Great gourd! While Wild Onion Brewing Co. in Barrington, IL, was the first brewery to can a pumpkin beer in 2010, Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead is arguably the most popular and widely available pumpkin ale now housed within thin walls of aluminum in certain markets.
Served from a twelve-ounce can, the wheat ale pours a slightly hazy straw with a light, yet billowy white head and tremendous carbonation. The nose is full of fall fruit, notably apples and sweet figs.
The traditional pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg run together in a melange of autumn. This is no surprise; as with a lot of pumpkin ales on the market, Shipyard brews this beer with naturally-concentrated spiced pumpkin extract and not real gourds.
Apples—Gala and Braeburn, not Honey Crisp or Granny Smith—trail the muted spiciness of the light wheat. Pumpkinhead doesn’t linger in the mouth and leaves you thirsting for another sip of fall.
Last year, the brewery shipped 400,000 cases of Pumpkinhead, and it’s obvious why. This 4.7 percent ABV wheat ale appeals to new, casual and seasoned beer lovers alike. Now that the beer comes in the convenience of a can, expect to see a lot more Pumpkinhead at football tailgates, farm hayrides and fall bonfires.
Twelve-ounce cans are available in CT, FL, MA, ME, NH, RI and VT, with other markets following soon. Twelve-ounce bottles of the beer can be found in Shipyard’s entire distribution area.
