Joe Sixpack: Jack-o'-lager tops other fruity brews

OVER THE LAST couple of weeks, I've been writing about oddball beer flavors - pizza, crème brulee, blueberry - some of it good, some not. The most frequent reaction I've gotten is a shrug of disbelief.

I agree, it's hard to think of these flavors as anything more than a one-time gimmick, here today, in the recycling bin tomorrow.

But be careful. One of them just might be the next Great Pumpkin.

Yes, gourd help us, pumpkin beer - a style that, till 20 years ago, existed only in dusty history books. It's made with a fruit - or is it a vegetable? - whose primary culinary usage is the fine art of carved jack-o'-lanterns. When brewing pioneer Bill Owens cooked up his first version of Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale in 1985, who thought it would spawn a hundred more varieties?

It's not like pumpkin is a magical fruit. While the pulp can add some body (if it's not filtered), the beer's color is a product of its roasted malt, and the character comes mainly from spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and clove.

When it first became popular in the late '90s, Dan Weirback, of Weyerbacher Brewing in Easton, was as skeptical as the next guy.

"One of our best wholesalers had been bugging us, 'You've got to make a pumpkin beer,' " Weirback said. "I was just scratching my head - it won't last. I thought the [wholesaler] was just jumping onto a trend."

After holding out for several years, Weirback gave in and turned out a superb Imperial Pumpkin Ale that's deliciously spiced and contains a warming 8 percent alcohol.

It was an immediate hit, and sales have increased every year. Weyerbacher brewed the equivalent of 6,500 cases of it this year, making the ale one of its most popular seasonals.

"It just boggles my mind," said Weirback. "It's developed a following all its own, and you have to say it's on merit, not just for kicks."

Weyerbacher is hardly the exception. Take a look at the beer shelves this week and you'll find dozens of versions from well-known craft brewers, including Saranac, Dogfish Head, Shipyard and Wolaver's Organic. Even the big boys are harvesting pumpkins; Coors makes Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale and Anheuser-Busch pours Jack's Pumpkin Spice.

These days, Buffalo Bill's, the brewery that started it all, sells more than 100,000 cases each season.