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Ask An OC Expert: Fall Beers To Try

the bruery beer breweries 610 header
(credit: credit Cambria Griffith/The Bruery)

Nothing says fall quite like pumpkin pie, beer and football. Benjamin Weiss, director of marketing at The Bruery in Orange County, gives the lowdown on some of the best beers to complement your fall season.

the bruery beer brewery
(credit: credit Cambria Griffith/The Bruery)

Benjamin Weiss
The Bruery
715 Dunn Way
Placentia, CA 92870
(714) 996-6258
www.thebruery.com

Benjamin Weiss has brewed beer both professionally as well as on his stovetop. Currently, Weiss is the director of marketing for Orange County's boutique craft brewery, The Bruery, is a Certified Cicerone® and has enjoyed a brew in nearly 50 different countries over the past decade. With that much experience tasting brews from all over the world, we'd say he's pretty experienced to be an expert!

autumn-maple beer bruery
(credit: The Bruery)

Autumn Maple By The Bruery

Weiss paid tribute to The Bruery in his first beer recommendation and noted, " Gotta give love to our own fall seasonal release. It's brewed with yams, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla beans and plenty of seasonal spice. This seasonal beer is The Bruery's take on the classic 'pumpkin' style beer but brewed with sweet potatoes, which most people can probably agree are tastier than pumpkins or any other squash." Pair it with your favorite dish to get you in the fall spirit.

BoardMeeting Port brewing
(credit: Port Brewing)

Board Meeting By Port Brewing

Board Meeting by Port Brewing is actually a year-round beer, but it is perfect for the autumn season. Weiss highlighted, "As one of my favorites from San Diego's Port Brewing, this beer is a high gravity brown ale brewed with coffee and cacao nibs. It is rich, malty, and has that extra "umph" to get you through a rainy afternoon." He added, "This brew is excellent when served as an after dinner refreshment." After that kind of recommendation, this might need to be your new go-to night cap.

Related: Orange County's Best Breweries

Oktoberfest By Any Of The Münich Breweries

Oktoberfest excites most beer enthusiasts, so it is no surprise that Weiss highly suggested this legendary lager. He noted, "Oktoberfest is a tradition! It's a malty, but not cloying German lager that brings me back to the old world of brewing." Weiss mentioned, "I love to drink a bottle of Hacker-Pschor Oktoberfest and think about the history of beer from those who invented the modern day kilns, to the folks who would actually age these lagers in caves due to a lack of refrigeration. Lagers can sometimes seem boring, but if you take the time to understand them, they are truly fascinating."

pumking and warlock horiz photo
(credit: Southern Tier Brewing Company/N.Arnone)

Pumking By Southern Tier

Unfortunately, Pumking by Southern Tier can't be found in California but can be indulged when on the East Coast. Weiss noted, "Whenever I find myself on the East Coast during the season, I always make sure to get a glass of Pumking. This beer is the closest that I've ever had to pumpkin pie. It's intensely sweet with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg; it really is November in a glass." If you have a sweet tooth, then this is probably the fall beer for you.

sierra nevada beer
(credit: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.)

Pale Ale By Sierra Nevada

Living in Southern California, fall weather is not much different from spring weather. Weiss mentioned, "Lucky for me, the seasonal weather means that it is always a great day for a fresh, hoppy pale ale. Living close to the source for a seemingly infinite number of hoppy beers makes every day taste like harvest season. Seasonal beers are great, but I'm a sucker for the classics. Locals are fortunate to have some of the best in California."

Related: Best All-You-Can-Drink Specials In OC

Stacy Brecht is a professional writer, dancer, marketer and model in the Los Angeles area. Brecht also enjoys traveling, wine, fitness training, volunteering, movies and trying new restaurants. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.


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