10 Great Fall Beers

Fall means football, and so fall also means beer. Here are some rich, malty brews that will help ease you into winter.

By Bret Stetka for MSN City Guides

Existing somewhere between the light, refreshing offerings of summer and the richness and heavy spice of winter brews, fall beers provide the perfect seasonal transition. Malts take center stage. Hues get darker, matching the season's withering foliage. And overall flavors get heartier, preparing to hold their own against fall's thick stews, slabs of turkey and decadent wedges of pumpkin pie. Plus they offer a more flavorful alternative to throwing back cans of Budweiser and Coors on football Sundays (not that there's anything wrong with that). So with the help of resident beer expert Tim Ensor at the Brooklyn-based craft beer dealer Bierkraft, I've compiled a list of 10 great fall beers -- from both the US and abroad -- to get you through the coming months.

Most can be found at well-stocked grocery and specialty beer stores - and maybe even your neighborhood pub -- but if you're having trouble finding any, many retailers (Bierkraft included) will ship via mail order. And if you happen to be in the area, stop by the breweries for a guided tour or tasting.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest Beer
Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, N.Y. 

I'll kick things off in my home town. Located in a former matzo ball factory in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg neighborhood, Brooklyn Brewery has received numerous awards and keg-sized quantities of critical praise. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver consistently concocts some of America's finest beers and his interpretation of the traditional Bavarian Oktoberfest lager is up to his usual standards. With a deep, reddish amber color and plenty of rich malt and caramel flavor, this full-bodied seasonal brew is the perfect way to welcome the cold.  

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale 
Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Del.

With pumpkin ales sometimes less is more—because nothing makes my taste buds shudder like an overly pumpkin-y beer with its own well-stocked spice cabinet. But the seasonal flavors in this offering from Delaware's innovative Dogfish Head Brewery are subtle and well-balanced, with its pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice evenly paired against mild hoppy bitterness and head-spinning potency (Punkin Ale weighs in at a whopping 7% alcohol by volume!).