Courtesy photo
By Tina Danze
The beer: Wick for Brains Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Nebraska Brewing Co. in Papillion, Nebraska
Style: Pumpkin ale
The pitch: This fall seasonal is an amber ale made with real pumpkin and baking spices. It’s a good choice for those who don’t like heavily spiced pumpkin ales. Although the spice notes are prominent in the aroma, they take a back seat to the pumpkin flavor and amber ale character on the palate. Subtle notes of clove, nutmeg and allspice meld with the cinnamon and ginger to frame the baked pumpkin flavor. The beer is nicely balanced, with the sweet toasted malt flavor tempered by a touch of hops bitterness. It’s an easy-to-drink, medium-bodied ale with a crisp finish.
Fun fact: This is the first year that Nebraska Brewing Co. beers have been available in the Dallas area. Their packaging features the 360 Lid, which pops off to leave a topless can, more like drinking from a glass.
Serve it, pair it: This is an ideal beer for fall, not only for its light-to-medium weight and pumpkin flavor, but its Halloween-themed packaging. Serve it on its own, as well as with mild cheeses such as gouda or cheddar (not the sharp variety), roast poultry and mild sausages (like bratwurst).
Get some: The pumpkin ale season is short, so supplies are limited. Sold in six-packs of 12-ounce cans for about $9.49 at Central Market on Lovers Lane; Spec’s; select Whole Foods Market locations; North Oak Cliff Beer and Wine; AB Beer and Wine in Rockwall; Hall’s Wine and Spirits in Colleyville; Lone Star Beer and Wine in Carrollton; Total Wine and More in Lewisville; Choice Beverage in Plano; and Whip In in Flower Mound.
Tina Danze is a freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter at @TinaDanze.