Have an orange one

It's good to be a beer drinker in the U.S. these days. The variety offered to consumers has never been better. Imported selections are widely available. Domestic micros can be tasty renditions of historic European recipes or extreme examples of how it's done in America. Styles of beer change from season to season too. Limited edition seasonal and holiday brews are a great change of pace and are a festive way to celebrate the season at hand. You know it's time to rake leaves and start conjuring up your Halloween costume when pumpkin beer appears on the shelves.

And what's better to usher in autumn than a brew that's made with pumpkin. Pumpkins are indigenous to North America and quickly became a favorite of early European settlers. Recipes for pumpkin beer date back to colonial times. Although styles of beer were established by Europeans long before the new world built its first brewery, brewing with pumpkin is one technique that is very American.

Pumpkin beer can be fermented as an ale or a lager. It can contain exotic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Many producers allow a classic ale or lager recipe to take the leading role, yet offer a distinct note of pumpkin and spice on the finish. Still others go for a full blown pumpkin pie experience ala carbonated libation. The artwork gracing the cartons and bottles of these annual treats may be even more festive than the drink itself with their colorful pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns.

Whether you like the subtleties of pumpkin and spice on the finish, or a dose of pie in your mug, pumpkin brews are for the adventurous palate. Get them while they're fresh and available, before long, they'll be as gone as the leaves on the trees.

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