Beer Buzz: Strange Beers

With hundreds of beers making an appearance at the Great American Beer Festival, it was easy to find a new favorite—or, at the very least, something new to excite your hopped-up palate.

Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite “odd” varieties from Saturday night:

The Great Northern Brewing Company‘s Wild Huckleberry Wheat, blended with Montana huckleberry juice, manages to avoid the typical downfall of fruit ales by having a balanced amount of sweetness.

The massive lineup from Short’s Brewing Company features uniquely named brews like S’Mores Stout and Strawberry Short’s Cake—both of which are on our to-try list. For now, we recommend the limited-edition Captain Fantasy (a collaboration with Half Acre Beer Company), a bitter, gold-toned saison with undertones of pear; or, try the Nicie Spicie, with vibrant hints of peppercorn and citrus.

Newbie Denver Beer Co. has a Smoked Lager that leaves a legit taste of bacon in your mouth. This one would be great with a burger.

Perfect for fall, Southampton Publick House‘s Pumpkin Ale—made with real pumpkin and “traditional pumpkin pie spices”—had us dreaming of Thanksgiving dessert. (Dogfish Head also pours a mean pumpkin-flavored brew.)