Beer

10 New England fall beers to enjoy right now

There's something here for pumpkin lovers and haters alike.

Night Shift Brewing Pumpkin Piescraper
Courtesy Night Shift Brewing

By Gary Dzen

There may not be a better season in which to drink beer than fall.

Fall beers offer variety, from crisp, Czech-style lagers to syrupy stouts to brews made with all manner of pumpkin pie ingredients.

New England’s reputation as a place for all the fall things is warranted, and true to the region’s character, breweries here make some killer fall beers. Here are some of the best fall beers brewed by New England breweries for 2023.

Pursuit of Sappiness Maple Brown Ale, Mayflower Brewing Co.

Mayflower Brewing’s Pursuit of Sappiness is the Plymouth brewery’s fall beer offering.

According to Mayflower founder Drew Brosseau: “The addition of a little Vermont maple syrup puts a New England twist on our classic brown ale.  The beer is rich and full-bodied with flavors of caramel, toffee, chocolate, molasses, and of course, maple syrup.” 7 percent ABV

Flannel Friday, Harpoon Brewery

Harpoon Flannel Friday
Harpoon Flannel Friday, the Boston brewery’s fall seasonal. – Courtesy Harpoon Brewery

Harpoon’s fall seasonal is a cross between a brown ale and a red IPA. It features American hops and has subtle notes of caramel and roasted barley. This one drinks full bodied and a little bitter, with the balance you expect from Harpoon. 5.7 percent ABV

Tenner, Notch Brewing

“The most widely consumed beer style in the country that consumes the most beer in the world,” according to the Notch folks, who have tap rooms in both Salem and Brighton. This Czech pale lager is brewed with floor-malted barley and Saaz hops, triple decocted, and naturally carbonated with three weeks of extended lagering. Drinkers will note the crispy mouthfeel, as well as lemon and black pepper. 4 percent ABV

Fest of Both Worlds, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers

Only the third-ever collaboration between German brewery Weihenstephan and an American brewery, Fest of Both Worlds is an Oktoberfest-style lager with just a kiss of American hops. This one is easy to drink and super special given that you’re not likely to see it again. Jack’s Abby specializes in lagers, and this is right in their wheelhouse. 5.8 percent ABV

Allagash Haunted House

Allagash Haunted House
Allagash fall season beer Haunted House. – Courtesy Allagash

Billed as a “fall hoppy dark ale,” Allagash’s seasonal is inspired by pitch-black porters and Allagash’s house beer. Brewed with roasted barley and Crystal, Chinook, and Saaz hops, the brew has all the complexity and nuance we’ve come to expect from Allagash. 6.66 percent ABV

Wet Hot Cambridge Summer, Lamplighter Brewing Co.

Lamplighter’s Wet Hot Cambridge Summer.

Don’t let the name fool you — this is Lamplighter’s fiercely seasonal fall beer, brewed annually with freshly harvested “wet” hops from Four Star Farms in Northfield. The hops lend notes of fresh herbs and dank earth, which layers with the nutty and biscuit-y flavors of the malt. 6.2 percent ABV

Bear, Tree House Brewing Co.

Tree House is known for making maybe the best IPAs in the country, but if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed how varied and deep their lineup has become. One fall offering from the brewery is Bear, an American Brown Ale that’s got the nutty, slightly sweet characteristics of an English Brown combined with earthy American hops. Drinkers will get toffee, brown bread, and some dark fruit as they sip. 6.4 percent ABV

Boris, Bent Water Brewing Co.

Boris, from Bent Water Brewing Co.

Bent Water cranked the peanut butter and chocolate up to 11 for this one, creating a pastry-style stout for the Lynn brewery’s fall seasonal. This syrupy brew drinks like a peanut butter cup in a glass. 8 percent ABV

Oktoberfest: Märzen, Trillium Brewing Co.

Trillium’s Oktoberfest.

Märzens were first brewed more than 200 years ago as a “March” beer, lagered through the summer months to be ready in time to celebrate the original Oktoberfest in the fall. Trillium’s Märzen is bright amber in appearance and uses three German malts and noble Hallertau Mittelfruh hops “to achieve rich, toasted bread character with subdued floral hop aromatics,” according to Trillium’s Matt Gartska. 5.5 percent ABV

Pumpkin Piescraper, Night Shift Brewing Co.

Night Shift’s Pumpkin Piescraper is a modern take on a fall beer. – Courtesy Night Shift Brewing

This is the beer version of pumpkin pie, made with pumpkin as well as vanilla beans, cinnamon, maple syrup, and lactose. It’s sweet in all the right ways you’d want a decadent brew like this to be. 6 percent ABV

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