Pumpkin

Review: Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale

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I am going to start off this post by telling you how much I love World Market.  It has all kinds of stuff from soaps to necklaces to wine and beer.

Oh yeah!

If you haven’t been in one before you might be surprised that they carry alcohol but they do and they have an amazing selection.  They also give you the option of purchasing single bottles of beer to take home and test without having to drop cash on a six pack of something you might not like.

True story.  Check them out if you haven’t already!

Why am I bringing up World Market on a pumpkin ale review?  Because World Market is responsible for introducing me to my Fall Fling, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale.

I almost passed him up because his label is sort of plain and basic.  However I remembered that looks are only label deep and what lies inside is actually the most important.  I’m sure you all can agree with me on that, yes?

So I bought him.

We have been together every fall since and our relationship is going on about 5 years now.

It’s serious.

I thought it would be appropriate to start my pumpkin ale reviews with my very favorite pumpkin ale, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale.  Any other ale I drink has to live up to this guy right here.  The first time we were together, he knocked my socks off and bowled me over with his pumpkin flavor.

For me, this beer right here is exactly what a pumpkin ale should be.  EXACTLY.

To quickly recap, the beers are going to be rated on:

  • Smell
  • Color
  • Head Retention
  • Taste

The ratings will be :pumpkin: and the score will range from 1-5.  One being the poorest and five being the best.

Okay let’s get started!

Smell: 5 :pumpkin:

As soon as you open this beer you know right away that it is a pumpkin ale.  The notes of cinnamon and nutmeg hit you first thing.  It is so powerful and smells so good that you can’t wait to take a sip!

Color: 3 :pumpkin:

Admittedly the color is a bit light for this ale.  I prefer darker beers so in my mind I would like to see a touch more of a darker color.

Head: 3 :pumpkin:

I prefer heads that hold their shape and that have a bit of stamina.  The head on this ale does dissipate quickly which if you’re looking for that, it’s a good thing.  I’m not, I want to be forced to wait that extra few seconds because it helps build tension and the payoff of waiting and then sipping is a lot more satisfying.

(Yeah there’s really no way to talk about this without snickering. Go ahead, no one is looking.)

Taste: 5 :pumpkin:

Buffalo Bill’s taste is simply stunning.  It tastes exactly like it smells, which for pumpkin beers is a hard thing to achieve.  This beer is best served (in my opinion) super cold.  It brings out the crispness and freshness of the beer more and you get more of the wow factor from the spices.  The beer hits you with flavor from the first sip and finishes with just as much flavor.  When you drink this beer, you know you’re drinking an ale that is brewed to celebrate fall.

We’ve had this beer with desserts and we’ve had it with meals.  It pairs just as well with chili as it does a pumpkin cookie (or 5 if you’re me).

So far it has been my favorite pumpkin ale and the first ale I look for when fall arrives.  When we stopped by World Market to pick up our first batch of the season, can you imagine how excited I was when I saw they had Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale glasses?!

Jumping up and down may or may not have happened.  I really need to swing back over and buy some more.

If you are looking to try a pumpkin ale, I strongly recommend trying this one and seeing how you like it.  It’s a nice ale to get started with!

Have you had Buffalo Bill’s before?  Did you like it?

At Home Barista: Pumpkin Latte

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Since it’s Pumpkin Month it’s about time we get some pumpkin goods up in here, am I right?  As soon as the end of August starts getting near and the thought of September hits our consciousness, what does everyone start thinking about?

Pumpkin Lattes!

Don’t play, you know it’s true.

The concept I’m about to discuss is not one that I came up with, I have to acknowledge Mama Pea for this inspiration.  Last fall she discovered that a pumpkin latte from Starbucks made with soymilk and no whip is in fact not vegan.

Apparently there is some dry milk or something similar in the pumpkin spice syrup used to flavor the coffee.  I’m not really down with that.  I’m not vegan by any stretch but my preference for dairy comes in the form of cheese.  If I don’t want dairy and I’m actively trying to avoid it in food products, I really don’t appreciate having it snuck in behind my back.

A pumpkin spice syrup really doesn’t scream out that it requires milk, right?  So why have it in there?

Mama Pea came up with her own pumpkin spice latte and I turned around and made my own version as well.  It produces a rich creamy drink that is actually very filling!  We have been enjoying pumpkin lattes ever since!

We typically have a pumpkin latte on the weekends when we have a bit more time to relax and enjoy morning coffee.

