12 Pumpkin-Flavored Beers, Ranked

There are so many things to look forward to as summer fades into fall. The changing leaves, brisk autumn air, and longer nights are all lovely, but if you're a beer enthusiast, you're probably most excited about the release of seasonal beer selections. Along with Okoberfest, harvest, and saison brews, one of autumn's most popular beer styles is pumpkin. There's no rigid definition of a pumpkin beer, and in fact, every brewery that makes one puts a wildly different spin on it. The thing that ties them all together is the addition of pumpkin in some shape or form, whether it's the use of actual pumpkin puree or pumpkin flavoring.

I spent many years working behind the bar at an establishment that focused primarily on craft beer, and I always got giddy when the autumn beers started rolling in. Some beer aficionados may look down on pumpkin beers as gimmicky and not serious, but I think, just as with any other style, there can be subpar offerings as well as many that knock it out of the park. There are a ton of pumpkin beers on the market, all wildly different. Here's a guide to a dozen of them. You can find more detailed information on our methodology below, but basically, they're ranked based on quality and flavor, as well as how successfully pumpkin, the key ingredient, is integrated into the beer.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

Despite its low placement on this list, I actually think this beer is fine. It's not my favorite, but it's tasty, and if someone handed me one at a party, I wouldn't be mad about it. It's a sessionable ale clocking in at a modest 4.4% alcohol, which typically means you can drink several of them without having to worry too much about losing your wits. The issue I ran into, however, was that after drinking about half a can, the pumpkin spice aromas and flavors were so intense that I found I had reached my limit.

Something about the aroma and flavor made me think of cream soda, or even root beer, or some kind of hybrid of the two. There's not much of a hop presence, which is perhaps why it seemed less beer-like to me. The texture of the beer itself is light and easy-drinking, but the intense flavor punches pretty hard, which creates an odd imbalance. If you're more of a fan of pumpkin spice flavor and less of a fan of beer, especially if you don't like bitterness in beer, this might be the beverage for you.

New Holland's Ichabod falls into the classic pumpkin ale category, meaning it's focused on pumpkin and fall spice, with a malty, slightly roasted sweetness. It's not trying to do too much beyond that. All of its flavors are fairly subtle. This, along with its relatively low alcohol content at only 4.5%, make it a very easy beer to drink. It's light on the palate, with a crisp slightly hoppy finish that gives it a refreshing quality. It's made with malted barley, real pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

It's an enjoyable beer, for sure, if not the most exciting offering on this list. The spice presence fades fairly quickly and there's not a ton of pumpkin flavor. There's also a bitter, burnt note on the finish that I found a bit out of balance for the style. All that said, if you're looking for an easy-drinking, low ABV, session-style fall beer, this is a great one to consider. You won't be overwhelmed by spice or pumpkin, but those flavors are there if you look for them. This would be a great ale to have on hand for a casual Halloween or fall-themed party — it strikes me as a crowd-pleaser.

Dogfish Head is legendary for their IPAs — Indian Pale Ales, for the uninitiated — and that legacy is quite apparent in its Punkin Ale, which is one of the hoppiest of the bunch. It's brewed with real pumpkin, as well as brown sugar and a mix of spices. I had a hard time detecting the brown sugar, but the spices are certainly there, particularly a sharp aromatic note of allspice, and a pungent citrusy scent that reminded me of cardamom. These piquant aromas and flavors, along with the tart and bitter hop character, make drinking this beer an intense experience compared to the maltier offerings on this list.

If you love hop-forward beers, this might be top of the ranking for you. Even though that's not my favorite style, I did find myself enjoying this beer. Like all Dogfish Head brews, it's well-crafted and super flavorful. Pumpkin is such a subtle flavor, though, that I felt the hoppiness and sharp spices took over my palate, leaving the poor sweet pumpkin fighting for its life. That said, this beer has a strong point of view and a unique character.

Light and crisp like a fall afternoon, Harpoon's Pumpkin Cider is made from real pumpkins and apples and a melange of seasonal spices. Despite it being labeled as "semi-dry," it definitely came across as less sweet than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The spicy nose is lovely, intensely aromatic, smelling just like a fresh-baked apple pie. Out of all of the offerings on this list, this cider gave me the most autumnal feelings, bringing me right into the season as soon as I cracked open the can. It made me want to go apple picking.

