Pumpkin beers rolling in before fall

Two kegs of pumpkin beer remain untapped in the basement of Draft & Vessel, 4417 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood. They're ready to go, but manager Eric Gutbrod isn't ready to serve them yet.

Gutbrod doesn't know what the hurry is. It's August, after all.

And yet, in some places, it's already pumpkin time. Pumpkin brews from Southern Tier Brewing Co. have been available since June, Gutbrod said. Pumpkin beer already has its own aisle at Woodman's Markets in Oak Creek.

There's a term for this: shelf creep.

Pumpkin beers used to be released in September or October and dovetailed with Halloween and Thanksgiving, said Dave Cartwright, craft sales manager for Beechwood Sales and Service, a beverage distributor in New Berlin.

Now he sees them delivered to the warehouse as early as July.

"The market has demanded them," Cartwright said. "It's amazing how they start to sell in August."

Brewers say that distributors want pumpkin beers by August at least. Distributors say the public craves them. And most everyone name-checks Starbucks, which typically begins selling its popular pumpkin spice latte in early September.

In a competitive beer business, no one wants to be the last to market, Cartwright said.

It's not just beer. Seasonal creep is the same reason Target displays Christmas decorations before Halloween is over.

But pumpkin season seems to come earlier every year for all kinds of products, said Kristin Minihan, a Nestle's marketing associate speaking for Libby's, which sells canned pumpkin.

"The best measure is Starbucks and pumpkin spice latte," Minihan said.

The coffee giant introduced the seasonal latte in 2003. Pumpkin love has spiraled upward since. It's being used in food products including bagels, yogurt, granola and Oreos. There's even a pumpkin-flavored vodka.

'Kind of a race'

Once relegated to Thanksgiving pies and roasted seeds, pumpkin has seen its popularity rise with its recognition as a super food. Pumpkin is high in fiber and low in calories. It's also packed with potassium, magnesium and vitamins C and E.

Lakefront Brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St., is considered the second American craft brewer to make pumpkin beer. California-based Buffalo Bill's brewed the first commercial pumpkin beer more than a quarter-century ago.

Stiff competition in the way of pumpkin ales, Imperial pumpkin ales, pumpkin shandys and all styles of pumpkin-beer-related products have accelerated the race to getting pumpkin-related products to consumers.

Lakefront brews two pumpkin beers — the pumpkin lager it's been making for 20 years and a brandy barrel-aged Imperial pumpkin ale.

A guide to Wisconsin breweries

"At one time, we'd be brewing the pumpkin right now," said Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront Brewery. "Now you have to start brewing it in May or June. It's kind of a race to see who's first."

Earlier this month, beer experts expressed concern that last year's dismal pumpkin crop might have an impact on the number of available pumpkin beers this year. Draft magazine reported that Nebraska Brewing, which uses canned pumpkins for its Wick for Brains pumpkin seasonal, had to scramble for the ingredient when its supplier couldn't come up with the necessary 5,000 pounds of puree.

The shortage ended up not having an impact, but most brewers use canned pumpkins for their beer. Others rely on pumpkin spices similar to the ones used by Starbucks to provide the pumpkin flavor.

Fighting the 'seasonal creep'

A few, like Rich Joseph of The Hop Garden in Paoli, roast fresh pumpkins for their seasonal beer. Joseph's beer won't be out for a while. His pumpkin crop won't be ready until the end of August. That's when he'll roast them over an apple wood fire and add them to his pumpkin ale.

Milwaukee Brewing Co., 613 S. 2nd St., never worried about the pumpkin shortage. And the company doesn't worry about timing. Its seasonal brew, Sasquash, is a porter made with roasted sweet potatoes. Vice President of Sales Michael Christensen expects Milwaukee Brewing will release this year's Sasquash in September.

"We try not to acquiesce to the seasonal creep," he said.

Pumpkin isn't the only beer style affected. Maibocks are meant for May but come out in February. Summer beers are expected on the shelf before baseball's opening day.

Ashley Kinart, brewmaster at Capital Brewery in Middleton, makes the case for having Oktoberfests out in early August based on a three-month rule: There's an expectation for Oktoberfests in October, and Oktoberfests tend to be light, easy-drinking brews.

But for pumpkin beers, which taste of allspice and nutmeg, consumer demand can quickly turn into consumer indifference. No one wants pumpkin beers after Thanksgiving.

"You can lengthen the season by starting early, but it ends when it ends," Beechwood's Cartwright said.

Meanwhile, Starbucks is coy about when it will begin pouring pumpkin spice latte this year.

"Thanks for your note — PSL is coming soon!" a representative wrote in response to an inquiry about when the coffee chain would begin selling its popular pumpkin spice latte. "But for now, let's enjoy these last summer days."