An autumn of flavors between craft beer and pumpkin
Autumn is the season of warm colors, enveloping scents, and… pumpkin!
With Halloween just around the corner, there’s no better occasion to explore the tastiest side of this holiday, perhaps with a good craft beer in your glass. In recent years, thanks to the craft revolution, craft beers have rediscovered a universe of scents, aromas, and pairings that make them perfect even for complex dishes and unexpected ingredients like pumpkin.
There are even beers made with pumpkin, the so-called Pumpkin Ale, but in this article we won’t talk about them: instead, we want to suggest more surprising pairings that enhance the sweet and velvety character of pumpkin through contrast.
Because this is the key: the natural sweetness of pumpkin invites experimentation by seeking beers with different profiles, bitter, sour, or even savory, that can create balance and harmony on the plate and in the glass.
Pumpkin velouté: a light start
Let’s start with one of autumn’s most beloved dishes: pumpkin velouté. Soft, creamy, and slightly sweet, it finds its perfect balance in a German or Czech Pils.
The dry character and elegant bitterness of the hops bring freshness to the palate and contrast the sweetness of the pumpkin, making the drink smooth and balanced.
A simple but surprisingly refined pairing, which finds contrast in fundamental tastes and harmony in textures: ideal to start an autumn dinner.
Pumpkin tortelli and Tripel: elegance and structure
The pumpkin tortelli, especially in their Mantuan version, are a classic that combines sweetness, spice, and succulence. The filling made with amaretto, mustard, and nutmeg finds a perfect counterpart in the complexity of a Belgian Tripel.
Intense but dry, fruity and peppery, this beer enhances the dish without overpowering it, offering an intense, harmonious pairing full of nuances.
Baked pumpkin with aromatic herbs and cheese
A simple but aromatic dish, where pumpkin is enriched by the savoriness of cheese and the balsamic notes of herbs.
Here we can play on two different registers:
- with a Golden Ale we get a balanced, soft, and fragrant pairing;
- with an American IPA, instead, we create a more decisive contrast, where the resinous bitterness and citrus notes of the beer enhance the sweetness and crunchiness of the dish.
Two different paths, but both winning for those who love complex and balanced autumn flavors.
Pizza and beer: a great classic
Sweetness, fattiness, and savoriness: white pizza with pumpkin, pancetta, and gorgonzola is an explosion of flavor that requires a beer with a full body.
The perfect choice is a Doppelbock, a bottom-fermented beer of German origin with notes of caramel, dark honey, and toasted bread. Its malty sweetness wraps the pancetta and gorgonzola, creating a harmonious balance between sweet and salty.
A robust pairing, ideal for those who love full and bold flavors.
Pumpkin pie and craft beer: a dreamy finale
The Pumpkin pie, the sweet symbol of Halloween, cannot be missing. Spiced, enveloping, and indulgent, we suggest pairing it with two very different beer styles: a classic Belgian Dark Strong Ale (BDSA) or a Gose sour, salty, and aromatic.
The first adds elegance and complexity, with notes of dried fruit, caramel, and a certain alcoholic warmth; the second pairing, instead, teases the palate with a nice sweet-salty contrast and an intriguing succession of spicy notes, seeking a cleansing effect in acidity rather than high alcohol content.
A perfect combination to close the evening with a unique twist of flavors.
Halloween in the glass
Halloween is the perfect occasion to discover how craft beer can be versatile in the kitchen.
Whether it’s a pairing by contrast or affinity, the right beer always manages to enhance the sweetness and nuances of pumpkin, the absolute protagonist of this season.
On our shop Maltese.beer you can find all the craft beers mentioned — and many others perfect to accompany your autumn dishes or to toast on the most “haunted” night of the year.
Let yourself be enchanted by the scents of autumn and… happy Halloween from Maltese!
