It is that time of year again. Trees are changing color, the air has the crisp hint of the cold to come, and the smell of fireplaces being lit wafts through the air — all in places far away from Florida. Here, it is still in the nineties every day with nearly daily rainfall and a seemingly endless parade of would-be hurricanes coming in off the coast of Africa. Autumn in Florida is really just an extension of summer that eventually gets around to being winter.
But no matter what the status of autumn, it does not affect the release of the fall seasonals in the craft beer world. Most prominent are the Oktoberfest beers and pumpkin ales, but there are many others as well. These are the preludes to the Winter brews. They should evoke images of Fall: falling leaves, kids going back to school, Halloween approaching and then Thanksgiving. For those of us in the Sunshine State, we should be able to feel what our friends up north feel, even if only in our minds while we enjoy these special brews.
The Magic Hat Brewing Company in South Burlington, Vermont, releases variety packs every season, showcasing their limited release beers. The autumn selection is called the “Night of the Living Dead” variety pack and features four different brews. Their flagship #9, Hex Ourtoberfest Ale, hI.P.A. (pronounced "High-P.A."), and the Fall Odd Notion. All bear the trademark “freak show” artwork that Magic Hat is known for and cryptic messages on the label that more often than not tells little about the beer.
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2010.