This Beer Does Not Exist

My teenage daughter has talked us into watching a new sitcom, New Girl. We have seen a few episodes and I am still on the fence about it (but this isn’t a TV review site so I will refrain from expanding on this). However, the last episode caught my attention for an unexpected reason.

If you haven’t seen the show, it is a smarter version of Three’s Company (how hard can that be??) – a recently dumped woman moves in with three guys and they get into wacky adventures together. The guys, I guess being quintessential American GUYS, drink a fair bit of beer, with the beer mostly playing a background role. However, the latest show was their Thanksgiving episode. In it they mention a couple of times that they are all drinking “Pumpkin Ale”. Interesting. As an added twist there is a brief exchange between one of the guys and the new love interest for the female roommate about ale vs. lager. The slightly geeky love interest proclaims “I know it is an ale. It is about the fermentation process…” before he is cut off.

This may be the first time I have heard on mainstream TV a reference to both the geeky side of beer and to pumpkin ale. I started wondering about that. I realized that Pumpkin Ale has gone mainstream. Screenwriters see it as both sufficiently hip and broadly accessible to warrant a mention in a Hollywood sitcom. This fascinated me.

Think about it. Less than 10 years ago there was almost no one brewing pumpkin beer. Certainly not in Canada. Then we saw one or two versions – Brooklyn, St. Ambroise, Dogfish Head. Shortly after some Canadian craft brewing mainstays got into the act, Edmonton’s Alley Kat being one of the first. This year I think I saw 12 different pumpkin beer in the liquor store this fall, and read about dozens of others released and not available here.

So what is it about pumpkin that has made it so popular for a seasonal beer? I think there are three reasons. First, it fits the season well – people like the originality of buying a beer that matches a food only eaten during the fall season. It has that feng shui fit. Second, most pumpkin ales are about being a decent amber ale with a bit of pumpkin pie spicing – cloves, allspice, cinnamon, etc. Those are comforting tastes that appeal to many. No one actually tastes the pumpkin in the beer. Third it satiates what I believe is a growing consumer demand for “different” beer. Beer drinkers (and non-beer drinkers) are more open than ever to explore new flavours in beer. Pale lager has become boring. However, big hoppy DIPAs and barley wines remain too intense. They want interesting flavour without traditional “beer” taste.Pumpkin Ale meets that demand.

Not to be unkind, but pumpkin beer is in the same category as lime beer (only the beer itself is usually better). People like it because it presents a flavour that is both familiar and distinctly un-beer-like. I have had more than a few non-beer drinking friends sample pumpkin beer and really enjoy it, but they won’t go near even my blonde ale.

I don’t write this to diss pumpkin beer. Although I must admit to refusing to drink any this year. I feel kind of done with the style for a while. It is not that I dislike it; I am just bored with it. So I guess it makes sense that it is now taking off as a mainstream product.

On the whole I see this as a good thing. But I can’t hide my surprise about its occurrence.

As for the New Girl reference, they didn’t mention a brand and I didn’t recognize the label. After some searching I found out they used a fictional beer brand- Heisler Beer. Apparently some props company designed a label and packaging for it. Heisler beer has appeared in dozens of films and shows. Who would have thought?

I find the use of pretend products interesting. On one hand not going the paid-product placement route is admirable (I always think product placements cheapen a show). However, it is a missed opportunity to highlight a real craft pumpkin ale. I guess they are not in the business of promoting craft beer.