Even though the sun is still high and several weeks exist between now and summer’s official end, beverage brands are already rolling out autumnal products to prime their customers for the fall season. It wasn’t all that long ago that Starbucks released its coveted Pumpkin Spice Latte in September, but for the past few years, that date has shifted to late August, and every other drinks company seems to be following suit.
This trend is a double-edged sword. For those hoping to hold onto summer for as long as possible, it can be a buzz kill to see pumpkin products lining store shelves this early. On the other hand, those who eagerly count down to sweater season can now start their days with PSLs and end them with pumpkin beers roughly a month before summer technically comes to a close.
Just as nearly every coffee shop in the country offers a pumpkin drink this time of year, breweries all over the country now produce a pumpkin beer too — with mixed results. Many are sweet, syrupy, adjunct-heavy brews that taste more like a fistful of spices than a balanced beer. But in the sea of sub-par options there are always a few gems that stand out and usher in autumn with style. To find them, we sampled dozens of pumpkin beers and compiled a list of the best. From pumpkin IPAs to delicately spiced brown ales, there are the best pumpkin beers of fall 2025.
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale
Portland, Maine’s Shipyard Brewing Company has been in the pumpkin beer game since the late ‘90s, when it released its first batch of Pumpkinhead Ale. Unlike other cloying early examples, the beer is a rather sessionable wheat ale clocking in at 4.5 percent ABV and blended with spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It drinks like a light, crisp ale, with pumpkin spice as an afterthought. Notes of caramel and roasted malt lead with a subtly hoppy bitterness keeping sweetness in check. Only on the finish do pumpkin spice flavors fully emerge, reeling us back in for another sip. Although it errs on the lighter side of pumpkin beers, Pumpkinhead Ale is a great autumnal crusher. For fans of Blue Moon in the summer, make this your go-to when the foliage starts to turn.
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
If Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead Ale had a heftier, bolder older sibling, it’d be Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale. The brew pours a translucent deep brown hue that dishes up a delightful bouquet of honey, whole wheat bread, and cinnamon sugar with an undercurrent of roasted pumpkin. At 8 percent ABV, the palate is rich, full-bodied, and a bit hot on the finish, but all of the autumnal flavors promised on the nose still shine through. It makes for a solid companion for crisp fall nights on the porch, ideally served in a Teku or Belgian Tulip glass to let the beer breathe.
Clown Shoes Pumpkin Sombrero
Clown Shoes Beer’s Pumpkin Sombrero Mexican-style stout is decadent but not cloying. Brewed with chocolate and pumpkin purée, it opens with robust aromas of roasted squash and brown sugar, underscored by dark chocolate cake. The chocolate’s bitterness takes center stage on the palate, with wisps of sugar and pumpkin pie emerging on the finish. While the style often gets a bad rap for being saccharine and syrupy, that doesn’t mean sweet-leaning pumpkin beers should be written off entirely. Lest we forget, pumpkin pie is indeed a desert at the end of the day.
Samuel Adams Jack-O
While delicate, reserved pumpkin beers have their audience, some just want a burst of pumpkin pie flavor — and that’s where Sam Adams Jack-O comes in. The beer serves up a heavy waft of snickerdoodle cookies, freshly-baked pumpkin pie, clove, and nutmeg. The palate delivers more of the same, but the beer’s malty backbone retains a familiar profile for casual drinkers. There’s no denying that it leans on the sweeter side, but Jack-O doesn’t taste artificial or made to solely satisfy those with a sweet tooth.
Bronx Brewery Tattooed Pumpkin IPA
Tattooed Pumpkin is an IPA first, and a pumpkin ale second. The amber, semi-opaque brew opens with a bouquet of piney and citrus-forward hops, with any rough bitter edges softened by faint notes of cinnamon and allspice. On the palate, the hops take a backseat, largely muffled by more baking spices and vegetal raw pumpkin notes. The hops come back swinging for a grand finale on the finish, making each sip conclude with a dry, bitter bite. It may deliver in-your-face pumpkin flavor, but it’s a great gateway for IPA drinkers to get into pumpkin beer or vice versa.
Elysian Brewing Night Owl
Seattle’s Elysian goes all in on pumpkin beers every fall with four unique expressions: a coffee-infused pumpkin ale, an imperial pumpkin ale, a pumpkin stout, and a classic pumpkin ale. While all of them are solid, Night Owl — the brewery’s original pumpkin ale — is the reigning champ. The second the liquid hits the glass, pumpkin pie aromas flood the senses. After the initial plume settles, the beer reveals deeper notes of roasted malt and strawberry Twizzlers. Similar to the nose, the first sip hits like freshly baked pumpkin pie without being cloying. As the beer warms, however, it shows its complex character: Roasted butternut squash, ginger, cinnamon, and a light hoppy bitterness rise to the foreground, making this easily one of the most well-rounded, balanced pumpkin beers we tasted.
Doc’s Pumpkin Cider
It may not be a beer, but we wanted to shine a light on a pumpkin cider we can confidently recommend to our gluten-free friends. Doc’s Pumpkin Cider is crafted with pressed New York state apples, roasted pumpkins, and autumn spices. The result is a lively, effervescent 6 percent ABV delight that hits like a cross between apple cobbler and pumpkin pie. With a mellow gold hue, the cider dishes up crisp notes of apples, clove, and nutmeg with an unexpected hint of Brett-like funk woven throughout. The funk dissipates immediately upon taking a sip, giving way to a mouthful of pumpkin spice and roasted squash that culminates in a snappy apple-forward finish. As far as sheer refreshment goes in the pumpkin beverage space, this cider is hard to top.
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Dogfish Head has been known to throw everything but the kitchen sink into its beers — from apricots to fried pork scraps — so it may come as no surprise that it pulls off a pumpkin beer very well. The brewery made its first batch of Punkin Ale in 1994, and now it’s a seasonal staple for the brand. Brewed with pumpkin flesh, brown sugar, and spices, the beer carries all the quintessential pumpkin pie aromas with a subtle fruity character that brightens up the whole show. Despite its 7 percent ABV, the palate lands surprisingly light without skimping on the pumpkin-forward flavors promised on the nose. Think of it like Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale, but a touch less robust and more easy-drinking.
Two Roads Brewing Company Roadsmary’s Baby
Rum-barrel aging may seem like an odd treatment for a pumpkin beer, but Two Roads proves it’s an endeavor more breweries should try. Roadsmary’s Baby opens up with an unmistakably rum-influenced nose, showing notes of vanilla, dates, black licorice, and baking spices that complement the beer’s pumpkin aromas. On the palate, the vanilla and pumpkin spice flavors shine brightest while the beer’s luscious, chewy mouthfeel ups the decadence. At 6.8 percent ABV, it’s not too hot to handle, despite the prominent rum barrel character. Roadsmary’s Baby is far from an average pumpkin beer, and that’s a big part of the appeal.
Garvies Point Pumpkin Picker
Pumpkin Picker is one of the more understated offerings in the category. At 5 percent ABV, it’s light and easy-drinking, with its pumpkin character only starting to emerge as it warms. Its copper hue and malty profile present quintessential brown ale characteristics, but the nose and palate eventually evolve into sweet, subtly spiced territory. Notes of strawberry licorice and pumpkin pie spice emerge under its layered malty backbone, carrying over to the palate and culminating in a finish reminiscent of malted milk balls.
