Grinnan5150

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Maybe I'm just a jerk but it really frosts my hinder when breweries release their seasonals a couple months before they are actually in season. What is with all the pumpkin beers and Octoberfest beers being out in mid-August? That means they would have been brewed in July. Where are people getting pumpkins in July?? I thought the point of seasonals was to use the ingredients when they were available or at their freshest.

Part of why I like seasonals is the anticipation that goes with waiting for them to be released "in season". Releasing your fall seasonal in August or your summer seasonal in March is like the beer equivalent of stores putting their Christmas stuff out October 1st.

For shame I say. Lousy corporations (and breweries for that matter)!

DisturbdChemist

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Well in July I saw Christmas stuff at Hobby Lobbby already... Talk about early

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sweed

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I wondered the same thing seeing pumpkin beer popping up a few weeks ago... They should hit late september/ early october the earliest. I drink my RIS all year round though!

rifraf

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Saw that as well. Apparently they do a Christmas in July event...however the local one hasn't taken it down yet.

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onthekeg

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Thats about like magazine subscriptions. They come out about 2 months early.

Phyrst

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I read an article about this a few months ago. The big breweries are making a push to have their seasonal beer be the first to hit the shelves. Sadly, when people are walking down the aisle and see Octoberfest on the shelf in August their instinct is to buy it because it's a style they like and they have not had in a while. But what's happening is they are killing the seasonal beer by cornering the market. The maltsters do what the big breweries want, so when the smaller brewers go to the maltster to buy their Octoberfest ingredients they are being told it's too late. They've moved on to the stout and winter warmer malts now because that's what the big breweries want. So the small brewer has to decide if he wants to go along with the big brewers and brew his beer three months before it's really in season. Most smaller brewers who are passionate about their beer don't want to do that.

Here is the article.

http://www.notchbrewing.com/2012/02/24/the-death-of-seasonal-beers/

TyTanium

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HERE HERE!!!

I am with you on this. It's still hot in Chicago, I'm not ready for crisp fall browns or thick pumpkin beers yet. I still want my Kolsch and summer lagers.

Phyrst - Good article. Hits it right on I think. And I agree with him on not buying seasonals too early. Except Pumking...if I see it, I'm gonna buy it. Even if it's March.

Darwin18

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The pumpkin beers I have tried have been utterly disgusting. Why anyone would want, let alone pay for, overwhelming pumpkin pie spices in their beer is beyond me. I do love Octoberfests though but real Octoberfest is still a few weeks away....

Pappers_

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Had a Spaten Octoberfest last night, so I just contributed to the problem.

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DisturbdChemist

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I dont think they do. I swear half that store is already christmas stuff and in a few months the christmas songs will be played and i wont go to the stores.

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