Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, will debut The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale, a hearty autumn beer that is the latest entry in their Bottled Reserves series of award-winning and seasonal beers.   The beer will be sold in cork-finished 750 ml bottles for $19.50 at all eight area locations. The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale was brewed with more than 200 pounds of Crookneck pumpkins from Lancaster, PA, as well as pumpkin pie spices, molasses and Belgian candi sugar, giving it a rich flavor and heady aroma, evocative of all things fall.

“We think of this beer as a big brother to our popular Pumpkin Ale,” says Iron Hill Director of Brewing Operations, Mark Edelson. “It’s fuller bodied and more intensely flavorful – perfect for drinking on its own on a crisp autumn afternoon or pairing with the season’s heartier dishes.”

Like many of Iron Hill’s Bottled Reserves before it, The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale will feature a custom-designed label from local artist Jeff Schaller, this time inspired by the beloved comic strip Peanuts. Schaller frequently collaborates with Iron Hill, in addition to his fun, whimsical labels, he also created the signature wall murals at several Iron Hill locations.

Founded by home brewers Edelson and Kevin Finn and restaurateur Kevin Davies in Newark, DE in 1996, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant is the region’s fastest-growing restaurant group, blossoming from one restaurant and brewery to eight locations across the mid-Atlantic. Each is dedicated to producing and serving top-quality hand-crafted beers and cuisine in a warm and hospitable setting, and all are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Their acclaimed beers have accumulated a wealth of awards from the nation’s top beer festivals, and their restaurants have earned more than 100 “Best of” nods from local and national publications.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s eight locations include:  Newark, DE (147 East Main Street, 302-266-9000);  Wilmington, DE (710 South Madison Street, 302-472-2739);  Media, PA (30 East State Street, 610-627-9000);  West Chester, PA (3 West Gay Street, 610-738-9600);  North Wales, PA (1460 Bethlehem Pike, 267-708-2000);  Phoenixville, PA (130 East Bridge Street, 610-983-9333);  Lancaster, PA (781 Harrisburg Pike, 717-291-9800);  and Maple Shade, NJ (124 East Kings Highway, 856-273-0300).  Their ninth location, in Chestnut Hill, PA, is projected to open in 2011.

For more information about Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale, the Bottled Reserves series, or to make a reservation at any of their locations, please visit  www.ironhillbrewery.com.  You can also like them on Facebook at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant and follow them on Twitter @ironhillbrewery.