Seasons Drinking: Top 5 Fall Beer Styles

What makes a great seasonal beer? Read on for five of the most popular fall beer styles your menu MUST have this autumn!

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder, and it’s time to break out the fall beers! Ok, maybe we’re a BIT early, but that means there’s still plenty of time to BREW the best-tasting autumn style seasonal beer!

While summer beers are often light, crisp, and VERY hop forward with notes of fruit, popular fall beers are something else entirely. They’re ALL about that malt, and for good reason.  

Malt-derived flavors give us those rich notes of caramel, indulgent chocolate, roasted coffee, and even bread or toffee. Spices warm your spirit along with your palate and bringing the bitterness down helps keep the focus on all that flavor and aromatic complexity. 

Basically, we’ve got a hankerin’ for a classic Oktoberfest or an inventive autumnal Stout, and we want you to get brewing ASAP to satisfy this craving. Want some inspiration? Read on for five of the most popular fall beer styles and what makes them so utterly autumnal. 

Hop Varieties for Popular Fall Beer Styles

Yes, autumn-style beers are heavy on the malt. However, it’s still a beer at the end of the day, so even the maltiest beer needs an element of hop! So, what hops should you use?

If fall beer styles are all about comforting warmth and spice, then using specific hop varieties makes sense. We’re not saying you can’t brew a Limited Edition Halloween IPA with the big tropical notes from Krush™ or Nelson Sauvin®. In fact, go for it. We can’t wait to try it! 

That being said, there’s no denying that hop varieties with naturally earthy, spicy flavors and aromas really lend themselves to those traditional fall profiles.

• Saaz

This noble hop is a master of subtlety. From warm notes of wood and delicate florals, to its symphony of herbal sweetness, Saaz presents a high-end sip that adds luxurious flavors to a variety of beer styles. Plus, its light flavors won’t overpower the malt, which is essential in a fall beer.

• Willamette

Descended from fall beer favorite Fuggle, Willamette brings the perfect level of spice. Notes of earth and wood pair with uniquely spicy and floral characteristics, making it ideal for fall beers with warming spices of cinnamon and clove.

• Chinook

Considering that many describe it as having notes of Christmas pine, it should be no surprise that Chinook made this list. It does have a hint of fruit, but it adds a delicious lift to that spicy, resinous pine followed by the softness of fresh rose petals. 

• Zappa®

Sure, it has a lively fruit flavor. However, the unique savory spiciness of Zappa® makes it ideal for fall flavors that need a bit of zest. Think sharp citrus perfectly blended with rich earth, pine, and the perfect dash of spice. 

Again, feel free to brew your fall beers with ANY hop variety that inspires you! As you go through our list of Top Fall Beer Styles, however, we think you’ll agree that the varieties we mentioned above would be welcome additions.

1. Märzen or Oktoberfest Beer

Obviously, the first beer on our list HAS to be an Oktoberfest Beer! Also known as a Märzen, this German-style lager is malt-forward, medium-bodied, and has been described as tasting like toasted bread or biscuits. 

Craft Beer & Brewing explains that a traditional Oktoberfest beer is “brewed in the spring, lagered in cool environments during the summer months (traditionally in caves, but since few brewers’ have access to a cave, a cool fermentation chamber will do), and tapped in the fall.”¹

Today’s version of Oktoberfest is slightly different from the original, and it also depends on the region where it was brewed. 

Jack’s Abby Co-Owner and Brewmaster Jack Hendler told Ollie that a Märzen from Germany will differ from an Austrian Märzen, “I’m expecting malty, on the sweeter side, lighter in color, dryer, not quite that impression of full-bodied amber.”² Overall, a Märzen MUST be easy to drink since it’s often consumed in large quantities.

2. Pumpkin Beers

While the pumpkin spice latte craze might have made you roll your eyes, the origins of Pumpkin Beer go back to Colonial America. Pumpkins were an abundant source of starch that converted into fermentable sugars, ergo Pumpkin Beers!³ Its popularity as a beer ingredient ebbed and flowed, but it’s obviously made a return today.

The important thing to note about our modern love of pumpkin flavors is that it’s not actually pumpkin that we like. It’s the warming spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and/or ginger. Those are often prevalent in the Pumpkin Beers of today, and brewers have gotten wildly creative with this gourd.

No, “Pumpkin Beer” is not an actual style, but that’s because you can make a variety of beer styles with pumpkins. Shipyard Founder-turned-Consultant Alan Pugsley explained in one interview that, “You can take a well-balanced amber, strong ale, or stout and blend in an appropriate amount of pumpkin for a sipping product. It really depends on what you’re looking for.”⁴

He also emphasizes that a Pumpkin Beer should be drinkable with a good balance of malt, pumpkin flavor, spice, and a balanced hop profile. It may have noticeable seasonal flavors, but in the end it should still taste like a beer.

