Cooler autumn weather calls for flavorful brews

As we enjoy our lovely West Virginia autumn weather, one thing I enjoy is adding a couple more flavorful and malty beers to my monthly menu. We’re blessed here in the Mountain State to have many wonderful beers from our local brewers that fill this bill very well.

Ambers, Porters, Browns and Pumpkin Ales remind us of the richness of November, including at our annual Thanksgiving feasts. It’s also the start of chili weather, and many craft drinkers find a bowl of chili goes so well with beers that have a bit more malty richness than the pale ales and pale lagers.

Screech Owl flavors match the season

One new beer we’ve noticed in the flavored pumpkin ale category is Screech Owl Brewing’s Preston Harvest Ale. Brewed with pumpkin and spices, this beer should be a winner with Thanksgiving dinner — or just about any November season meal. It’s available in 4-packs of cans at retailers.

And I can’t leave out their delicious Buckwheat Honey Porter, which is flavorful, yet still an easy drinker. It’s a beer that’s won multiple medals at the National Honey Beer Competition. These Screech Owl brews would both shine on your holiday dinner table.

Big Timber Porter loves autumn

One porter that we’ve bragged on many times before is Big Timber Porter from the Elkins, WV, brewer. It’s one of the best, if not the best, Robust Porter-style beer in America. If you’re not drinking it this November, you’re missing out.

Fresh off its medal winning visit at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival, Big Timber Porter goes with tons of fall menu items well beyond chili. It even complements the dessert course — thinking here about pumpkin pie and pecan pie. So yummy. This beer is one of the most widely distributed West Virginia-made beers, so it should be easy to find.

Who does autumn better than Weathered Ground?

Leave it to Weathered Ground Brewery to produce some less common beer styles that really bring it when it comes to seasonal flavor. This year, look no further than their Smolder Bock, which is an amber-colored lager brewed with oak smoked wheat. This Rauchbier’s taste components produce a delicious flavor that pairs nicely with meats and rich mac & cheese.

A new brew from Weathered Ground is its For the Love of Gourd Pumpkin Pie Ale. This is an amber ale brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. The brewery calls it “cozy, smooth, and just the right touch of autumn nostalgia in every sip.” Since it’s a small batch beer, you’ll likely find it only at the brewery taproom in Cool Ridge.

More November-perfect WV beers

Some November-perfect beers to check out from West Virginia brewers include:

• Cell Block 304 Honey Brown Ale from Parkersburg Brewing
• Mothman Black IPA from Greenbrier Valley Brewing
• West By Quad Dark Strong Ale from Abolitionist Ale Works
• Hunt & Peck Brown Ale from Short Story Brewing
• Coal Train Baltic Porter from High Ground Brewing
• Pumpkin Fest Amber from Big Timber Brewing
• Holler Nectar Pawpaw Fruited Sour from Weathered Ground Brewery
• Porter? I Barely Knew Her American Porter from Stumptown Ales
• Big News Brown Ale from Fox Hops Brewery
• The Walker Amber Ale from Fox Hops Brewery
• Wild & Wonderful Brown Ale from Brew Keepers
• Boogercat Brown Ale from The Peddler
• Fetty’s Red Ale from Köerber Beer Company
• Fireside Porter from Amani Brewing