Fall is a fantastically magical time of year for beer. Pumpkin beers are aplenty and spiced beers are ramping up (not to mention all of the various harvest-style ales).

Don’t get us wrong. We love a good German-style brew this time of year but sometimes Reinheitsgebot is just a bit too archaic for our palettes.

With so many different pumpkin varieties out there, what makes them different?

Many breweries prefer to use canned pumpkin as it’s easier to add to the mash and less time-consuming. Breweries that use real, fresh pumpkin must undertake the slow process of cutting, baking, peeling and then adding it to the mash. Pumpkins are added at (just about) anytime during the boiling process.

Other than the different types of pumpkin, the quantity used, and the time they’re added, spices are a major factor in how these tasty beers taste.

And it’s not just pumpkin beer. You’ll find spices in lots of harvest ale and spiced winter warmers in the coming months. Additionally, spices are what make a lot of weird beers weird (aside from some of the other odd ingredients).

When it comes to spices in your beer, it’s a matter of quantity, time of addition, and the mix of spices used that really give these beers their unique flavors. You might see a combination of vanilla, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg (among others) if the beer you’re about to enjoy has some sort of pumpkin pie taste and mouthfeel.

If you’re interested in trying a multitude of pumpkin and fall beers, check out Beltsville’s 2^nd annual Pumpkin Beer Fest at Old Line from 1-6 pm on Saturday, October 25. We’ll have a special firkin of Flying Dog’s The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale as well as pumpkin-style offerings from Devil’s Backbone, Charm City, Full Tilt, Dogfish Head, Southern Tier, and Fordham Brewing.