Autumn, and a homebrewer's thoughts turn to capturing the sensory experience of the season ... crisp nights, colorful leaves, and ripe gourds being turned into pie. We're often asked for pumpkin ale recipes at this time of year, and it's easy to understand why: sipping this spiced amber ale is like drinking a slice of pie. Clean and sweetly malty with just enough hop bitterness to balance and no hop aroma to mask the spices. A dose at the shutdown of the boil imbues the beer with a complex, lingering spice profile full of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger that persists from the pour to the last swish in the pint glass.

If you want to incorporate actual vegetables in this all grain pumpkin beer recipe, you'll need to provide your own 8 to 10 pound pumpkin (winter squash like butternut or acorn will work if pumpkin is out of season). Cut up the gourd, discard the innards, and roast or microwave the pieces until soft and cooked through, then peel. Mash the peeled, cooked pumpkin flesh with the included grains at 152°F for 1 hour.

If you enjoyed Pumpkin Ale, you'll love this kit!