The Best Fall Seasonal Beers, According To Customers

With its colorful foliage and cooling temperatures, the fall season has inspired countless beverages over the years. From hot apple cider to pumpkin spice lattes, some drinks just scream fall, and for those over 21, that list sometimes includes certain styles of beer.

Every beer has a time and a place. For example, you wouldn't catch many people drinking Guinness on a sandy beach in the Caribbean. So, as jack-o'-lanterns start to appear on front porches and apple pies find their way onto our dinner tables, we start to favor cozy beer flavors ideal for the fall. There's a beer here for everyone, including malty brews, pumpkin beers, and black IPAs. Reach for these beer flavors, and you'll find that your next bonfire or wagon ride becomes that much more memorable. Of course, don't forget to sample some Oktoberfest brews before they run out of production!

To help you make the most of the fall seasonal beer selection, we rounded up a handful of the best brews, according to customers. Each of these beers is backed up by highly positive online reviews, and some have also won awards. We've tasted several of them and given personal feedback. To learn more about our methodology, please refer to the end of this article.

Even if you can't make it to Germany for a raucous Oktoberfest celebration, you can still get a taste of the fun by sipping on Schilling's G'Suffa! Festbier. The word "g'suffa" loosely translates as "drink up" — a word frequently belted out at Oktoberfest celebrations — so the intention behind this beer could not be clearer.

This golden lager contains easily perceptible array of what customers describe as floral-like, peppery hops. These hops are well-balanced by toasty malts that provide sweetness and caramel notes. Living up to the festbier standard, it's clear and bright. All these factors add up to a beer that can be drunk all day at an Oktoberfest celebration, even if it's the one you're holding in your own backyard (on that note, check out our tips for transforming your backyard into a beer garden).

The one common complaint among customers is that the lacing isn't consistent. Some folks say that the head is generous, and the lacing is persistent, while others report that they both leave something to be desired. Aside from that, it seems to be one of the best domestic festbiers you can buy in the U.S.

Not everyone loves pumpkin beer, but then again, not everyone has tried a good pumpkin beer. Even if you're still on the fence about whether gourds should be allowed anywhere near a brewery, try Whole Hog's Pumpkin Ale to see if it might change your mind. This beer has won over half a dozen awards, including a few gold medals from the Great American Beer Festival.

While it's not officially called a pumpkin spice ale, it still capitalizes on cinnamon, nutmeg, and undisclosed "pumpkin pie spices" (customers often report tasting ginger). This beer is often described as an excellent homage to pumpkin pie, with notes of brown sugar and butter to round out the experience. Notably, the spices aren't overbearing as they sometimes are in other pumpkin brews.

Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale  ensures that the pumpkin character can still be easily discerned, as well as the beer's underlying flavor profile. One customer noted that this brew starts off sweet but becomes more savory and pumpkin-forward towards the finish. Another agreed, lauding the clean finish and pleasant aftertaste.

Here's another festbier to add to your shopping list. Customers report that the Weihenstephaner Festbier is easy to drink, and easy to drink lots of (which sounds about right for a festbier). Drink responsibly and keep all your wits about you, and you'll be able to taste some of the finer notes of this beer and understand why it's received such raving reviews. In fact, this brew topped our ranking of popular Oktoberfest beers.

We appreciated how the malts imparted honey and caramel notes to this beer, and how the sweetness was balanced by the hops. Other customers agree, adding that this beer promises a spectacular head and a pleasing amount of lacing. Multiple reviewers note that while malty, this beer also comes with some spiciness and very subtle floral and bitter notes popping in the background. On the palate, it's smooth yet crisp. It can be tough to balance all these elements, but Weihenstephaner, lauded as the world's oldest brewery, manages to do it.

If there's one thing to complain about this beer, it's the price. Even so, customers generally agree that this seasonal fall beer is worth every cent.

Move over, espresso martinis. If you're in the mood for coffee and an alcoholic beverage at the same time, there's only one solution: Elysian Brewing's Punkuccino Coffee Pumpkin Ale. A 12-ounce bottle allegedly has about 70% of caffeine usually found in a cup of coffee, so it might be a better idea to start your evening with this beer rather than consume it later at night. Regardless of when you crack a bottle open, though, customers agree that this is one of the better seasonal brews offered by Elysian Brewing. Indeed, it secured the top spot in our ranking of popular pumpkin beers and the ranking of coffee beers.

This medium-bodied beer contains lactose, is admirably smooth and silky, and its IBU score is 0. As you sip on it, you might notice elements of milk chocolate and biscuit in addition to pumpkin and cold brew coffee. Also watch out for cinnamon and nutmeg. Because of the coffee inclusion, this beer is said to be less robust on the pumpkin front, which some people may appreciate. Customers noted that the pumpkin spice is evident on the nose, and one customer went so far as to compare its aroma to a classic coffee spot in the fall. However, you might not taste the spices much until the finish, so be patient.

Do you dare drink a can of Allagash Haunted House beer? If it's spooky vibes you're after, you'll need to set aside those bright, cheerful festbiers and opt for a hoppy dark ale like this one. This product combines Allagash's malted barley blend with Blackprinz, Victory, Carapils, roasted barley, and raw wheat. These grains are complemented by three types of hops.