Clove, ginger, and crisp bright apple are the primary flavors that I tasted. This cider is clean and fresh, without a single bruised fruit or funky fermented note like you get from some ciders. It's a refreshing, thirst-quenching brew, and while its flavors scream fall, the pumpkin is a bit difficult to pinpoint. That's the only real detriment. Still, I'll happily stock my fridge with this cider and enjoy it all season long.

I've had a few gluten-free beers in my life, and have to say that this pumpkin ale from Holidaily is the best I've tried. It's made from a combination of millet and buckwheat malts, which seem to imbue it with a pleasant earthy background note. There's a tinge of smokiness here that I didn't find in any of the other beers, which makes it stand out from the crowd. It lends the brew a pleasing autumnal character, like walking through the woods while someone has a campfire going in the distance.

There's a decent hop presence on the finish that adds a tang of bitter orange citrus, balancing out the roasted maltiness quite nicely. I really enjoyed this beer, but found the pumpkin and spice notes a little too far in the background. If you're looking for a satisfying fall beer that has a more mellow profile than your typical pumpkin beer, you'll enjoy this, even if you're not specifically seeking out a gluten-free brew.

If you find yourself lost in the cold on a dark, moonless fall night, this is the beer that will warm you right up and keep you going. It comes in at 7.5% alcohol by volume, making it the second booziest beer on this list, and I was actually surprised it wasn't higher from the liquor-like intensity on the palate (complimentary). It's marketed as a pumpkin maple pecan ale, and all of those flavors are easily detectable and work well together as a whole. This beer is on the sweeter side, both from its maltiness and its dessert flavors, so it definitely has its time and place and may not be everyone's cup of tea. However, it's a fantastic example of a rich, dark, malty autumn brew.

A little kick of hoppiness on the finish helps to keep balance, and there's a tangy creaminess on the palate reminiscent of yogurt. The nutty pecan flavor is delightful, and adds almost a tawny Port-like quality to the beer, reinforcing its dessert character. Overall, this is a really good fall beer, but slid down in my rankings a bit because there's so much to it that the pumpkin becomes an afterthought. Still, I finished a large can of this easily at the end of the night, and can't wait to drink more.

Journey to Planet Pumpkin, UFO's seasonal pumpkin beer, stands apart from the others in that it's the only hefeweizen. This is a wheat-based style that tends to exhibit yeasty, fruity, and spicy aromas and flavors, which makes it seem particularly suited to a pumpkin beer (pumpkins are technically fruits, after all, and pumpkin beers are known for their spice). UFO brews this ale with pumpkin puree and leaves it unfiltered, which gives it a creamy, smooth texture and a satisfyingly subtle sweetness. The typical clove flavor that you find in a lot of hefeweizens is nicely complemented by the addition of fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

This beer is a nice change of pace compared to the other darker styles. It's a tasty brew, very bright and thirst-quenching, easy to drink but not simplistic or boring. I found myself missing the more intense fall flavors of the other styles, but I appreciate that UFO is making a pumpkin beer with a different profile than you might expect. 

When you're looking for a serious pumpkin brew, Ship Bottom's Imperial Pumpkin Ale will take you where you need to go. At 9.4% alcohol, this supercharged beer is the strongest on the list by almost 2%. The alcohol is definitely there –  there's a richness to this beer that sets it apart from everything else. The carbonation is strong enough to keep it from feeling too thick, but it's still a serious beer along the lines of a Belgian quadrupel. Similar to that style, it also exhibits some dried fruit flavors like fig, and a rich, dark, yeasty quality.

The creamy texture, deep rich flavor, and roasted maltiness combine to give this beer a chocolatey character. This ale is more about the spices and the style than actual pumpkin, but its an impressively balanced imperial ale, which isn't easy to do. As I was sipping it and trying to analyze it in my head, at one point I looked down at my glass and the beer was gone. Hard to argue with that. It's too much to be an everyday sipper, but seek it out if you're looking for a big beer experience.

