A Toast!: I guess you could say that this pumpkin ale was actually my beverage of choice for ringing in the new year, a last-minute offering by my brother-in-law, who had actually set some aside long ago in anticipation for our Christmastime visit! It really is the little things, isn’t it?

A Non-Beer-Drinkers Beer Review: Surprisingly even to myself, I actually kind of liked this beer! As my brother-in-law noted, Blue Moon is a bit more smooth than other ales, which I appreciated because it allowed me to actually get through the entire glass without feeling like I was just choking it down in obligation! The harvest spices were intriguing also, in that they seemed a bit more pronounced than in other alcoholic beverages that I’d sampled in the past.

The Verdict: And so while it still wasn’t enough to convert me into an actual beer drinker, not only did I appreciate the effort but this also officially becomes the very first pumpkin beer that I’d actually recommend here on this meager, little pumpkin pursuit of mine – bottoms up!

P.S.: Happy New Year!!!

Quick Review: Thick and smooth, but not overwhelmingly pumpkin.  It’s definitely in there, unlike some other recent reviews, however the flavor wasn’t nearly as awesome and delicious as the pumpkin milk that I discovered through divine intervention earlier this year at Target.

True, it’s a tough act to follow, but hey – we’re looking for the best of the best of the best here!

Proposed Slogan: “Like drinking a pumpkin pie – probably the most divine pumpkin potion your lips will ever meet.”

So You Liked It?: Yeah…

Well-Deserved Praise: Now I don’t want to go too far out on a limb here, but I will say as a man of great pumpkin prowess that not for nothing, but there’s a good chance that this bountiful beverage already has a strong lead towards being the best of 2011!  In a word, I loved it – goes down smooth and creamy, has a wonderful taste that’s sweet, but not too rich, and even has a spot-on color that assures you exactly what you’re getting from the moment that you pour it into your glass!  A+++

The Future: Back when I was growing up, chocolate milk was always sort of a big deal in our house.  I mean, sure, we had Quik around for whenever, but the good stuff that was already made in the jug was sort of reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Easter and stuff.  That said, because I can’t possibly see it happening any other way, I hereby decree that pumpkin milk will be the official special beverage in my house between the months of September and November!  How many holidays do we have in there?!  Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Autumnal Equinox, Talk Like a Pirate Day … Target had better stock up on this stuff because their sales of this delicious nectar from the gods are about to go nuts…

Exposition: So it’s been a whopping three years since I reviewed my last pumpkin beer, and I like to think that I’ve learned a few things along the way.  Namely, that there are a select few edibles out there that I’m probably best leaving up to my pumpkin-loving fans to provide commentary on, rather than risk alienation by treading into the dark unknown where frankly I just don’t have much experience!  Last year we learned that soymilk is definitely on this list, in addition to coffee, and considering that the last bottle of beer that I drank was most likely that same pumpkin-colored variety that I sampled three years ago, it’s probably safe to say that beer should also be on this particular list as well…

But For What It’s Worth…: I will say that I think I did enjoy this Shock Top ale more than I did its Michelob counterpart from three years prior.  While I can’t say that I specifically picked up a pumpkin aroma upon following the instructions on the bottle “to properly blend the spices and release the aroma and flavor,” it did seem to boast hints of cinnamon and nutmeg (as cited), and seemed to offer somewhat of an autumnal flavor upon the taste test.  It also had a really nice, deep color that reminded me of pumpkin juice, for what that’s worth…

Share Your Thoughts Below!: So that said, from here I open it up to you – the beer aficionados in the crowd to provide your own well-informed feedback about how Shock Top’s Pumpkin Wheat Ale really stacks up against your own personal favorite brews!  I want to hear what you think, America (and beyond!), so crack open a bottle at your local bar or just around the house, and then leave a comment with your thoughts…

P.S. Beer drinker or not, I can’t deny that their mascot does look pretty darned cool!

Rambling Excuses: I’ve actually been meaning to blend this one up for a while now, however the last time I went to do so, I realized that I was one ingredient shy of what I needed.  Fast forward to today when I actually started putting things in the blender before I realized that I was still short a completely different ingredient this time!  Still, it was all or nothing at this point, so I tried to make the best with what I did have…

The Missing Link: Bananas … that was the item that I somehow managed to overlook this particular go around, and although it still turned out ok, I have a feeling that tossing a banana into the mix would’ve added the bit of sweetness that I feel like this was missing … and I even tried dumping in another spoonful of brown sugar, but the flavor was still just a little bland.

Instructions: Follow them.  All of them!  *The More You Know…*

Recipe: Pumpkin Smoothie (via VeryBestBaking.com)

Disclaimer: Prior to this review, I’ve never tasted any sort of artificial milk in my life whatsoever.

