Eric Talve: Return Blog

As the weather has started to get cooler here in NYC, pumpkin beers are everywhere. Ivd tried several this year and I can safely say my two favorites come from the same brewery. Southern Tier's pumking imperial pumpkin ale and warlock pumpkin stout stand above the rest.

Pumking used to be a bit difficult to find. Now it's nearly omnipresent. You can find it on tap at bars throughout the city, ranging from the craftiest of beer bars to your neighborhood spot. It's also available in 22oz bombers in markets like whole foods, key foods, and many others. For a decadent treat, have it in a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass. Yeah, it sounds a little foofy but don't knock it til you've tried it!

Warlock is still not as easy to find, but when you do you'll be glad you did. I had it recently at Rattle n Hum, when I was there for a Founders tap takeover featuring KBS. I was only there for short time, enough for two beers and I opted for one KBS and one warlock. That I opted for a warlock when the KBS was flowing in itself shows how highly I hold this beer. The warlock stood up impressively with the KBS. Looking to having more of it soon as Halloween and thanksgiving approach.

Another passion of mine is food. Specifically pairing food with beer. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting a beer and cheese pairing event geared towards singles looking to meet new people. The event, called Perfect Pairings, was attended by 6 NYC singles. Each brought beers of their choice while my wife, who's the director of human resources at Murray's Cheese, New York's venerable cheese shop, and I provided 5 different cheeses. I had each guest tell the group why they chose the beer they brought and I paired it with one of the cheeses. The beers included Brooklyn Oktoberfest, Shipyard Pumpkinhead, Great Divide oak aged Yeti (from my beer collection) and the aforementioned Pumking. Everyone enjoyed trying different beers with different cheeses, seeing how the taste of the beer and cheese changes with each pairing. Some favorites included the Pumking with roomano aged Gouda and the Oktoberfest with Challerhocker, a delicious, nutty cheese from Switzerland. I had a great time hosting the event with my wife, educating people about beer and cheese while people met in a fun, casual setting. I'll definitely be hosting another Perfect Pairings event soon and will be sure to update the blog with the date and location.