Horror Business from New Ridge is a classic pumpkin ale that's well-crafted, well-balanced, and has a cheerful flavor profile that is instantly charming. The primary spice here is cinnamon, warm and inviting on the nose and pleasantly spicy on the palate. It tastes somewhat like a cinnamon roll, with a bready, yeasty quality and a touch of creaminess. Unlike a cinnamon roll, though, it's not super sweet (side note: a batch of elevated cinnamon rolls would be a good pairing here). There's a good balance and a crisp finish that makes it feel easily drinkable, and at 6.1% alcohol, it's got decent body but not too much heat.

Overall, Horror Business is bright, tasty, and delightful. What it may lack in complexity, it makes up for in easy appeal. The pumpkin flavor is front and center, which is the main reason it ranks in the top tier. Not too spicy, not too sweet, this is a mellow beer that will please most palates. It strikes just the right balance of pumpkin and spice, crispness and malt, without letting any single element overwhelm the rest.

Two Roads Roadsmary's Baby is labeled as "Scary-Good," but I found nothing to fear here — just pure deliciousness. At its core, this is a classic pumpkin ale, amber in color and malty in character. Two Roads then takes this ale and ages it in rum barrels, with the addition of vanilla beans. These flavoring steps give it a little extra roundness and more depth, enhancing the flavors that are already part of the beer without overwhelming or altering them. At 6.8% alcohol, it's got some oomph but it still drinks with a crisp, light freshness.

After reading the description of Roadsmary's Baby, I was worried it would be too sweet, but Two Roads does a great job of balancing it with a clean, mildly bitter finish. I found this beer hard to put down. The spice component is mellow here compared to most of the other beers on this list, letting the pumpkin flavor take center stage. This beer is a great middle ground between classic and experimental, and it all works.

This concoction from Clown Shoes is about as far from a standard pumpkin ale as you can get while still being considered a pumpkin ale. Pumpkin Sombrero is a stout, a Mexican-style chocolate stout specifically. It's big, rich, dark, complex, and wildly fun to drink. From the first sniff to the last sip, this beer truly takes you on a journey. I should disclose that stouts are my favorite style of beer, so I did ask for a second opinion from a friend to make sure my bias wasn't totally out of whack with reality. Thankfully, we were pretty much in agreement.

For a chocolate stout, the nose has a surprisingly strong pumpkin presence, which I thought might be easily overwhelmed by the roasted malt aromas typical of the style. Not so. There's some warm spice there, too, which is well-integrated into the rest of the nose. Bitter dark chocolate shows up in the nose and on the palate, and it's balanced out by the sweet roasted pumpkin flavor and a rich, mouth-filling texture. I've seen some reviewers mention chile spice, which I didn't pick up on at first, but there is something that gives it a little kick as you drink more of it. This beer has by far the longest and most interesting finish, with the flavors evolving and melding on your palate long after you've put down your glass. The amazing comic book art on the can is icing on the cake.

When I think pumpkin beer, this brew from Alewerks is pretty much the exact thing that pops into my head. It's malty and sweet with a rich, creamy texture and just a touch of hops on the finish that stop it from being cloying, along with decently strong carbonation that cleanses your palate and keeps it refreshed. There's a prominent aroma and flavor of roasted pumpkin, a well-balanced mix of sharp and soft spices, and a decent amount of alcohol (7.3%) to warm you up on a cold fall day without making it a too overwhwelmingly boozy experience.

While I appreciate a lot of the big stylistic swings some of the other beers on this list have taken, as I made my way through them, I found myself returning to Alewerks to have a straightforward, well-crafted, balanced pumpkin ale. It became the standard against which all of the others were judged. I futzed around forever with the rankings of many of the beers on this list, but Alewerks Pumpkin never budged from No. 1. It's simply a great classic pumpkin beer.

As a longtime bartender, craft beer fan, and certified beer server through the Cicerone Certification Program, I used my knowledge and personal experience to assess these beers in terms of style, taste, and quality. I also used the Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines as a reference point to see how well each beer fit into its stated style category. All of these criteria went into the final ranking, as well as my own subjective impressions based on how much I personally enjoyed each beer (although I tried as much as I could to leave my personal biases out of it). Since these are all pumpkin beers, the last consideration I made was to assess how well pumpkin was utilized as an ingredient in each one.