Since spooky day is right around the corner, here’s Halloween costume inspiration from Elysian Brewing’s 20th annual “Great Pumpkin Beer Festival.”
Source: iOne Digital / other
Seattle-based Elysian Brewing recently kicked off the Halloween season in fashion with the 20th annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival. Earlier this month, beer enthusiasts flocked from all over to Seattle Center to celebrate two decades with the brand. While it did feel like a celebration, in reality, it was a thank you to Elysian from fans and consumers. The brand that opened its doors in 1996 does everything in-house while maintaining a taproom, beer hall, and restaurant.
Source: Vera Project/ Elysian / Vera Project/ Elysian
Before we explore the vibes from the Pumpkin Festival it’s only right to ask Elysian a few pumpkin-related questions. Dan-O Beyer is the Cellarmaster at Elysian Brewing and was nice enough to answer a few questions for us.
BOSSIP Talks All Things Pumpkin Beer & The “Great Pumpkin Beer Festival” With Elysian Cellarmaster Dan-O
BOSSIP: Can you share more about your background that led you to become a cellarmaster?
Dan-O:
“I started at Elysian Brewing back in 2003, doing odd jobs. At the time, had no brewing experience but was curious to learn. One year later, I helped fill our very first barrel, marking the beginning of our barrel program! Since then, I’ve thrown myself into learning and experimenting and collaborating.”
What are the non-negotiables in your job that must be executed perfectly every time?
“For each beer, it’s important to create a balance of flavors. Specifically, when it comes to adding pumpkin and spices to a beer recipe, balance plays a huge role. Too much pumpkin and you can get some odd, earthy flavors. ‘Gourd’ is sometimes used to describe a particular off-flavor in beer, so getting some gourd but not too much takes skill. Then, incorporating spices calls for some trial and error to find the right mix.
Sometimes we start with an idea for a funny beer name and then dig into the details of what the beer should be. If you have a table of brewers all cracking up, that can be a great starting point!”
For those who instantly shoot down anything pumpkin, what’s your pitch?
“Pumpkin can be a polarizing flavor, but each pumpkin beer that we create has differing levels of intensity. A lot of flavors people notice when enjoying something “pumpkin flavored” are notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices. In addition to these spices, a lot of our seasonal beers feature flavors and aromas of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, caramel, and others, which can be a bit more approachable for those who typically don’t turn towards pumpkin.
Originally, we didn’t set out to become pumpkin brewers. We started as a “weird ingredient brewery” and pumpkin was one of the ingredients we experimented with. We continue to innovate with new hop varieties, a variety of fruits, and other unconventional additions like pickles, curry, fermented black limes, and even chamoy!
For people who aren’t crazy about pumpkin beers, we brew a variety of other beer styles at Elysian. I always tell people to find what they like and drink that! We showcase many seasonally rotating taps in our Seattle taprooms including fresh hop beers and other “harvest” beers, so there’s really something for everyone. Our Dragonstooth Stout is a fan favorite, and people look forward to our Bifrost Winter Pale Ale all year.”
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