Seasonality is a concept fairly well ingrained in the minds of most chefs. Spring approaches and lighter fare begins to make its way to the menu; summer arrives and with it the popularity of grilled food, from bright red peppers to blood red steaks; fall means that it’s time to reap the benefits of the harvest; and winter signals a shift to comforting stews and long-braised meats.
Similarly, for many sommeliers, a shift occurs in the wine selection, with the light reds and crisp whites that rule the warm weather roost yielding to heartier wines like robust Cabernet blends and oaky Chardonnays as the days shorten and cool.
Where beer is concerned, however, precious little tends to change. Saunter up to the bar or peruse the beer list from spring through to winter and, in the lion’s share of establishments, you’ll spy the same culprits on tap and in the fridge no matter what the weather. Considering how much the average drinker is coming to know about beer these days, and given the vast variety of styles and brands now available, it is a situation that can be as costly in terms of unrealized profits as it is disrespectful to the customer.
All this begs the question of what sorts of beer are best suited to fall. And the answer is only as far away as a copy of your autumn menu. As in any season, the styles of beer recommended for a fall list are those which evoke the kinds of food most popular during the time. For example, as much as grilled chicken breast may be fine for summer, fall brings with it the season of the meatier, gamier turkey, and so the crisp pilsner that seems so right when temperatures soar should give way to the maltier, slightly more alcoholic Oktoberfest beer known as märzen that is pronounced, “mare-tzen.”
And as meats move from the grill to the oven, so do hoppy and refreshing pale ales yield to malty brown ales and Belgian or Belgian-style abbey beers, each with a richer and more soothing character.
Even fruit beer selections can be adapted to follow the fashions of fall. For while fresh and fruity berry-flavored brews are great in summertime, and will return to complement Valentine’s Day chocolates in winter, pumpkin beers are unquestionably best for fall and have become so popular of late that they almost form a style category of their own.
Beer selections do not need to be thoroughly overhauled each and every season in order to be effective, but beer should be recognized as the seasonal equal of both cuisine and wine.
And right about now, a little autumnal tweaking of the beer menu can be a most delicious and profitable thing.