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5 spooky brews for Halloween

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The ghouls and ghosts are taking to the streets for some mayhem on Halloween, and that’s all the more reason to barricade yourself in the comfort of your home with a few holiday-appropriate craft beers.

Killer Green

Looking for some hops to help you through an evening of passing out candy? Try this fresh-hopped IPA from Oregon’s Double Mountain Brewery. The bitter, herbaceous punch of the hops is nicely balanced by a slightly sweet finish.

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Evil Dead Red

The Halloween seasonal brew from San Diego’s AleSmith Brewery is available in bottles for the first time this year, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to a splatter-flick marathon. A hoppy amber ale, the veteran brewers at AleSmith find a fine balance between pungent hop aroma and toasty, caramel-sweet malts; reach for this if you’ve got any caramel apples lying around.

Smoky Hollow

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Named for the industrial neighborhood where El Segundo Brewing Co. is located, and with an image of Ichabod Crane’s cranium-challenged nemesis, Smoky Hollow is a rich and dark scotch ale with a peaty, smoky malt character that lingers on your tongue. A good option if you’re not yet a hop-head, scotch ales are prized for being sweet and smooth, and Smoky Hollow is a natural match for any fresh meat off the grill (but especially sausages).

Witches Wit

How about something lighter? From San Diego’s masters of Belgian-style brews The Lost Abbey, Witches Wit is a refreshing wheat beer delicately spiced with grapefruit zest, orange peel and coriander. Wit beers are easy drinking, and favorites among drinkers still developing a taste for craft beer, and they are a pairing go-to if sea creatures are on your Halloween menu.

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Pumpkin Beers

Of course, the ever-popular pumpkin brews are natural matches for Halloween, and you have more options than ever when picking a gourdy beer. Gourdgeous from Hangar 24’s Local Fields series is a potent imperial porter that boasts an 8.5% alcohol and backs up the locally sourced pumpkins with rich chocolate malts and a lighter touch with the spices than many other pumpkin beers. But, if you’re looking for a beer that’s more like “pumpkin pie in a glass,” try the popular Shipyard Pumpkinhead.

All of the above beers besides Shipyard Pumpkinhead are available in single-serving bottles from better beer stores around town. Pumpkinhead is available in six-packs, and you may even find that at the chain supermarkets.

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