When fall hits, we reach for pumpkin ales, and the strong, spice-soaked ale brewed by Schlafly Beer has long been exemplary in the field. This year, Schlafly is getting even more from the pumpkin patch with its new vanilla pumpkin ale, which is available on draft at Schlafly’s brewpubs and also for sale in six-packs. If you read “vanilla” as code for “sickly sweet,” worry not: The notes of vanilla we taste here are closer to the aroma you might get from an oak-aged bourbon rather than a sugary, creamy dessert. The vanilla also adds a certain smoothness that complements those pumpkin pie baking spices like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg carried over from Schlafly’s original pumpkin ale. Sipping this, it’s impossible not to be excited about the season ahead of us. Or maybe that’s the beer’s 8% ABV talking.
Multiple locations, schlafly.com
This article appears in October 2024.