Local Brews to Pair with Bonfires and Flannel Shirts 

PUMPKIN BEER
Rivertown / Cincinnati
Pumpkin ale / ABV 5.2%
 

Notes: This has been one of the most-requested pumpkin beers made in Ohio over the last several years. Each year it’s different as the brewery goes to a local spice monger in Cincinnati and chooses one of three specially curated spice packets. Even though each year tastes different, they are always good—which is why it’s so highly sought after.

Pairings: Turkey dinner; pumpkin pie; stuffing

WULVER
Thirsty Dog / Akron
Bourbon barrel–aged Scottish Wee Heavy Ale / ABV 12%
 

Notes: This bourbon-aged beer is strong in flavor and alcohol. While it smells like a fresh snifter pour of bourbon, it still has balance of flavor so it’s not like you’re drinking a shot of booze. The vanilla from the bourbon and wood pairs well with the Scottish red base beer, amping up the sweet notes of the Wee Heavy’s toffee and caramel flavors. As it warms, it becomes bolder and more of a true fall evening beer meant to warm you up.

Pairings: Steak dinner; balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts; vanilla ice cream; cigars

COFFEE BROWN ALE
Mt. Carmel / Cincinnati
Cold press coffee–infused brown ale / ABV 6%
 

Notes: This beer has all of the pros of coffee and none of the cons, though you won’t get a big caffeine buzz off of this beer. If you are sensitive to caffeine, this beer will affect you and keep you up at night. Caffeine aside, this brown ale smells like you walked into a local coffeehouse. It tastes the same too. Brown ales seem to really embrace cold-press coffee as well since each of the two flavors tamps down any bitterness the other one might create. So instead of having a bitter or thin brown ale, you have a smooth, mild nut brown ale with a big coffee flavor minus any coffee bitterness. It finishes nice and smooth, too, so your palate isn’t wrecked by the coffee or beer.

Pairings: Breakfast and brunch foods; chicken salad with pecans or almonds, dry-rub barbecue brisket

OKTOBERFEST
Wolf’s Ridge / Columbus
German-Style Marzen / ABV 5.4%
 

Notes: This is an excellent representation of the style. Most people are familiar with Sam Adams Oktoberfest, a truly great beer. This one is a little drier with a touch less sweetness but with a bit more malt complexity to it. Definitely a great beer to sit back and relax with by a fire.

Pairings: German fare; pork chops; banana nut bread

MOJOFLO
Sideswipe / Columbus
Hoppy amber ale / ABV 6%
 

Notes: This local brewery made a beer for a local band called MojoFlo. This popular fall seasonal is great for those who don’t like all of the pumpkin beers out at this time or for those who really just want to drink something hoppy. Don’t dismiss this one if you are not a hop fan. If you drink this warmer, like 55° to 60°F, the rich and sweet amber malts will come out as very smooth and caramel—like, which will temper the bright hop flavor, making it very balanced

Pairing: Salmon salad with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, sushi, roasted chicken

STONE FORT
Seventh Son / Columbus
English-style brown ale / ABV 5.3%
 

Notes: This beer from Seventh Son is named after the oldest structure in Ohio. It’s a style of beer that some people really like, an English brown ale, while others are not huge fans. English brown ales tend to be light in body, with a crisp and malt-bitter finish that comes off as metallic or mineral tasting. That’s just how the style works. The beauty of this beer is that it has that refreshing brown flavor without any of the negative aspects. This is one of the best brown ales you are going to find anywhere AND it just happens to be made right here in Columbus.

Pairing: Mashed potatoes and gravy, poultry, beef stew (even better with beef stew made with Stone Fort)

FESTBIER
Saucy Brew Works / Cleveland
German-Style Marzen / ABV 6.17%
 

Notes: If you’re unfamiliar with Cleveland-based Saucy, they are fairly new to the Central Ohio beer scene. This Marzen is proving to be one of the better surprises of the year, as Oktoberfests go. This beer is a great representation of the modern style — lighter, crisper and more refreshing than some of the more typical caramel- flavored drinks out on the market. This is closer to what the Germans are making and drinking in Munich this time of year.

Pairing: Sausage; pretzels and pub cheese; sauerkraut

POPE'S IMPERIAL PUMPKIN ALE
Millersburg Brewing Company / Millersburg
Pumpkin ale / ABV 9%
 

Notes: When people run out for pumpkin beer this is the kind of beer that they are running for. This tastes like a pumpkin pie and is 9% alcohol, too, with heavy amounts of spice and gourd. It’s so good that it won bronze at the World Beer Cup that only happens every other year and is a competition for the whole world to compete in. Bronze at the World Beer Cup is a big deal, so if you’ve not had this beer, make sure you do as it won’t last long. It has become many people’s favorite pumpkin beer.

Pairing: Thanksgiving food; cool flannel evenings with a warm fire and friends

• Find more info at crafteddrafts.com