Andrea’s Pumpkin Spice Latte

  • 1 1/4C Vanilla Soymilk (or vanilla nondairy milk of your choice)
  • 1 1/2TBSP Pumpkin Puree
  • 1tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4tsp Ground Allspice
  • 1/4tsp Ground Clove
  • 1tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/4tsp Molasses

Toss all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.  Makes enough for two mugs of pumpkin latte.  Fill mug close to half way with pumpkin mixture, then add in your freshly brewed coffee.  Stir and enjoy!

Frothy, delicious, and totally makes you think of fall weather.  It also smells mighty fine!  Now the next time you’ve got a hankering for some pumpkin spice lattes, you can make them at home!

Want a pumpkin spice latte using a homemade syrup?  Brandi just made some and she shares her technique!  Check it out!

Happy Pumpkin Month! :pumpkin:

Review of Pumpkin Ales

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The very first time I saw pumpkin beer was in the grocery store when I laid eyes upon Harvest Moon.  I was excited, thrilled, and also a little in shock.  Since pumpkin beer had never crossed my path before, I was blown away by the concept of it.

We immediately bought a six-pack to try out.  This was roughly six years ago.

Harvest Moon was alright.  It had a few hints of spice at the finish and we continued to purchase it more for the novelty effect because it certainly didn’t hit you over the head with pumpkin flavor.

Then we found out that Harvest Moon was made by the Blue Moon Brewing Company which is just an extension of Coors.

So we stopped buying it.

Our beer philosophy is that we would rather purchase and support craft beer breweries and microbreweries over big corporations.  Thus began my quest for great pumpkin ale.

I will tell you right now that I LOVE pumpkin beer.  I’m really kind of fanatical about them.   I love pumpkin beer so much that I am extremely picky and critical of the pumpkin beers that cross my path.  They have to be just right for me to even consider them as a “good” beer.

For Pumpkin Month I thought it would be fun to review some pumpkin ales!

Here is how the reviews are going to work.

I’m going to rate the beers on:

  • Smell
  • Color
  • Head Retention
  • Taste

The ratings will be :pumpkin: and the score will range from 1-5.  One being the poorest and five being the best.

I’ve been sipping and testing my way through pumpkin ales since September.  It’s a hard job but I want only the best for my readers!  Hooray for pumpkin (beer!)!

The Versatile Pumpkin

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To kick off Pumpkin Month, let’s talk about a few of the many ways that the amazing pumpkin can be used!

pancakes!

Of course there’s pumpkin pancakes!

Drizzle on some maple syrup, a little yogurt, and some pumpkin seeds and you have a mighty fine breakfast!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin is in oatmeal!  A few scoops of pureed pumpkin while the oats cook and you’ve got mega creamy goodness.  Add in a few scoops of small curd cottage cheese and suddenly you have pumpkin cheese cake oats!  It’s creamy and decadent which is a lovely way to start or finish the day.

Okay, so sweet we know, how about savory?

Pumpkin Penne

Pumpkin Penne anyone?  Yum!

Pasta not what you’re looking for?

How about some chili?  Pumpkin works great in chili!  It thickens it up without having to use a bunch of tomato paste.  You can’t even taste the pumpkin, but you do have a creamy thick chili that is perfect for a fall evening!

Hooray for pumpkin!

October is Pumpkin Month on OHC

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Pumpkin

Ah, it’s the last day of September and that means come tomorrow, when October emerges we will be in full Fall Mode!  If you’ve been reading OHC for a while, then you know how much I love this time of year!  Fall is by far my favorite.

It’s just a bit chilly but not batten-down-the-hatches cold.  Fall has crisp mornings and cool days that beg for sweaters, hoodies, and comfy boots.  It has colorful leaves, bright sunshine, and the prospect of apple picking.

There are gorgeous foods to be made and pumpkins to celebrate!

That’s right, it’s time to celebrate pumpkins!

I have loved pumpkin pie since I was a kid and yet there is more to pumpkin than just a pie once a year.  I have learned through experimenting and by reading what others are doing with pumpkin, that it is versatile and can be used in so many ways!

Pumpkin can be sweet, it can be savory, and it can be used in a variety of ways to achieve different results.  In order to try and do the awesome pumpkin justice, OHC is declaring October to be Pumpkin Month!

We will be talking, tasting, and discussing our way through October focusing on the pumpkin and all the glorious ways we can use it in our kitchens.

So tell me friends, do you love pumpkin too?  What is your favorite way to use pumpkin?

If you have a pumpkin tip or recipe that you would like to be featured this month, email me at Andrea AT Offhercork.com so we can chat about it!