hand with a variety of treats. She told me that all of her baked products include beer as an ingredient. Her website is >www.beerkery.com (and her telephone 738-0884) where you can peruse the menu of cakes, cupcakes, breads and pies. The small spiced cupcakes she was serving the night of the tasting were spectacular. Looking for a special treat for Thanksgiving? There's a good place to start.

Contact local beer and wine writer Jim Beauregard at regardingwine@aol.com.