Seasons change, time passes by, as the weeks become the months...
October 6, 2014 5:41 PM Subscribe
Time Magazine's Seasonal Beer Guide shows you when some breweries release various seasonal beers.
Blue Moon Pumpkin on August 1 is an abomination
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:47 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:47 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Shock Top: Why Yes, Our Beers are Based on Dares, Why Do You Ask?
posted by Kitteh at 5:53 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 5:53 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's a bit of a strange mixture of breweries; and a strange mix of partial information.
(The Sierra Nevada Snowpack box does look inviting though: a Sierra Nevada coffee stout?)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:57 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
(The Sierra Nevada Snowpack box does look inviting though: a Sierra Nevada coffee stout?)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:57 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Only 11 breweries (and many are "crafty" brands from giant corporations) ... that's not much of a craft beer "guide".
posted by foggy out there now at 5:57 PM on October 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by foggy out there now at 5:57 PM on October 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
Neither the article nor the post claim the "craft beer" distinction.
It feels to me like New Belgium crank out another seasonal about once per month, not the 4-per-year of the chart. That might be more about distribution than production though.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:00 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
It feels to me like New Belgium crank out another seasonal about once per month, not the 4-per-year of the chart. That might be more about distribution than production though.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:00 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Pumpkin beers released in August is like Christmas crap in the stores at Halloween.
posted by exogenous at 6:04 PM on October 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by exogenous at 6:04 PM on October 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
My favorite local beers aren't on the list, list invalidated.
posted by Sphinx at 6:04 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by Sphinx at 6:04 PM on October 6, 2014
If you live near a Grocery Outlet in Portland, Oregon, sometimes they have huge, champagne sized bottles of Anchor Brewing's Christmas Ale from last year. Big, delicious score. Plus, check out their beautiful Christmas Ale labels since 1975.
posted by Corduroy at 6:05 PM on October 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Corduroy at 6:05 PM on October 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
Always helpful — of particular importance, of course, is fresh hops season.
posted by ageispolis at 6:13 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by ageispolis at 6:13 PM on October 6, 2014
Poking around: Sierra Nevada 2014 Beer Release Calendar.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:17 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 6:17 PM on October 6, 2014
Invalid because Shock Top and Blue Moon do not brew actual beer.
posted by Ber at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Ber at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is a tiny list. Exceedingly tiny.
posted by The Potate at 6:52 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by The Potate at 6:52 PM on October 6, 2014
Yuengling needs to make that Summer Wheat year round, it's my favorite beer now.
posted by Drinky Die at 7:39 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by Drinky Die at 7:39 PM on October 6, 2014
Blue Moon Pumpkin on August 1 is an abomination
Holidays mean nothing. One of the local (to New Mexico) dairies sells eggnog branded for Halloween. I buy it because it's eggnog in October.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:00 PM on October 6, 2014
Holidays mean nothing. One of the local (to New Mexico) dairies sells eggnog branded for Halloween. I buy it because it's eggnog in October.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:00 PM on October 6, 2014
Sort of a random choice of brewers.
posted by Edgewise at 8:06 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Edgewise at 8:06 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
i'm waiting for MAD ELF ALE to show up at my local bar. oh wouldn't you know it's so close to meeee i can almost taste it!
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 8:56 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 8:56 PM on October 6, 2014
and oh ye wonderful SOUTHERN TIER PUMPKING, how i cannot wait to taste you again!!!
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 9:00 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 9:00 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
It does seem like they could've included a handful more breweries. Alas they did not.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:03 PM on October 6, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:03 PM on October 6, 2014
We're just getting into my favorite beer season: wet hop season! I may have to snag a growler of Half Acre Sticky Fat tomorrow. Founders Harvest Ale and Deschutes Chasin' Freshies are on the way, too.
posted by HumuloneRanger at 9:22 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by HumuloneRanger at 9:22 PM on October 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
The next release of Stone Enjoy By is out, too.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:21 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:21 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Was at Fred Meyer this evening, and saw the first HUB Abominable Winter Ale of the season. Hope it's not last year's they found in the back. It was my go to for a while this past winter. Yummie.
posted by Windopaene at 10:50 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Windopaene at 10:50 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Blue Moon being on any list instantly invalidates said list. Save for the 'Hey guys! Look at me! I made a beer that tastes like nothing , for the masses! yay!' beer list.
posted by ZaneJ. at 2:44 AM on October 7, 2014
posted by ZaneJ. at 2:44 AM on October 7, 2014
Let me direct your attention to the early-winter release of the Bourbon County beers from Goose Island.
