From Lakefront to Lion's Tail, here's where you can find pumpkin beers in the Milwaukee area
One of fall's most popular seasonal beers is back: the pumpkin beer.
Many Milwaukee-area breweries create their own pumpkin ales and lagers — sometimes with actual pumpkin, but more often with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to mimic a pumpkin pie flavor.
Here's where you can get some pumpkin beers in the Milwaukee area this fall. Most beers on this list are from local breweries, but some are unique brews from elsewhere in the country that are available at local draft houses. Also, some beers are listed twice if they are available both at the brewery and a draft house.
3 Sheeps Brewing
1837 North Ave., Sheboygan, (920) 395-3583
Three Sheeps Brewing is bringing back their Pumpkin Spice Veneration imperial pumpkin beer. The 13.7% ABV beer is a Belgian-style quad made with pie spice and aged in a rye whiskey barrel. Its flavor is "incredibly complex," and "balances the sweetness of its ingredients with the warm spiciness from the rye barrels," according to its description.
Draft & Vessel
4417 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood, (414) 533-5599; 7479 Harwood Ave., Wauwatosa
This local draft house has three pumpkin beer offerings this year, including Lakefront Brewery's Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale. The 10.7% ABV beer is made with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla beans and aged in brandy barrels.
Draft & Vessel also has two pumpkin beers from Southern Tier Brewing, based in southwestern New York. They are carrying the Pumking and Warlock. Pumking is a popular pumpkin imperial ale and Warlock is an imperial pumpkin stout. Both beers are 8.6% ABV.
East Troy Brewery
2905 Main St., East Troy, (262) 642-2670
East Troy Brewing this fall has their Jack-O-Lantern, an amber ale that is "like drinking a slice of pumpkin pie." The 6% ABV beer uses brown sugar, freshly ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to create that flavor.
The brewery will release their 33-gallon batch on Oct. 25.
Explorium
143 W. St Paul Ave., 5300 S. 76th St. #1450a, Greendale, (414) 423-1365
This brewery with two locations, one in the Third Ward and the other in Greendale, has their seasonal The Gourd Land pumpkin ale available this fall. The name is a play on Milwaukee's nickname "The Good Land." It is a 6.9% ABV American brown ale with pie spice.
Foxtown Brewery
6411 W. Mequon Rd., Mequon, (262) 292-5700
This Mequon brewery has a Pumpkin Spice Latte 5% ABV pumpkin and yam beer. It's not your "basic batch" of pumpkin beer, according to the beer's description.
Indeed Brewing Co.
530 S. Second St.
This Minneapolis-based brewery with a taproom in Milwaukee has a Pumpkin Spice Pistachio Cream Ale available in cans. The 5.5% ABV beer takes their popular Pistachio Cream Ale and adds pie spice for a "festive and fruitful" brew.
Lakefront Brewery
1872 N. Commerce St., (414) 372-8800
Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewery in Riverwest has three pumpkin beers this year.
They have their annual Pumpkin Lager, which they claim is the longest running pumpkin seasonal beer in the world. It's available in 6-pack cans and on tap at the brewery.
They are also bringing backing their Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale with vanilla beans to sweeten this 10.7% ABV beer. It's available in 6-pack cans and on draft.
This year they also brewed a limited batch Nitro Pumpkin Pie Ale, available at the brewery and a handful of local taverns with nitro lines. It is a 6% ABV amber ale with vanilla, pumpkin, and pie spice.
Lion's Tail Brewing Co.
8520 W. North Ave., 414-309-9360
This Neenah-based brewery with a taproom in Wauwatosa has Gourd Vibrations available on tap or in can. The 4.7% ABV pumpkin and yam beer drinks like a blond ale but has flavors of pumpkin and pie spice.
Raised Grain Brewing Co.
1725 Dolphin Dr., Waukesha, (262) 505-5942
This Waukesha brewery has their pumpkin brew Snakes & Spiders available this fall. The 6.8% ABV ale is made with nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice and pumpkin puree.
Sugar Maple
441 E Lincoln Ave., 414-509-6035
This Bay View draft house has three pumpkin offerings this year.
They have Pun'kin Power Pumpkin Ale from Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, based in Denver. The beer is a 7% ABV brew made with pumpkin and pie spices.
They also have Indeed Brewing's Pumpkin Spiced Pistachio Cream Ale.
Their final offering is the Night Owl Pumpkin Ale from Elysian Brewing based in Seattle. The 6.7% ABV beer uses 150 pounds of pumpkin in each batch, plus pie spices.
If we missed your pumpkin beer, email jordyn.noennig@jrn.com.