Stevens Point Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale Returns For 2014

STEVENS POINT, Wis. 8/29/2014 – Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale’s popularity has grown rapidly in the five years it has been on the market.  Consumers just cannot seem to get enough of this extraordinary pumpkin ale. Each year the Stevens Point Brewery continues to increase production of this delicious fall favorite, and this year is no exception. Pumpkin ale fans don’t mess around when it comes to this delicious beverage; they buy early and stock up.

This limited release specialty "big beer" is only available while supplies last. Four-packs of 12-ounce bottles as well as kegs of this bold and spicy seasonal brew have hit the trade in Stevens Point Brewery’s core Midwest markets and will last until the supply runs out." We wanted to make sure craft-beer consumers were able to enjoy Whole Hog Pumpkin ale throughout the fall, so more than doubled our production to give pumpkin ale fans what they want" according to Joe Martino, the brewery’s operating partner.

Consumers flock to Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale for its full-bodied taste and exceptional flavor while perhaps not even realizing they are drinking a brew that holds a prestigious award. In 2012 Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale won gold in the Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer Category (63 entries) at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado.  2012’s GABF included 4,338 beers from 666 U.S. breweries judged by an international panel of 188 experts who conducted an all-encompassing blind tasting of the beers by category.

"A gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival represents true brewing excellence, and to win one for our pumpkin ale is very exciting for our brewery," said Stevens Point Brewmaster and Director of Operations Gabe Hopkins. Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer was one of the 84 categories judged at the GABF, America’s largest and most prestigious beer competition.

"This award is a testament to the quality of our hand-crafted beers," states Joe Martino. Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale is very successful in the marketplace each fall, so the GABF gold medal is not a surprise. "We are grateful to our loyal consumers who continue to support our craft beers," he added.

Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Perle hops, Munich, caramel and roasted malts and real pumpkin puree creating a very bold, spicy beer with a big body. "We add real pumpkin at the beginning of the brewing process," Hopkins explained. "The spices-cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger – are added at three points during the brew process: to the mash at the beginning, to the wort just before the boil and to the finished beer after fermentation is complete. The Perle hops help to balance the sweetness of the malt and pumpkin."

The spices and malts complement each other while the hops balance the sweetness of the malt and pumpkin. While brewing, delicious pumpkin pie spices fill the brew house, leaving you with a comforting fall feel.

The Whole Hog Brewmaster’s Specialty Series limited-

release brews represent the epitome of the brewmaster’s art. They are handcrafted in small batches to appeal to the most discerning craft-beer enthusiasts and round out the Stevens Point Brewery’s specialty portfolio.