Autumn Brews

As the warm glow of summer fades, we look for beers reflecting the season’s change. Starting with a bright honey amber and making our way to more autumnal flavors, these beers celebrate the end of summer’s heat and welcome autumn’s chill.

Latitude 42° Schoolhouse
Honey Amber Ale:

The schoolhouse rocks back-to-the-books season with this gloriously golden-hued amber ale. A touch of honey nicely balanced with fruit and citrus notes make up the aroma, quickly giving way to a smooth malty flavor with a surprisingly prickly finish. Creamy in flavor, this ale is still light enough to refresh, offering lovely complexity. With an easy 5 percent ABV, this Michigan native is ideal for the heels of summer, yet nicely sessionable for pigskin pigouts and other fall gatherings.

Jackie O’s
Barking Pumpkin Ale:

Not to be left out of fall festivities, southern Ohio brewery Jackie O’s offers up its harvest-inspired pumpkin ale. With color reminiscent of an autumn sunset, this brew has a distinct nose of pumpkin and spices – but with the first sip, strong notes of ginger, coriander and cinnamon are present, slowly fading to a hoppy, lightly bitter finish. Perfect for an October evening, this ale’s creamy mouthfeel and spice-infused flavor is warming and its ABV is a hearty yet somewhat masked 9 percent.

Elevator Brewing Company
Dark Force Lager:

On a crisp autumn evening, there’s nothing like a toasty lager. Although Columbus-based Elevator’s entry pours a dark, coppery brown color, this brew is surprisingly light in body, lacking the viscosity of some of Dark Force’s brunette cohorts. Yet its full flavor blends hints of caramel and nuts to produce a well-balanced and flavorful experience. Despite its light mouthfeel, Dark Force’s 5.9 percent ABV and overall warmth will make this a great go-to fall beer as the days shorten.