That is the gleaming beer gem in this list's heap of semiprecious stones.
posted by superelastic at 4:51 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
That is the gleaming beer gem in this list's heap of semiprecious stones.
posted by superelastic at 4:51 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Try finding Harpoon's Pumpkin Cider. I don't really like pumpkin flavored things and yet it is delicious. Even friends that don't like ciders think it is one of the best drinks they've tasted. Not too sweet, not too pumpkiny. Can be hard to find, and they've sold out of it in past years. Well worth a try.
posted by msbrauer at 4:59 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by msbrauer at 4:59 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
We did our weekly grocery shopping last night and, good god, it was like Halloween had exploded in the beer lane. A close second were the Octoberfest brews. I calmly picked up a six of my Two-Hearted and ignored the black-and-orange newcomers.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:14 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:14 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
yeesh, these beers sure come early. Everything seems to come early these days. I think it makes the seasons even more unbearable, because we're satisfied with the seasonal food and ready to move on, and there's still four more months of winter...
posted by rebent at 5:37 AM on October 7, 2014
posted by rebent at 5:37 AM on October 7, 2014
This post has reminded me to go check and see what Surly has released lately, so thanks for that. I am down to my last carefully hoarded can of Abrasive and have been afraid to open it lest I find myself in need of good beer and can't find more on the shelf.
posted by caution live frogs at 6:09 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by caution live frogs at 6:09 AM on October 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
So, here's what I do for the winter:
Just about every seasonal six\four pack I buy, I set aside half of with a label saying what year I bought it, and when I'll drink it (either the next year or the year after that). Then, whenever it snows, I drink one of the labeled beers from previous years.
posted by Gygesringtone at 6:20 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Just about every seasonal six\four pack I buy, I set aside half of with a label saying what year I bought it, and when I'll drink it (either the next year or the year after that). Then, whenever it snows, I drink one of the labeled beers from previous years.
posted by Gygesringtone at 6:20 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, this is a weird random list. But now I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about delicious Bourbon County brew and hoping husband decides to open one soon.
posted by Bacon Bit at 6:22 AM on October 7, 2014
posted by Bacon Bit at 6:22 AM on October 7, 2014
msbrauer wrote: Try finding Harpoon's Pumpkin Cider. I don't really like pumpkin flavored things and yet it is delicious.
Intriguing. There's a good review of that at Serious Eats, here's a bit of it:
Intriguing. There's a good review of that at Serious Eats, here's a bit of it:
Harpoon Pumpkin Cider, made with a blend of predominantly Macintosh and Empire apples from New England orchards, scores in the apple juice department. I find their regular cider to be a bit on the sweet side (as I do most ciders not specifically engineered for dryness) but for whatever reason the pumpkin number comes across as much tarter on the apple front. But solid cider can be undermined in a hurry by too heavy a hand with the enhancements, so Harpoon's real achievement here is getting the spice dosage right.posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:53 AM on October 7, 2014
Blue Moon Pumpkin on August 1 is an abomination
Anyhow, a friend of mine runs a bar and says that it's basically impossible to sell pumpkin beer after Thanksgiving, and it's dicey after Halloween, but that there's tremendous demand throughout most of September and October. If you're a brewery, and know that there's enormous demand for a particular product for about a month and a half, you'd do well to come out just a hair earlier to capture a little more of the market, no? And then somebody else comes out a little earlier, and so on, and finally we're drinking pumpkin beer in August.
Autumn and Winter are my least-favorite beer seasons. I just don't dig on big, heavy beers. (I make an exception for Celebration, which I will gladly drink by the case.)
posted by uncleozzy at 7:05 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Anyhow, a friend of mine runs a bar and says that it's basically impossible to sell pumpkin beer after Thanksgiving, and it's dicey after Halloween, but that there's tremendous demand throughout most of September and October. If you're a brewery, and know that there's enormous demand for a particular product for about a month and a half, you'd do well to come out just a hair earlier to capture a little more of the market, no? And then somebody else comes out a little earlier, and so on, and finally we're drinking pumpkin beer in August.
Autumn and Winter are my least-favorite beer seasons. I just don't dig on big, heavy beers. (I make an exception for Celebration, which I will gladly drink by the case.)
posted by uncleozzy at 7:05 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Autumn and Winter are my least-favorite beer seasons.
I generally like winter beers best, except there's the question of what to do with the two undrinkable Bonfire-Rauchbiers you get with purchase of the otherwise delicious Sam Adams winter sampler 12 pack.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I generally like winter beers best, except there's the question of what to do with the two undrinkable Bonfire-Rauchbiers you get with purchase of the otherwise delicious Sam Adams winter sampler 12 pack.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I generally like winter beers best, except there's the question of what to do with the two undrinkable Bonfire-Rauchbiers you get with purchase of the otherwise delicious Sam Adams winter sampler 12 pack.
This recipe has never steered me wrong:
1. Mix two bottles of Bonfire-Rauchbier with one bottle Goya Imperial Stout in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Allow to cool completely.
4. Pour the whole godawful mix down the drain and drink bourbon.
posted by jbickers at 11:43 AM on October 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
This recipe has never steered me wrong:
1. Mix two bottles of Bonfire-Rauchbier with one bottle Goya Imperial Stout in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Allow to cool completely.
4. Pour the whole godawful mix down the drain and drink bourbon.
posted by jbickers at 11:43 AM on October 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
I do believe I used my Bonfire Rauchbiers to make beer brats once I realized they actually sold me a beer that tasted like they salvaged it from the smoldering carcass of a brewery.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:19 PM on October 7, 2014
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:19 PM on October 7, 2014
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posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 5:43 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]