3 minute read
Beer
from Mankato Magazine
By Bert Mattson
Smashing ‘Pumkins’
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Autumn is a peculiar period of intertwining traditions, old and new. The spirit of ancient harvest rituals seep through the iconic decorations of the season, filtered through a pane of colonial American influence.
It is counterintuitive that colonial Puritans would play transatlantic host to Celtic paganism. The word Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Evening, the evening prior to the Christian holy observance of All Hallow’s Day or Hallowmas. It marks the start of the Triduum, a three-day remembrance of the dead.
To my imagination, the jack-o’lantern makes for an intriguing avatar of this contradiction. Washington Irving’s gothic depiction of a headless Hessian horseman, set in a sleepy post-colonial settlement, was pressed with a publication date corresponding to the early trickles of famine-driven emigration from a Celtic and largely Catholic nation, which would ultimately achieve historic proportions. They carried with them the tradition of costumed ultimatums of prize or prank. Symbols of American bounty such as pumpkins, straw, cornstalks and scarecrows, swirled in the melting pot with spirits of the departed and bleached bones of medieval reliquaries.
The strange roots of candy sacks go deep. And though labels will change this season like the leaves, pumpkin beer isn’t new either. Native Americans companion-planted corn, beans, and squash crops, understanding that this benefits the quality of the soil as well as staves off unwanted weeds and pests. These Three Sisters had been interplanted for centuries before settlers arrived.
Pumpkins, a cultivar of winter squash unknown to most Europeans, proved an available source of fermentable sugar in the relative absence of malt. Pumpkin was also an ingredient in flip cocktails — mixtures of beer, rum, and sugar caramelized with a glowing iron. As quality malts became more plentiful, pumpkin faded from beer, only to reappear as a flavoring element amid the late 18th-century Colonial Revival movement.
The modern iteration, reflective of pumpkin pie, is attributed to Buffalo Bill’s Brewery. Their American Original Pumpkin Ale, released in the 1980s, has proven elusive locally. The modern version in general had been showing strong staying power up until the pandemic, during which seasonal releases have been curtailed. Fortunately, for those for whom a pumpkin beer might do the trick around Halloween, a couple of options abide.
A perennial pumpkin powerhouse from Southern Tier Brewing Company, Pumking hits the shelves early. This coppercolored, medium-heavy bodied brew brings pumpkin, spice, graham cracker and a peek of roasted pecan. It stops short of being syrupy like some and hides its 8.6 ABV notably well. It makes a nice reward for after escorting trick-or-treaters around the neighborhood in nippy weather.
Voodoo Ranger spicy release Atomic Pumpkin, from New Belgium Brewing, takes a different turn by incorporating habanero peppers. It’s a pleasant whiff of pie spice and a hint of peppers. Flavor follows the nose with caramel maltiness posing an interesting counterpoint to the heat, which isn’t overpowering.
At 6.4 ABV, a can could be the perfect companion to candy bowl duty. If you favor local traditions, rumor has it a limited run of Pumpkin Grinder will be poured in Mankato Brewery’s taproom.
Bert Mattson is a chef and writer based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner. bertsbackburner.com
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