I decree, "Let the Pompion be beaten in a Trough," my friends, "and pressed as Apples."

These strange words, extracted from papers of the Benjamin Franklin founded American Philosophical Society, date back to 1771, effectively marking one of the oldest pumpkin ale recipes on record. The recipe, as I've been able to find it in its entirety (from multiple sources):

Receipt for Pompion Ale: Let the Pompion be beaten in a Trough and pressed as Apples. The expressed Juice is to be boiled in a Copper a considerable Time and carefully skimmed that there may be no Remains of the fibrous Part of the Pulp. After that Intention is answered let the Liquor be hopped cooled fermented &c. as Malt Beer.

If you're a craft beer loving American like me, it may be hard to believe that pumpkin ale predates our own Declaration of Independence. It was hard enough for me to accept that pumpkin beer predates the recent craft beer revolution, never mind that it was prevalent in the 18th century. 

The nation's very first president, George Washington (a noted brewer), had a recipe for pumpkin ale most recently brought into the spotlight by Bill Owens of Buffalo Bill's Brewing. From a write-up on Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale:

When not a soldier and statesman, the father of our country was a plantation owner whose family and large workforce grew, bred, and brewed most of what they ate.

Fast forward 200+ years to the father of American micro-brewery, Bill Owens. Reading in a brewing book how Washington used the squash in his mash, Owens thought it was an idea in need of resurrection. 

And resurrect it, he did. In 1986 Buffalo Bill's began brewing their pumpkin ale - a beer that some consider the catalyst for modern pumpkin ale evolution; but Bill Owens is hardly the only one brewing pumpkin ale these days. More importantly, the pumpkin ale we find on the shelves of our local bottle shops has evolved quite a bit from that brewed by our Colonial Era (1630-1763) and Revolutionary Era (1763-1783) brethren so many years ago.

History of the Pumpkin Ale

I'm a huge proponent of research done over the web, and will oft thumb my nose at those who insist on digging through a stack of books to find what they're looking for. Admittedly, I backed myself into a corner with these claims, and found the history of pumpkin ale a rather tricky topic to sink my teeth into online.

Much of the available literature related to the earliest origination of these brews is buried deep within the Library of Congress, so I am left with what [little] there is to learn in the online realm. In response, I turn to the expert advice of homebrewers in a forum thread on HomeBrewTalk.com. My thoughts? Trust in homebrewers: without them we would not have had the American Craft Beer Revolution (1980 - present), and they will be our only hope in the event of another attempt at prohibition (read: Apocalypse).

This is the same forum thread where I first stumbled upon the above recipe for pumpkin ale, and one that erupts into an interesting debate about the inclusion of certain ingredients in the first pumpkin ales.

The most important take away is that squash (pumpkin) was used historically as a source of fermentable sugar when barley was scarce. One commenter adds that parsnips, molasses, and corn stalks were also used for the same purpose. Apparently, much of the malt was controlled by the English, and many of the pre-revolutionaries would not buy (or did not have available to them) English malt.

This is not to say that there aren't brewers attempting this same sort of technique today, but typically we would use outside fermentables to augment the flavor of the brew, rather than replace the malt. After all, the fact that beer is made from fermented malt (or fermentable starch/grain) is what inherently defines it as 'beer'. Modern takes on pumpkin beer also include one major distinction: the inclusion of such ingredients as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and other spices. Our pumpkin ales tend to project the flavors of our pumpkin pie, at least more so than represent the earliest pumpkin ale recipes.

One post in the forum discussion includes reference of colonial recipes for spiced ales, with the commenter arguing that our predecessors must have at some point combined pumpkin and spices to make a 'pumpkin pie beer'. Another argues that there are no recipes for spiced pumpkin ales prior to 1980, and it is a dangerous assumption to make - that just because there were spiced ales and pumpkin ales in the early days, someone probably combined them all to make an ale just like the ones we drink nowadays. I tend to agree with the latter argument.

Essentially all signs point to the fact that the pumpkin ale as we know it was not crafted until more recently. Without documentation indicating otherwise, we have no reason to believe that this sort of a beverage existed prior to the Craft Beer Revolution. Another post brings the argument home with an excellent point:

Modern brewers must always remember that many beers we think are historical are in fact decidedly not. We must remember that people didn't necessarily drink beer for the same reasons we do - they drank it because drinking water wasn't safe; it'd make you ill. Yes, the quality of the product was important - that's why they used malt when they could get it, and alternatives only in duress - but the really important thing was that there weren't any illness-causing microbes in the fluid.

We have the luxury of brewing for flavor in these modern times, not something to be taken for granted. I'll try to remember this the next time I stroll up to a refrigerator wall at my favorite bottle shop and peruse the dozen or so varieties of pumpkin ale.

My Experience

I knew I wanted to review a pumpkin ale this time of year, as it has taken me a while to expand my palate enough to even appreciate them. This isn't a style I reach for often, but I was definitely excited to get my hands on this year's batch from my favorite brewers. The question remained - which brewer gets featured here on the site?

This is a heavier question than it may appear, for this is the first time I've featured a repeat brewer on 52Brews. To my brother-in-law's point - if you continually go back to the same brewers because they make a superior product, don't they deserve another write up? Finally, the answer - yes they do. 

Dogfish Head is one of my favorite brewers - they continually amaze me with the variety of brews they make available, and I think a second write up is long overdue.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale pours orangey-amber with golden-yellow highlights. It is completely clear (definitely filtered) with a fluffy, pure white head - about a finger's width, quickly receding. The nose wafts sweet and spicy, with notes of pumpkin and allspice and a definite malty undercoating. However, this is not pure dessert in the aroma, there is no mistaking this is beer.

The flavor brings forward some of the notes from the nose, with sweetness from the brown sugar toying with the tongue up front, and quickly giving way to some of the cinnamon and nutmeg, finishing with a nice gentle bitterness. The pumpkin is pronounced mostly mid-palate to finish, but is not overbearing or overly dominating. When looking at the entire equation, the beer is not as sweet as the nose would have me lean, but rather plays a role in balancing the medium-bodied brew.

Like many Dogfish Head beers, I'm not distracted by the above-average alcohol content. I will say this is a notable accomplishment, particularly with this brew - namely because the flavors and aromas are markedly subtle. When compared to a beer like Southern Tier's Pumpking (which I do actually enjoy), the Dogfish Punkin is somewhat more approachable and inviting. This is a great beer for pumpkin ale first-timers and an easy beer for mid-afternoon weekend sipping, or better yet, a Thanksgiving night cap.

Final Thoughts

As I sort through the pages of history, I was amazed to see such deep roots in America forming the precursor to the modern pumpkin ale style. While I may not necessarily reach for a pumpkin ale every time I crave a beer, I am extremely pleased to have explored this year's batch of Dogfish Head Punkin.

There is a time and a place to enjoy pumpkin ales, and it took me a while to truly appreciate them. This beer from Dogfish Head is a welcome addition to my autumn repertoire, and I encourage beer lovers of all colors to give it a try and leave their impressions. In addition, I will give credit where credit is due - there are some other amazing reviews of Punkin Ale out there from my online beer blogging Twitter buds: namely The Beer Babe, Simply Beer, and The Brew Club.

I don't want to leave any of you out - if you've got a review of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, or some brewing history you'd like to share, feel free to jot your thoughts down in the comments area. I love hearing your feedback!

America (Delaware) - 7% ABV

Dogfish Head [website]

Pumpkin Ale