Mecktoberfest, a fall seasonal beer from Olde Meck, was released in August. Photo courtesy

It’s early August, 100 degrees with humidity so high you break a sweat just walking to the mailbox. You’re browsing the shelves of your favorite bottle shop for a late summer beer to help you through Charlotte’s heat. A crisp pilsner, or perhaps a refreshing wheat beer. How about… a pumpkin-spiced ale or malty Oktoberfest beer?

To the delight of many craft beer lovers, and much to the chagrin of others who consider themselves traditionalists, seasonal Fall beers are introduced in late summer. What used to be late September or October introductions have over the years morphed into release times better suited for finding shade from the sun and lighter lawnmower beers. 

Dave Gonzalez, Director of Brewing Operations at Lost Worlds Brewing in Cornelius, has been making beer commercially since 1996. They released their Oktoberfest beer Aug. 1,  and two weeks later Squanto’s Spiced Pumpkin Ale landed on shelves. 

“The trend started years ago by the distributors asking for the beers earlier in the year to help sales numbers,” Gonzalez says. “Over time, it became a situation where if you wanted to sell a pumpkin beer that year you had to play the game – you had to release it sooner than you’d prefer. Some customers enjoy the early availability, while others prefer a spiced beer for Thanksgiving. With that said, it’s typical that we’ll sell our entire wholesale pumpkin beer allocation in about two weeks.” 

Gordgeous is a popular pumpkin ale from NoDa Brewing. Photo courtesy

Suzie and Todd Ford, co-owners of NoDa Brewing, echoed similar sentiments but said the retail accounts also play a huge role in the early releases.  “Although we’d personally prefer to wait for a later release, the retailers allot a certain amount of shelf or cooler space for fall seasonals starting in August, and if you don’t commit to them, you’ll lose those sales,” Todd Ford says. 

Although traditionalists want later release dates, many consumers anxiously await these early releases. While retail accounts may be a large driving force, this subset of customers play an important role in early seasonal purchases, and in how long these fall beers remain available. 

“We release our Gordgeous Pumpkin Ale in early August, but come October the consumers have moved on and are ready for winter seasonals,” Suzie Ford says. “Sales drop off dramatically so we have to capitalize on this earlier timing that has crept into the market.” For the consumers who desire pumpkin beers with (hopefully) cooler weather, NoDa releases their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Drop Dead Gordgeous, mid-September with sales lasting further into the fall. 

One of the more popular pumpkin beers nationwide, Southern Tier’s Pumking, was available for retailers on July 4. Renee Bacha, Wine Bar Manager at Harris Teeter Rea Farms, said she waited to purchase multiple kegs but she tapped the beer before Labor Day. “Every year we’ll have customers ask around Thanksgiving for pumpkin beer, but it’s rarely still available because it hits the shelves so early,” she says. 

In order for customers to have access to fall beers a little later in the year, some retailers hold on to seasonal releases. “We wait until Labor Day before selling our pumpkin or Oktoberfest beers because I don’t want to sell them during the Summer,” says Kit Burkholder, owner of Kit’s Trackside Crafts – a craft taphouse and bottle shop in Pineville. But he agrees with the others: “If you don’t buy the beer early, you’ll lose not only sales but potentially the ability to get these beers at all from the breweries or distributors.” 

Oktoberfest beers – such as Marzen and Festbier – are also introduced locally in early August. The annual German Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany is held over a two week period ending on the first Sunday in October. Compared to this timeline, there’s some market release creep in the U.S. with these styles of beers as well. 

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Founder John Marrino says he prefers a traditionally later release date, but forces within the craft world dictate otherwise. Their number one seasonal, Mecktoberfest, was released Aug. 5. “Due to commercial competitive pressures from other breweries, distributors and retailers we have no choice but do an early release,” Marinno says. “The breweries are the smallest partner in the chain, and we must listen to the others or we’ll lose out.”

Patrons seem to be equally split between those who prefer the early availability of these beers and those who remain steadfast to traditions waiting for cooler temperatures to enjoy them. Although many brewery owners prefer truer seasonal release times, the distributors, retailers and (some) customers have spoken — and if you wait too long, you’ll be left holding an empty stein looking for beers no longer available.