Autu(mn) Craft Beer Releases from Out-of-State Breweries

Autumn is just around the corner and to celebrate the change in seasons, craft brewers across the country are about to release their Fall-time seasonal beers. We’ve put together a list featuring just a few special beers that Minnesotans will be able to find on tap or at their local liquor stores this Fall, including the usual suspects — pumpkin ales and Oktoberfests — and new styles celebrating the harvest and change of season.

Bell’s Best Brown Ale | Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI

Bell’s Best Brown Ale is that consistently delicious Fall Seasonal we’ve become used to seeing all over town for a few years now. You can order this smooth, toasty brown ale at the bar with the same confidence you’d have ordering a Surly Furious – you just cannot go wrong. The malty body provides a good mouthfeel and depth that suites the cooler temperatures of Fall, while not becoming too heavy. A generous amount of American hops balance the toasty malt flavor. 5.8% ABV.

Bone Warmer Imperial Amber Ale | Grand Teton Brewing Co., Victor, ID

Bone Warmer sold out faster than any of their other beers when it was first brewed way back in 2006. The beer can be classified as a “strong ale” with an ABV of 8.2%. It’s noticeable level of alcohol lends a pleasant warming character to a strong malty backbone. Bone Warmer finishes dry with a hint of toffee.

Sticky Fingers Fresh Hop Ale | Crazy Mountain Brewing Co., CO

This is an example of a Fall Seasonal beer that exists not because it’s named “Oktoberfest,” contains pumpkin spices, or has a deeper malt flavor, but because Fall is all about the harvest. In this case, it’s the 1000 pounds of freshly-harvested hops from Palidade, Colorado that makes Sticky Fingers unique. Crazy Mountain says the fresh hops are dumped into the boil within three hours of being picked! Available in 22 oz. bombers and on draught. 6.5% ABV.

Breakfast Stout | Founder’s Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI

At 8.3% ABV, it may be stronger than an Irish coffee. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee, this stout has an intense fresh-roasted java nose topped with a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that goes forever.

LTD 07 Oktoberfest | Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR

LTD means “Limited Edition,” but at Full Sail, it also means “Living the Dream.” A smooth, malty lager brewed in the true Bavarian Style, using Two-row Pale, Vienna, Caramel and imported roasted Munich malts, moderately hopped with imported Czech Saaz and Yakima Sterling hops. Flavors reminiscent of honey, nougat and roasted nuts. Complex and beautifully balanced Prost! 5.6% ABV

Oktoberfest | Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

Left Hand’s Oktoberfest is a märzen lager brewed true to style, giving tribute to its German roots. Drawing from his experiences of brewing for HRH Prinz Luitpold of Barvaria, Head Brewer Ro Guenzel has developed a complex yet balanced Oktoberfest that has become an annual cult favorite. Pouring a brilliant copper in color, the märzen lager entices the imbiber with notes of warm biscuit reminiscent of home and fall tradition. Oktoberfest begins with the toasty sweetness of the malt up front while the noble pedigree hops allow for a dry crisp finish.