Dan’s Restaurant and Tap House in Boonsboro, Md. was pouring four seasonal craft beers over the weekend, and as bartenders pulled the tap handles it could be seen that it’s the time of year for pumpkin beer.
Justin Trama, a bartender of eight years, who has worked at six different bars that poured craft beer, said, “Seasonal craft beer is a novelty and selling point, pumpkin beers spark interest in customers.”
On tap, there were two imperial pumpkin stouts, one from Flying Dog brewery in Maryland, and one from Southern Tier brewery in New York. There were also two Pumpkin Ales, one from Smutty Nose brewery in New Hampshire, and then another from Devil’s Backbone brewery in Virginia.
An avid craft beer drinker and connoisseur, Karl Blorstad, said that he was turned onto craft beer several years back on a camping trip and that he has gone all the way to Chicago from Maryland for beer that will never be sold again to the public.
Blorstad said that he’s more of an IPA craft beer drinker but he added, “Seasonal craft beer such as pumpkin beers show creative thinking and daring combos. It’s like an art.”
Customer’s smiled as they sipped; tongues tingled with the beer of the season.
“Before I can even introduce myself to a table, people are asking me what pumpkin beers we have on tap,” said Sarah Hensley, a server at Dan’s.
The general manager of Dan’s Restaurant and Tap House, Danny Hardy, said that ordering craft beer for the restaurant is actually quite the pain.
“The industry has started releasing way before the season, similar to retail. It over saturates the market. You have to buy early and sit on the inventory if you want the most sought after brands to be on your line during the actual season. I feel that seasonal craft beer does keep styles fresh, though, and encourages customers to expand their palate,” said Hardy.
A server could be overheard when he was recommending a seasonal beer to a table. He said, “If you haven’t had the Warlock imperial pumpkin stout, you’re missing out on pumpkin craft beer. Period.”
Tis the season to carve some new flavors into your beer palate.
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