That Said…: I tried to give it my college best, folks, but after only half  a glass of this lactose-free pseudo-milk, it was pretty clear that soymilk just isn’t for me.  Maybe it’s just habit – I grew up on 2% milk and I can’t even stand skim, meaning that my wife and I have separate bottles in the fridge because that’s all that she drinks, but it just tasted weird to me.  The closest I could compare it to is maybe some sort of light or fat-free yogurt or frozen yogurt … probably because I would assume that maybe they use some of the same ingredients.
Pumpkin Spice?: Frankly, I think I was just too hung up on the soymilk flavor to reasonably discern any pumpkin similarities.  Not really having anything to compare it to, I suppose it might’ve tasted minutely autumnly, but I’m not sure if I’d go so far as to call it “like a scrumptious slice of pumpkin pie in your glass…”

Call to Lactose-Free Arms!: Hey, Pumpkin Lovers – are you vegan, lactose-intolerant, or otherwise just happen to drink stuff like this on a regular basis?  Post a comment with your own thoughts on this Silky beverage – I’m always curious to hear your opinions, especially when we’re looking at the kind of product that clearly just isn’t my cup of tea!

Headline: Guy Who’s Not Really Into Coffee Tries New Latte Drink in the Name of Pumpkin!
One Day Later: Guy Feels Kinda Duped After Drinking Pumpkin Spice Imposter Drink…

Confusion: I’m tastin’ the coffee, and I’m tastin’ the milk … what gives with the “pumpkin spice”???
Confession: I even drank through all four bottles of this stuff in hopes that maybe they just forgot to put the “natural pumpkin flavor” in one of them, but unless they forgot for the entire product line, I think we can just chalk this one up to being a dud in orange clothing.
Fade-Out Frustration: I don’t even like coffee, but I’m willing to try the stuff every now and then when they start throwing the p-word around.  Then I find out that it was all just a gimmick and the stuff doesn’t taste anymore pumpkin-y than my left foot…

Universal Locale: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)

The Challenge: Will this souvenir edition prove to be the portable equivalent of that pumpkin juice that I actually enjoyed from The Three Broomsticks, or will it fall short and bear resemblance more closely to that failed concoction that I tried to create in my own kitchen???
The Results: Wow – surprisingly almost exactly the same! I almost want to say that this one is a little more sugary, but I’m honestly not quite sure.  Also, even despite thorough shaking as directed, the pumpkin flavor isn’t as consistent throughout the drink as the live version and the cider does seem more prominent halfway through, but without a giant drink machine like the restaurant no doubt had to keep everything circulating, I still think this version faired quite well!
The Price: Just to help put things in perspective, this souvenir version (in its collectible pumpkin bottle) was $5.99, whereas its on the rocks counterpart in the restaurant was $2.99.

Universal Locale: Three Broomsticks @ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)

Juice Redux: I get the feeling that this is what that pumpkin juice from two weeks ago was supposed to taste like – a sweet cinnamon and cider flavor, with almost more of what you might call a pumpkin aftertaste … and the consistency of a juice as opposed to some sort of half-juice / half-smoothie freakish hybrid! I wasn’t sure what I was going to think or if I would want more than just a taste to go along with my lunch, but it ended up being quite good and I’d definitely order it again if their beverage options don’t change…
Beverage “Options”: …and the only reason I even bring this up was that it was at lunchtime that I discovered one of my pet peeves with Universal’s new Harry Potter area – they don’t serve soda … period! The problem is, I’m a caffeine addict and start to get kinda, well, crabby to say the least if I don’t get some in me by mid-day at best, so to be told that they only served these themed juices was kind of annoying.  I mean, I get that they’re trying to maintain a theme and all, but they still managed to accept my magical credit card for payment instead of charging me in sickles and galleons, so all I’m saying is that being able to order a freaking Coke alongside my pumpkin juice would’ve made this muggle most appreciative!
Quality Reassured: Still, I do want to emphasize that this particular juice was really good … enough that I’ll be curious to see if the souvenir pumpkin juice that I picked up in one of the gift shops will hold the same, but we’ll find that out soon enough…

The Menu:

• Pumpkin and Sage Pizza
• Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

The ‘Za: I’m a fan of pizza in a big, bad way, so when it came time to figure out what to do for an entree for dinner and I found this recipe, needless to say it was an easy choice!  And granted, while I’m not necessarily super fond of them crazy, new age pizzas with all sorts of strange cheeses and healthy ingredients on them, I was actually pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite out of this pumpkin pizza.  The pumpkin flavor wasn’t strong, but blended well with the onions and sage, and the goat cheese especially made for more of a bite than you might expect from straight up mozzarella by itself.  I honestly think I blame the lack of pumpkin pizazz simply on the lackluster pumpkin that I found at the grocery store, but even that said, it was a pizza of a different variety than that which I’ve grown accustomed and I still enjoyed it!

Pizza Substitutions: I ended up using sweet onions instead of shallots because I had trouble finding them, and Pillsbury Pizza Crust in place of the dough (I use this stuff all the time for homemade pizzas and love it because it’s so quick and simple).  I also had to swap out rubbed sage for leaves because, well, the recipe didn’t actually list sage leaves as ingredients! But such is life – I suppose that’s what I get for not reading the entire instructions more thoroughly before going grocery shopping…

The Milkshake: Definitely one of the better homemade milkshakes that I’ve made, I was happy to taste that all of the sugar and spices did a great job of masking some of the frozen yogurt flavors that I’m not necessarily always fond of.  I tend to make my milkshakes just using ice cream as opposed to frozen yogurt, but this one had a great flavor and the gingersnap crumblings on top made for a tasty, decorative treat!  One last bonus – not being overly thick, this made for a great beverage to go alongside the pumpkin pizza … probably my favorite meal of The All-Pumpkin Meal Plan so far.