3. Brown Ale

Brown Ales are able to capture some of the most iconic flavors of seasonal fall beers. Think nutty, chocolate, caramel, spice, toffee, and MORE. Despite the long list of flavors that might seem heavy and overly sweet, Brown Ales are mild with just a hint of bitterness making them an excellent pairing for savory dishes and roasted meats.

Founder of Pink Boots Society Teri Fahrendorf told VinePair this was a style she wished more people would try. “The flavor can be a sublime meld of light, roasty chocolate with some hop balance and aroma. Its story goes back to the 1700s when malting was done with fire. This produced brown-colored malt, which gave brown ale a dark amber to brown color, yet the body is light enough to be refreshing and paired with lots of foods.”⁵

There is some variation in Brown Ales from different regions. The Brewers Association explains that the roasted malt in an English-Style Brown Ale “may contribute to a biscuit or toasted aroma profile” and it can range from dry to sweet with very low hop aroma and flavor.⁶

Conversely, the malt in an American-Style Brown Ale gives it medium “levels of roasted malt, caramel, and chocolate aromas,” and the hop flavors and aromas are often medium-low to high without dominating the malt.

4. Porter Beers

If you assume that Porters are heavy and full-bodied, you’re in for a delicious surprise. Craft Beer & Brewing explains that Porters are dark beers “that first saw life in the 1700s, built London’s greatest breweries, slaked the thirsts of America’s revolution-minded colonists, and then traveled the world, morphing as it went to meet the changing needs of time and place.”⁷

Their dark color may be intimidating, but Porters are light, well-balanced, and aromatic. You might taste notes of rich chocolate, coffee, caramel, nuts, and a delicate smokiness that adds to the complex yet drinkable quality of this beer.

While they ARE very drinkable, Great Lakes Brewmaster Mark Hunger described his preference for robust Porter profiles. “It has to have full character—chocolatey, roasty, coffee elements from the malts as well as the hops to back it up,” he says. “It’s not a thinner-bodied beer. It’s gonna be an experience, not anything light.”⁸

5. Stout Beers

There’s some debate about the differences between Stouts and Porters, but most can generally agree that Stouts are “stronger.” What does that mean? When it comes to mouthfeel, Stouts are full-bodied and often creamy. Alcohol content? Higher. Those roasted flavors? In a Stout, they’re MUCH more pronounced. Sure, there’s some overlap, but a Stout refuses to be ignored.

Don’t let its big personality intimidate you, though. There’s a vast world of Stouts to be explored, particularly for autumn seasonal drinking. From Oatmeal and high-octane Imperial Stouts to Pastry and classic Irish-Style Dry Stouts, there really is a Stout for everyone.

Brewmaster at Beau’s Brewing Matthew O’Hara discussed the versatility of this style saying, “If you like the roasted notes of coffee, dark chocolate, mocha, and espresso, you’re going to like it year-round and appreciate it year-round. It’s a refreshing experience. People who love those flavors love them despite the time of year. It’s great on the patio; it’s great inside on a cold day.”⁹

Abstrax | Brew the Best-Tasting Seasonal Fall Beers

At Abstrax, we provide novel solutions for beverage manufacturers of all sizes looking to streamline, innovate, and gain a competitive edge. With our knowledge, technology, and extensive resources, we’ve crafted our collections to provide recognizable flavors and aromas that consumers love.

Contact us today, and let’s collaborate on your next seasonal fall beer! 

1. Murphy, L. (2016, September 8). Oktoberfest: The Perfect Fall Beer. Craft Beer & Brewing. https://beerandbrewing.com/oktoberfest-the-perfect-fall-beer

2. Albanese, G. (2023, September 20). Märzen Beer: What It Is & How to Brew It. Ollie. https://getollie.com/blog/marzen-beer-brewing-tips

3. Weikert, J. (2025, February 18). The Origins of Pumpkin Beer. The Beer Connoisseur®. https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/origins-pumpkin-beer/

4. Albanese, G. (2023, August 21). Brewer’s Guide to Pumpkin Beer. Ollie. https://getollie.com/blog/pumpkin-beer-tips

5. O’Connell, P. (2025, March 19). We Asked 11 Beer Pros: Which Beer Do You Wish People Ordered More?. VinePair. https://vinepair.com/articles/wa-beer-pros-beers-to-order-more-2025/

6. Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines. Brewers Association. (2025, June 20). https://www.brewersassociation.org/edu/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines/

7. The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of Porter. Craft Beer & Brewing. (n.d.). https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/DjSL6BaGJ0/

8. Albanese, G. (2023b, September 11). Porter Beers: The Top Tips From Expert Brewers. Ollie. https://getollie.com/blog/porter-beer-brewing-tips

9. O’Hara, M. (2019, December 22). Brewer’s Perspective: A Stout For Any Season. Craft Beer & Brewing. https://beerandbrewing.com/brewers-perspective-a-stout-for-any-season