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Where to find pumpkin, other fall beers around Indianapolis
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It’s the best time of the year — at least for those who really enjoy malty German beer.
While Oktoberfest officially wrapped up last week, breweries around Central Indiana are still celebrating autumn’s arrival with seasonal batches. From classic Bavarian brews to modern flavors riding the seemingly ceaseless pumpkin spice train, there’s plenty of fall beer for Hoosiers to enjoy. Here are 12 spiced autumn beers to try around Indianapolis, plus several places to find traditional Oktoberfest brews throughout the fall.
Bier Brewery
Three Central Indiana locations, bierbrewery.com
The brew: Pumpkin ale, 5.7% ABV, 14 IBU
The 2018 World Beer Cup silver medalist is now available at all three Bier Brewery locations in Allisonville, Carmel and the recently opened Noblesville campus. The acclaimed ale, billed as the liquid equivalent of pumpkin pie, is so beloved by Bier customers that it received its own release party this year.
Field Brewing
303 E. Main St., Westfield, (317) 804-9780
The brew: Basic Witch pumpkin ale, 5.5% ABV, 30 IBU
Field Brewing’s pumpkin red ale combines pumpkins, tamarind, Belgian candi sugar and maple and fig syrups to create an intensely autumnal dessert beer.
Grand Junction Brewing Company
1189 E. 181st St., Westfield, (317) 804-9583, gjbrew.com
The brew: Not Grandma’s Pumpkin Ale, 8% ABV, 10 IBU
At a bristling 8% alcohol by volume, this pumpkin ale is brewed to get you warm and cozy with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla. You can find it at Grand Junction’s Westfield taproom for a limited time.
Guggman Haus Brewing Co.
1701 Gent Ave. and 4601 N. College Ave., (317) 602-6131, guggmanhausbrewing.com
The brews: Spooky Pumpkins pumpkin ale, 6.2% ABV; autumn spiced milk stout, 7.6% ABV
The German tap house welcomes both the spooky and cozy sides of fall with its pumpkin ale and spiced milk stout. The Spooky Pumpkins features real pumpkin and classic fall spices, while the milk stout pairs similar spices with vanilla and cacao in a smooth, dark brew.
Kismetic Beer Company
201 S. Rural St.
The brew: Banana nut hefeweizen, 5% ABV, 20 IBU
Kismetic’s “ode to autumn” is a German-style yeasted wheat beer with caramel malted barley and floral hops steeped in a banana nut tea blend from Nelson’s Tea. You can grab a pint at Kismetic’s Christian Park tap room for a limited time.
Metazoa Brewing Company
140 S. College Ave., (317) 522-0251, metazoabrewing.com
The brews: I Saw the Swine pumpkin pie spiced barleywine, 8.4% ABV, 42 IBU; Jackal Lantern pumpkin ale, 5.3% ABV, 15 IBU
Downtown Indy’s animal-themed brewery is greeting the fall with a potent barleywine (strong malty beer) featuring cinnamon, nutmeg and plenty of fermented grain, plus a more forgivingly drinkable classic pumpkin blonde ale.
Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
50 Airport Pkwy L, Greenwood, (317) 887-2287, oakenbarrel.com
The brew: Apple buzz, 7% ABV
Oaken Barrel’s annually anticipated Apple Buzz, part cider and part beer, drops Oct. 14. Pints, bottles and cans will be available at Oaken Barrel’s Greenwood brewpub.
Quaff ON! Brewing Co.
Various Big Woods locations in Central and Southern Indiana, quaffon.com
The brew: Put A Fork In It pumpkin ale, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBU
Quaff On’s crowd-favorite seasonal beer is back through the end of October at Big Woods restaurant locations. The pumpkin-spiced ale is warm without being abrasive, malty but not overly complex, an extremely drinkable brew to welcome the cooler months.
Sun King Brewing
Multiple Central Indiana locations, sunkingbrewing.com
The brew: Pumpkin spice latte, 5.3%, 23 IBU
A blonde ale brewed with fall spices and coffee, this Sun King brew brings the flavors of a fall latte to happy hour. You can find it at Sun King locations throughout Marion and Hamilton Counties for a limited time.
The Tap
306 N. Delaware St., (317) 820-5580, thetapbeerbar.com
The brew: Tap-O-Lantern, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBU
The Bloomington-based gastropub’s signature pumpkin beer is back for the fall season. One hundred pounds of pumpkin are used in each batch of the amber ale, which also features molasses and fall spices. Rimmed with cinnamon and sugar and available at multiple Indiana Tap locations including downtown, this autumn ale epitomizes the best parts of trying to turn every food and drink into pumpkin pie from September through November.
Urban Vines Winery and Brewery
301 E. 161st St., Westfield, 317 (763) 0678, urban-vines.com
The brew: Hey Gourd-geous pumpkin ale, 4.7% ABV, 28 IBU
This mild amber ale packs a blend of fall squashes with fall spice. You can find it at Urban Vines’ Westfield tasting room for a limited time.
Wooden Bear Brewing Co.
21 W. North St., Greenfield, (317) 318-1803
The brew: Pumpkin ale, 6.2% ABV, 14 IBU
Greenfield’s first brewery brews its pumpkin ale with a single hop variety and traditional fall spices.
Where to find traditional Oktoberfest and other fall beers
Numerous breweries are offering their twist on Oktoberfest beer this fall. Each venue listed has a traditional Märzen, a more modern festbier or a signature Oktoberfest beer for sale. Beer names are listed in parentheses next to each brewery.
- Big Lug Canteen and other Sahm’s Hospitality Group restaurants (Oktoberfest wheat beer)
- Chilly Water Brewing Company, 719 Virginia Ave. (Oktoberfest Märzen)
- Field Brewing (Fest Field Märzen)
- Four Day Ray Brewing, 11671 Lantern Road, Fishers (Adler Oktoberfest)
- Grand Junction Brewing Co. (Oktoberfest Märzen)
- Metazoa (Barktoberfest)
- Saint Joseph Brewery and Public House, 540 N. College Ave. (Saint Joeberfest)
- Sun King (Oktoberfest, Bavarian Breakfast coffee-infused Märzen)
- Urban Vines (Rocktoberfest)
- The Tap (Taptoberfest)
- Twenty Tap, 406-08 N. College Ave (Twenty Below Oktoberfest)
- Upland Brewing Company, multiple Central Indiana locations (Oktoberfest Bavarian-style lager)
- Urban Vines Winery and Brewery (Oktoberfest)
Contact dining and drinks reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.