Jack FM’s Guide to the Best Fall Brews

Obviously. Pumpkin-flavored beers are basically a win-win if you like beer and you like pumpkin-flavored things. Some great pumpkin beers are Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Cole’s on Elmwood is a good place to grab a Southern Tier Pumking. But watch out, because it has 8.6 percent alcohol content. So, maybe just have one so you can actually remember how good it was.

Oktoberfest beer is the perfect choice if you’re staring a never-ending beer menu and don’t know what to go with. Oktoberfest beers are a good stepping-stone to some of the more intense beers, as they have full-bodied flavor but somewhat mild taste. Some good ones to try are Harpoon, Real Ale, Spaten and Sam Adams.

Pilsners are a crispy and refreshing drink with a bit of a hop. They’re usually best for beer drinkers who are the type to throw down a menu after several frustrated glances and announce, “I just want a beer, nothing fancy.” They are a pale lager with a lighter taste and lower alcohol content. Some pilsners to try are Pilsner Urquell (the original), Blue Paddle and Warsteiner.

Hefeweizen is a German beer style (in case the name didn’t give that away) and is a top fermented, unfiltered, bottle-conditioned wheat beer. It often has a cloudy appearance and has a light fruity taste. They are often served with a lemon. Hefeweizens are also great for those less adventurous beer-drinkers as they have a lighter, milder taste. Some to try are Franziskaner, Paulaner and Sam Adams.

Brown ales typically have a mellow sweet taste and are mild on hops, although some American brews tend to be pretty hoppy. They’re usually amber to dark amber in color and are the perfect thing to curl up with on the couch while cheering on the Bills. Some to try are Newcastle Brown, Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale (it has a nice caramel and malt flavor) and Anchor Steaming Humming Ale (very hoppy).