SEATTLE—Roughly 5,000 beerheads congregated at Elysian Brewery’s Capitol Hill brewpub for its 21st annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival on Friday, October 3, through Saturday, October 4, to taste 60 different innovations from Elysian and guest breweries, hear live music, and witness the ceremonious great pumpkin beer tapping, signifying the start of pumpkin beer season.
Elysian Brewery, Seattle’s second-largest brewery behind Seattle-based Georgetown, has been a pioneer in the local pumpkin beer space since the 1990’s. Since launching its Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in 2005, the annual event has served as a living showcase of that legacy and platform for debuting what’s in store for the local brewery’s seasonal craft, said Jeff Richards, Senior Marketing Director at Elysian Brewing.
“We were thrilled to bring Great Pumpkin Beer Festival back to Capitol Hill, our original brewpub where it all began, after 21 years. The energy this weekend was incredible – we saw longtime fans who’ve been with us since the early days and new faces discovering the magic of GPBF for the first time,” Richards told the Lynnwood Times. “Whether decked out in costumes or just coming as they are, our community showed up with incredible energy, capturing the creativity, craft and playful spirit that defines Elysian. The turnout and enthusiasm reminded us why this festival has become such a cherished Seattle tradition, and we’re already looking forward to raising another pumpkin pint with everyone next year.”
At Elysian’s first Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, 21 years ago, the brewery poured fewer than 10 beers. Now, two decades of tradition later, more than 60 different beers were available to try including Elysian’s signature pumpkin pack which includes: the Great Pumpkin (the world’s first Imperial Pumpkin Ale, weighing in at 8.4% ABV), the Night Owl (a Pumpkin Ale brewed with pumpkin puree, juice and spiced in conditioning with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice), and the Punkuccino (a Pumpkin Ale with the “attitude of a world-weary barista”, the brewery said).
All three of these options are available nationwide now in a Pumpkin Variety Pack and can be purchased in cans for the first time ever.
On both Friday and Saturday, the festivities commenced at 4 p.m. Guests were handed an Elysian tasting beer glass and could taste the assortment of draft beers and ciders while indulging on delicious food from a row of food trucks and catching live music from DJ WD4D.
Many guests dressed in Halloween costumes or, at the very least, in orange to commemorate the occasion. The event, like years prior, was completely sold out both days.
As the night progressed, the energy built with a local punk rock music set featuring Monsterwatch and Chico Detour, along with costume contests and pie eating contests.
Following the punk music set, Elysian Co-Founder David Buhler performed the ceremonious Great Pumpkin beer tapping (a longstanding tradition at the beer fest) where a giant pumpkin, filled with pumpkin ale, was taped and pour straight into pitchers for guests to enjoy.
“This ritual creates such an unforgettable experience,” said Richards.
Elysian Brewery was founded in Seattle in 1995 by Buhler (a former spirits wholesaler), Joe Bisacca (former Vice President of Seafirst Bank), and Dick Cantwell (a homebrewer who quickly gained the attention of local breweries like Pike Place Brewing and Big Time Brewing).
The brewery’s first located was opened in Capitol Hill, where the weekend beer fest took place, with just a 20 barrel capacity.
In 2006 the brewery opened Elysian Fields, next to Lumen Field (home to the Seattle Seahawks) and AT&T Park (home to the Seattle Mariners), which is the company’s largest location and a go-to destination during Seattle sporting events.
The brewery was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2015. Following the acquisition Elysian began to increase its operations and distribution. Now Elysian beer can be found in grocery stores throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
