Falling out of love with pumpkin ales?

You know that something is very wrong if chocolate Santa Clauses appear in supermarkets in August. Although international trade and advances in farming mean that seasonal food supplies are definitely a thing of the past, there are some traditions that should be upheld, even if only for the sake of tradition.

The same applies to pumpkin ales. They used to be autumn specialty beers but in recent years were made available as early as May. The inevitable happened in 2015. Sales of the once cultish seasonal style declined. The problem was overproduction, oversaturation, and overly hot autumn temperatures. Not only had established craft brewers pepped up production of pumpkin ales, new breweries were also trying to cash in on the craze. For the first time, big quantities of pumpkin beers sat on the shelves months past their sell-by dates and a lot of breweries, wholesalers and retailers lost money. In some cases brewers even had to buy old stock back from their distributors.

It was the “Great Pumpkin Debacle of 2015” and self-critical craft brewers were the first to admit that the early start in delivery to supermarkets and bars may have contributed to the fatigue factor.

Unsurprisingly, media in the US were quick to declare pumpkin ales a dying trend and many craft brewers decided to cut production this year, while extending the sales of the summer brews or brewing Oktoberfest-style beers instead to celebrate the autumn season.