It's the Great Pumpkin! - The Washington Beer Blog

Note: This was the first story ever published on the Washington Beer Blog – Oct. 10, 2008

Great Pumpkin Beer Festival
When most people think of pumpkins they think of pumpkin pie, jack-o-lanterns and roasted pumpkin seeds; however, pumpkins make Dick Cantwell (the head brewer at Elysian Brewing) think about beer.

The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (various locations Oct. 18 thru Oct. 26, see below) offers Washington beer lovers a chance to sample beers crafted lovingly with pumpkin. The pumpkin fest is the brainchild of Dick Cantwell, but he is not alone in his love of the gourd. Elysian will be offering several of their own pumpkin beers along with beers created by Rogue, Big Time, Allagash, Cambridge Brewing, Midnight Sun, Jolly Pumpkin, Pike, Snoqualmie, Rock Bottom, Elliott Bay, Schooner Exact and more.

DON’T MISS – The main event and the Tapping of the Great Pumpkin. The Elysian crew take the largest pumpkin they can buy and carry, scorch the insides to caramelize the pumpkin and fill it with just-finished Pumpkin ale. They spice the pumpkin, the beer goes through a secondary fermentation in the pumpkin, and then they tap the beer-filled gourd at the festival. Don¹t miss it!!!

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