2020 has been a roller coaster of a year. Now that we’re into fall and Halloween is upon us we thought we’d have some fun and talk about some of our favorite beers for Halloween. Some of these beers are themed up to be spooky and festive. Others just excel at being remarkably seasonal and perfect for fall. No matter what kind of beer you like we’re going to include something that appeals to you. This list is not a ranking and is in no particular order.

Let’s start with an IPA. Stone Brewing is well known for their “Enjoy By” series of super fresh IPA brews. The current release is literally begging you to enjoy this beer on Halloween. The can art is festive and has an inverted label which is different and fun. The beer has a respectable 9.4% abv, and is loaded up with 10 different hop varieties. Stone Brewing has built a reputation for many things over the years, one of those has been consistently cranking our beers that satisfy hop heads.

Halloween is still in October. Even though most Oktoberfest celebrations have come and gone by now it still feels necessary to have a proper Oktoberfest on this list. Sierra Nevada‘s Oktoberfest is a perfect fall addition. In many stores the beer is still on the shelf, so it shouldn’t be hard to find. You’d be hard pressed to find a better take on the classic German style beer than Sierra Nevada’s annual brew. This beer is crisp and malty while still being refreshing. Perfect for a fall evening. At 6% this beer is on the lower side as far as ABV is concerned so you can have a couple of these without concern.

Of course it can’t be Halloween without some scary movies right? I tend to gravitate towards classic horror movies and Nosferatu is not only an excellent film choice, it’s a magnificent beer too! This imperial red ale brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Co. is rich and malty with just the right amount of hoppiness to balance it out. It’s deep red color is both festive and beautiful. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure there’s a rule out there that if you’re going to be a vampire for Halloween this beer is required drinking.

Sticking to the spooky look or theme to a beer no Halloween list would be complete without a beer from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. I actually picked a collaboration for this mostly because the can on the art is so rad I had to include it. Sobrehumano Palena ‘ole is a 6% abv sour ale brewed in collaboration with Maui Brewing Co. The beer is fruity, tart and sweet all of which feel very fitting for the season. If you’re into sour beer this one, like most Jolly Pumpkin releases, is not to be missed.

Is there anything more fitting for fall than cider and donuts? Of course not! Most of us probably know Blakes for their cider but this beer is no joke. I present to you Blake’s Brewing Co.‘s Cinnamon Donut Stout! This pastry stout is brewed with donuts fresh from the Blakes Cider Mill and the end product is delectable and crisp and ridiculously enjoyable. This is the first beer that I’ve tried from Blakes Brewing but they definitely hit a homerun with it. I know I’ll be looking forward to this beer every fall for the foreseeable future.

We can’t talk about fall and Halloween without talking about pumpkin beer. Personally I’m not a big pumpkin fan, but if you’re gonna do pumpkin you might as well go big. Bourbon Barrel aged Screaming Pumpkin from Griffin Claw is the most logical choice to enjoy on Halloween. This beer rests in bourbon barrels for 10 months before coming out at a screaming 9% abv. BBA Screaming Pumpkin is loaded with your traditional pumpkin beer flavors like vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and of course pumpkin. Plus the beer sports some of best can art in the pumpkin business.

There’s only a few weeks left in fall so let’s enjoy these roasty and malty brews while we can. Christmas beers are already hitting the shelves at a rapid pace, and while many of those are fantastic some of us like to enjoy our beer one season at a time. There will be plenty of time for Santa in the coming weeks, but for now it’s still spooky season, and we need beers to pair with said spookiness!