Smash Face Pumpkin Ale

Bottoms Up

By Kathleen Wilson | Sept. 25, 2021

The end of summer is always a heartbreaker, but thankfully, we can count on Suttons Bay’s Hop Lot to help us ease into the season with crackling outdoor fires surrounded by trees with changing leaves and, of course, some stellar autumn brews. Fresh out of the taps is the Smash Face Pumpkin Ale, a seriously delicious seasonal ale now in its seventh year of release.

Aptly named, this is a beer you will literally want to smash your face into. (Apple bobbing just got an adult twist). Owner and recipe master Steve Lutke designed this beer with fall in mind and leaves it to lead brewer Casey Cross to bring this creation to life.

A combo of locally sourced Michigan hops and actual pumpkin pie filling added in during the brewing process forms the fragrant base of this brew, which is finished off with a strong hit of pumpkin spice. Those of us pumpkin-spiced out by early October can rest assured: “The flavors of pumpkin do not overpower the result,” Lutke says. “The goal was to achieve that perfect balance and blend of spice and beer.” We think Smash Face certainly gets it right, crafting this crisp 6.6% lager with cinnamon, caramel notes, and a slight malty sweetness, too.

Grab a pint to sit in Hop Lot’s epic beer garden or (and?) 64 oz. growler to go for $14 —but do it quickly, Smash Mouth Ale is only available in October until supplies last. Find Hop Lot at 658 SW Bay Shore Dr. in Suttons Bay 231-866-4445.