It’s true. Books are always better while you’re drinking something. Whether coffee, tea, wine, or beer, your favorite book needs a good drink with it. Given the time of the year and the crunching of leaves under our feet, let’s pair our favorite fall-time beers with your next Halloween read. You’re in for a delicious treat!
The air outside is crisp (for most of us), and the windows can finally be cracked throughout the day. If you’re having trouble picking your next beer or your next Halloween read, you’ve come to the right place. One of the best things about fall is the seasonal items that get released. There is nothing like having everything on your shopping list include the word pumpkin, apple, or cinnamon. And we can’t forget all the fall-themed books that pop back up on the shelves with new covers or the ones that are just being released in time for the season.
One thing you can’t go wrong with is a fall-time beer paired with a good book. Try one of these beers and let it choose your next Halloween read for spooky season! We’ve even included a non-alcoholic choice.
1. Allagash Haunted House & The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
There is nothing better than a spooky-sounding beer with an equally spooky book. This hoppy dark ale will leave a ghostly hint of coffee behind each sip as you stay awake all night reading Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Explore what happens when four people stay in the haunted Hill House as you sip on beer just as haunted with distinct flavor.
You may not want to read this book with the lights off! You’re in for a real fright.
2. Samuel Adams Octoberfest & Dracula by Bram Stoker
A classic paired with a classic. I couldn’t help myself! Stoker’s gothic tale can’t be avoided during Halloween (or any other time of the year), and neither can a bottle of Octoberfest. It’s always an exciting feeling walking into the grocery during fall and finally seeing these on the shelf. This classic fall beer gives a smooth blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and spices.
Put on your comfiest fall sweater, a cozy pair of socks, and curl up with these two classics.
3. New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin & Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
A beer and book with the perfect bit of spice. Yes, spice! New Belgium Atomic Pumpkin is actually spicy, making it the perfect pairing with this witchy rom-com that has just the right amount of spice in the storyline. Apart from the usual pumpkin and cinnamon, this beer is brewed with habanero peppers!
April Asher’s Not the Witch You Wed gives all the spicy details we love in a witchy fake relationship between a magic-less witch and a wolf shifter. A typical Halloween read, right? Open the window next to your favorite reading chair and start your new book!
4. Genesee Oktoberfest & The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
Not only is this beer very aesthetically pleasing next to Griffin’s The Nature of Witches, but this beer also has subtle herbal notes making it the perfect fit. This deep golden lager with malt flavor will make Griffin’s novel that much better. The Nature of Witches explores a world where witches control the climate. Now, do you see why the herbal notes make this match-up perfect?
Find out what is happening when the witches lose control of the climate with this perfect duo.
5. Pumpkin Spice Latte Nitro & Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Have you ever read a book and thought, “Wow, this feels like a pumpkin spice latte”? If you haven’t, you will after you pair this Pumpkin Spice Latte Nitro with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. There is something cozy about putting these two together while the leaves are changing outside. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are a classic, so it isn’t shocking this beer pairs well with a classic novel.
This pumpkin ale is mixed with spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice combine with pumpkin and Ozo’s Ursa Major coffee) and coffee topped with a nitro head that will remind you of your favorite seasonal latte foam.
6. Athletic Brewing Co. All Out Stout & The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Wanting a spooky read with a beer, but without the alcohol? Try pairing this non-alcoholic extra-dark beer with an even darker novella by Henry James. The Turn of the Screw inspired the hit horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix. Ready to read it yet? This non-alcoholic stout (containing less than 0.5% ABV) can warm up even the coldest of nights, making it perfect for a haunting horror read.
More of a wine drinker? Here are our favorite wines paired with some of our favorite works by Edgar Allan Poe!