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A VinePair report finds that pumpkin beer remains a strong fall seasonal in New England, even after the style’s mid-2010s backlash and broader loss of national momentum. Sales and interest vary by state, while legacy brands are also seeing pockets of demand elsewhere. The report does not establish a nationwide sales rebound.
Pumpkin beer remains a prominent fall seasonal in New England, where local breweries and established brands are finding demand despite the style’s mid-2010s backlash and waning national momentum, according to a VinePair report. The account points to regional interest and company-reported sales figures, but does not show that pumpkin beer is gaining across the country as a whole.
At an Oktoberfest event hosted earlier this month by Jack’s Abby Brewing in Framingham, Massachusetts, its Pumpkin Crop spiced lager took third place in draft sales, behind two Oktoberfest lagers. Sam Hendler, CEO of parent company Hendler Family Brewing, said the beer hall set an all-time sales record. He described pumpkin beer’s showing as a change from a decade earlier, when German-style lagers dominated the event.
The report cites Google Trends data from the past five years showing concentrated interest in pumpkin beer in New England, with a pronounced spike this year. It also reports company figures for specific products and states: Barrel One Collective said UFO Pumpkin sales were up 18 percent in Rhode Island, Harpoon Pumpkin Cider was up 9.3 percent in Connecticut, and Clown Shoes Pumpkin Sombrero was up 28 percent in New Hampshire. Those figures are product-specific; the report does not provide a common measurement period or a national comparison for each increase.
Several long-running labels remain part of the market. Shipyard Brewing’s Pumpkinhead Ale, first brewed in 1996, accounts for almost half of the company’s annual production, according to its president, Bruce Forsley. He said the beer remains steady and that Shipyard’s new nonalcoholic Pumpkinhead sold out in three weeks this year. The company plans to increase production of the nonalcoholic version next year.
New England Keeps Fall Beer Local
The pattern matters because it shows how a seasonal beer style can retain commercial relevance without broad national momentum. In New England, local identities and familiar labels appear to connect pumpkin beer to autumn traditions, giving breweries a dependable seasonal occasion even as the wider craft-beer sector struggles.
For retailers and brewers, regional differences also shape which products to stock and when to promote them. Barrel One marketing vice president Rob Day said its portfolio’s leading pumpkin product varies by state. The report also describes a practical limit to expansion: Shipyard ships Pumpkinhead to 42 states, but Forsley said warm-weather markets have a shorter selling window, making distribution timing more difficult.
The report’s evidence is a mix of search-interest data, company disclosures and observations from industry representatives. It supports a picture of durable regional demand and isolated growth, not a definitive claim that the style has returned to mainstream popularity nationwide.
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From Craft Boom to Regional Ritual
Pumpkin beer has a long association with New England. The report traces that connection to Colonial-era brewing, when pumpkins were an accessible source of fermentable sugar. During the craft-beer boom of the late 20th century, breweries recast the ingredient as a spiced autumn ale, often evoking pumpkin pie. Phil Markowski, brewmaster at Two Roads Brewing, called the style “the original pastry beer.”
The category later faced a backlash. By the mid-2010s, market saturation and summertime releases had worn down some drinkers, and many products disappeared. VinePair’s account suggests the style persisted most visibly in places where fall is a strong seasonal cue, including New England’s pumpkin patches, orchards and foliage tourism.
Demand is not limited to that region. The report identifies established followings for Southern Tier’s Pumking in New York and nearby areas, and Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale in the Mid-Atlantic. Shipyard says it distributes Pumpkinhead nationally, with Georgia growing as a market and Florida benefiting from New England transplants. Those examples point to pockets of fandom, rather than uniform national demand.
“That’s different from 10 years ago when it was all German lagers at Oktoberfest.”
— Sam Hendler, CEO of Hendler Family Brewing, as quoted by VinePair
National Demand Remains Hard to Measure
The available figures do not settle whether pumpkin beer’s overall sales are rising, falling or stable nationwide. The report supplies selected state-level increases and says Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead production remains steady, but it does not give total category sales, market share, or a consistent year-over-year comparison across brands.
Google Trends measures search interest rather than purchases, and the report does not give its exact search terms or the scale of the year’s spike. Company-reported results also cover particular products and markets, not the entire category. It is unclear how much of the reported strength reflects new drinkers, loyal seasonal buyers, distribution changes or other factors.
The report also does not establish that pumpkin beer has broadly regained its former mainstream status. Its central finding is narrower: the style remains healthy in some regional markets, especially New England, while demand and selling seasons differ elsewhere.
Brewers Prepare for Another Fall
Shipyard plans to raise production of its nonalcoholic Pumpkinhead after the version sold out in three weeks. The company is also supporting its established Pumpkinhead line and developing related offerings, including imperial and bourbon-barrel-aged versions, according to Forsley.
For the broader category, the next useful indicators will be comparable sales results across multiple regions and seasons, along with whether the state-level gains reported by Barrel One continue. Breweries and distributors will also have to judge how much inventory warm-weather markets can sell within a shorter autumn window. Until those figures are available, the clearest current picture is of regional resilience, not a confirmed nationwide revival.
Key Questions
Has pumpkin beer become popular nationwide again?
The report does not establish a nationwide revival. It describes strong regional demand, particularly in New England, alongside selected pockets of fandom in other parts of the country.
Where is pumpkin beer strongest?
VinePair identifies New England as the strongest regional center of interest, citing Google Trends data and comments from breweries and retailers. Demand also appears in parts of New York and the Mid-Atlantic.
What evidence points to current demand?
The report cites concentrated Google search interest, selected company-reported product sales increases in three states, and Shipyard’s statement that its Pumpkinhead remains steady. These sources measure different things and do not provide a complete national sales picture.
Why is pumpkin beer harder to sell in warm states?
Shipyard president Bruce Forsley said the selling season can be shorter in warm-weather markets, where autumn weather may arrive later or be less pronounced. Distributors may want to move the beer within a few weeks.
What happens with nonalcoholic Pumpkinhead?
Shipyard said its nonalcoholic Pumpkinhead sold out in three weeks this year and that it plans to increase production next year. The report does not specify the planned production volume.
Source: vinepair.com
