When did pumpkin beers become a thing? We can argue about which year pumpkin beers first connected with consumers, but sometime in the last decade, pumpkin beer went mainstream and became one of the signs that the fall selling season is finally here. We sat down recently with some of Breakthru’s beverage development team to find out more about pumpkin season and how to position pumpkin beers for maximum impact with consumers.
What makes pumpkin beers so special?
Michael Page, Illinois Beverage Specialist, says “Pumpkin is just a flavor, but it endures because it is a cool flavor that we only get to work with once a year. You either embrace it, or you run hard away from it.”
Matthew Aubrey, Maryland Brand Educator, cites the transition from summer as a key selling point. “After a long hot summer, it’s finally time for some cool crisp weather, and pumpkin flavors get us in that mindset.”
Wisconsin Beverage Specialist Dan Dufek takes that a step further, saying pumpkin is a versatile flavor which “has come to represent fall in general, and the turning of the seasons. For anyone that lives in a colder climate, their first pumpkin beverage of the season is something they really look forward to, like bringing out their favorite sweater on the first cold night.”
How long does pumpkin season last?
Consensus is mixed on this issue. Page says the season runs through Christmas, but Thanksgiving should be the end. Illinois Beverage Specialist Natalia Cardenas agrees, saying that by December 26 consumers are “done with it. It’s overload.” Aubrey holds fast to Thanksgiving being the end of the season, but Dufek is more bullish, saying the end should be “The day after Halloween, maybe? I’m not sure of the official end, but I think when you get rid of the pumpkins on your porch, you should finish the pumpkin beers in your fridge. It plays all season; at least until winter really starts to set in.”
What should consumers expect from a pumpkin beer?
Page would steer consumers toward pumpkin beer if they are looking for something sweeter, or would normally go for cider. He also cites wheat beer styles as particularly good for pumpkin brews, bringing hints of banana and spice, as well as bright flavors, to the beer.
For Aubrey, pumpkin beer drinkers should expect “sweetness, obviously, as well as some heat from the cinnamon and nutmeg.”
Dufek explains that pumpkin beer “should still be balanced. That’s number one. I personally can’t drink a beer that tastes like dessert, or is overwhelmed with baking spices. After two sips, I feel full and like it’s time for bed. So I really appreciate a lighter-bodied, more subtle pumpkin flavor in a beer. And there are those baking spice notes, hopefully those are subtle enough as well. Basically it shouldn’t taste like a #PumpkinSpiceLatte.”
For more information on our portfolio of seasonal pumpkin beers, talk to your Breakthru Sales Consultant and learn how great pumpkin beers can help your business grow.