Trick-Or-Treat For Halloween Themed Beers
Drinking to theme can be a lot of fun. And from what I’ve found, there are a lot of Halloween themed beers to choose from so enjoying a spooky brew on Halloween should be easy.
It might seem a little silly but we all drink a lot of craft beer so there are times it might be difficult to decide what to drink. Drinking to theme takes the guess work out of it.
And it adds to the fun of whatever event you are celebrating.
In this case, we are drinking Halloween themed beers. Check out these horrifying brews and then let me know what you drink on Old Hallows Eve.
Related Article: Why We Will See Less Pumpkin Beer This Year
Nosferatu | Great Lakes Brewing
ABV: 8% | IBU: 70
This brew is named after the 1922 vampire movie by the same name, Nosferatu. For many, this classic movie is a must watch every fall.
Great Lakes celebrates the movie with a highly hopped imperial red ale.
Since it’s an imperial, you can expect big, rich flavor and at 8% ABV, it does bite . . . sorry I had to.
Even with the big flavor, it is a smooth, well balanced beer.
Zombie Dust | Three Floyds Brewing
ABV: 6.2% | IBU: 50
I’m not sure there’s a more popular theme over the past five years than zombies. We find them on TV shows, in movies and there are even zombie themed races.
And as you might expect; you’ll see a ton of kids (and adults) dressed as zombies on Halloween.
This pale ale is intensely hopped and exudes lots of citrus fruit flavors.
For many, finding this beer is almost as hard as finding a real zombie. Despite increasing production, Zombie Dust continues to sell out faster than stores can get it.
So if you can score this hard to find brew, make sure you share with those less fortunate.
Ichabod | New Holland Brewing
ABV: 4.5% | IBU: 26
Do I need to talk about pumpkin beers any more than I already have? Probably not.
But I couldn’t make a list of Halloween themed beers and not include a pumpkin one.
To keep with the theme, I choose Ichabod from New Holland. Ichabod is often the character being chased by the Headless Horseman so it fits the theme quite well.
This craft beer features real pumpkin which sets it apart from the other pumpkin beers that only use spices to mimic pumpkin flavors. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg and you’ve got a tasty beer.
New Holland says this beer pairs well with dinner just as well as dessert so feel free to crack this one open at any point on Halloween.
And note, this is the lowest ABV beer on this list so if you want to have more than one or two then this may be a good option.
Warlock | Southern Tier Brewing
ABV: 8.6% | 40
I recently wrote a Craft Beer Spotlight on Pumking; now it’s time to take a look the darker sibling, Warlock.
Southern Tier is known for making big beers that are sweet and decadent. Warlock is that kind of bee for me.
In the past, this brew weighed in at 10% ABV but it’s been backed down to 8.6% this year. I’ll be interested to find out if it’s kept its deep, rich flavor.
Either way, I trust Southern Tier to craft a great dessert beer.
I wish there were more dark pumpkin beers. I think a stout is a perfect base for the sweet, earthly, fall flavors of a pumpkin beer. And this one tastes like you’re eating pumpkin pie while drinking a stout.
Dead Guy Ale | Rogue Brewing
ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 40
If you’re looking for a Halloween themed beer then what could be better than a beer with a skeleton on it?
Rogue Dead Guy Ale has been around since the early 1990’s when it was brewed as a beer to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead.
People loved it and Rogue never looked back as they made it the label for their Maierbock ale. The artwork remained the same for 25 years until it was updated just this year.
You can find this beer year round too so anytime you want to get in the Halloween spirit, go grab this one.
Death | Rivertown Barrel House And Brewing
ABV: 11.7% | IBU: 38
You know I had to put a Cincinnati beer on my list and this time I went with Death from Rivertown.
To those that do not like spicy beers, this will probably taste like death. But if spicy is your thing, you’ve got to try this one.
They start with a Russian Imperial Stout recipe and then add in Bhut Jolokia Chiles; aka Ghost Peppers.
You’ll get the chocolate, roasty malt flavors from the stout while the high ABV adds warmth. Then the peppers kick in and take it to the next level.
It is the type of heat that stays with you so drink with caution. It’s only available Fall through Winter and and is a nice way to stay warm.
I’ve heard many people use this beer for cooking. I can see this making a tasty, spicy chili.
Related Article: Don’t Like Pumpkin Beer? Check Out These Other Fall Craft Beers
So there’s my list of the frightening craft beers that you should look to drink on Halloween this year.
Hopefully you’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy some great Halloween themed beers on Oct 31st.
While you are passing out out candy to the kids on Halloween, consider passing out some craft beer to the parents as well.
What Halloween Themed Beers Would Make Your List?