Alongside coffee, customers frequently detect flavors like dark chocolate, pine, citrus, pumpernickel, and fruit. This is a medium body option with some creaminess on the palate. One customer noted that the chocolate component elevates its clean, bitter finish (so it will likely be a hit among dark chocolate fans). The head and lacing are generally well-reviewed, too.

Allagash Brewing Company is based in Portland, Maine, but its beer can be widely found across the East Coast and in a few other states. If you ever get a chance to visit one of the tasting rooms, though, we guarantee that you'll be in for an unforgettable experience.

It's clear that Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale is a customer favorite by numbers alone. Indeed, having been brewed since 1994, this brown ale has stood the test of time. It's made using real pumpkins alongside brown sugar and spices. Its amber hue bears a striking resemblance to fall foliage, making a glass of this full-bodied beer doubly appealing once the air becomes a bit nippy.

Customers note that you may detect aromas of warming spices and brown sugar. After that, you can expect to taste pumpkin, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel malt, and brown sugar. One customer mentions molasses-like notes. These flavors are readily discernible, but folks often say that they aren't as bold as in other pumpkin ales. More emphasis is placed on the beer side of the equation, which some customers will appreciate.

One area for improvement? The cream-colored head has received mixed reviews, with some saying that they were disappointed in the lacing.

So far, we've touched on a few festbiers, so it's only natural that we add a märzen to the list. We can vouch for the fact that Jack's Abby's Copper Legend is a solid homage to famous lager that was one of the unique Oktoberfest beers. Though festbier is now in vogue at Munich's Oktoberfest tents, märzen-style beers can still be found around the world every fall. Indeed, Jack's Abby has been brewing this seasonal customer favorite for the past 15 years, ever since the brewery opened.

Copper Legend is made with Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts, as well as Seitz family hops. This rich amber beer is made more complex via the decoction mashing process, and it's intentionally brewed to be a bit crisper than traditional märzen beers. Customers are quick to pick up on that last point, but don't hold it against the beer. Rather, they appreciate Copper Legend's similarities with festbier, while noting that it still falls into a category of its own. Customers appreciate the bready malts and earthy hops, its foamy head, and its invigorating carbonation. Overall, the reviews praise the amazing balance of all elements.

Southern Tier Brewing Company has released several variations of its Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout. In its most basic avatar, Warlock has been compared to candy, and customers often mention tasting notes reminiscent of pumpkin, licorice, cardamom, cloves, raisins, and chocolate. It's a smooth, pleasantly sweet beer. As an imperial stout, it's also one of the more alcoholic beers on this list, measuring 8.6% ABV and an IBU of 44.

But if this imperial stout didn't already feel otherworldly enough with its dark hue and spooky, warlock-themed can, there's also a nitro version and a maple-infused option. In the velvety nitro variation, customers have observed nuanced flavors like caramel, molasses, charcoal, peppercorn, and pine. The main complaint, if any, that folks have with this drink is that it's too bitter, especially in the finish. Meanwhile, the maple version is said to be very maple-forward, both in aroma and flavor, meaning the pumpkin is less blatant and the bitterness is less pronounced.

Any variation of the Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout would be an excellent choice for the autumnal season. Southern Tier's Pumpking Imperial Pumpkin Ale is likewise highly reviewed.

Each year, Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest beer is a little bit different. It may be a märzen, as it was in 2021, or it may be a festbier, as it is in 2026. That's because Sierra Nevada partners with different German breweries to craft this seasonal special each fall. As such, Sierra Nevada's Oktoberfest beers manage to combine German and American traditions for unique flavors. If you don't like what you get this year, just come back next year for another iteration! It's typically available in stores from August until the end of October.

The 2026 version was made in collaboration with Hoppebräu, and it features Munich, Pilsner, and two-row pale malts, alongside Cascade and Hersbrucker hops. Several reviewers mentioned that this beer is hoppier than most festbiers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as long as you know what you're getting into. Pay attention, and you might taste nutty flavors in this brew, as well as biscuit, honey-like nuances, and butterscotch.

According to the brand's website, Night Shift Brewing's Pumpkin Piescraper pumpkin pie ale might just be destined for this year's Thanksgiving dinner table. And we can see why; it's packed with pumpkins, spices, and maple syrup from Great Hill Maple, a small, family-run business in Massachusetts.

This beer has earned excellent reviews from customers, who note that the vanilla, which is usually not present in pumpkin brews, adds a nice touch. This warm amber ale is a bit sweet, but not overbearingly so, and its maltiness helps deliver some pleasant warmth. One Redditor shared that the addition of lactose worked to mimic whipped cream, but within reasonable limits.

It's true: Some craft breweries use whole pumpkin pies to make their autumnal beers, but that's not what Night Shift has done here. Instead, using simple ingredients, the Pumpkin Piescraper has a medium body and creamy mouthfeel, and customers report that it goes down easily. Having tried it ourselves, we wholeheartedly agree.

Each of the beers on this list has received generally glowing reviews from customers on sites like Untappd and BeerAdvocate, and some of them have been personally tested by Tasting Table staff as well. We evaluated reviews to consider several factors, including how well each beer balances its hops and malts, whether its advertised flavors are given the necessary space to shine, and if the aroma is sufficiently robust. Also, award-winning beers were naturally given preference. Of course, each beer listed is a seasonal release and taps into fall flavors — hence, the overwhelming presence of pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest lagers. Price was not a factor in this review, and availability varies by U.S. region.