The world’s best pumpkin beer is brewed in Texas according to the World Beer Cup.

Pumpkin beer. Few pairs of words are quite as divisive in the craft beer movement—and arguably craft beverages at large. For haters, pumpkin beer is the pumpkin-spiced latte of the beverage world—a symbol of fall more terrifying than any skeleton decoration. These critics see pumpkin ales as basic beers designed for the masses rather than connoisseurs. On the other hand, fans—and there are still many among us—look forward to the style that lets brewers explore ingredients and that, when done well, creates a well-balanced fall-forward brewing option.

A decade or so ago, it seemed like almost every brewery was unveiling a pumpkin beer around this time of year, and sales from pumpkin beer and other fall seasonals peaked in 2015 at $1.2 billion. After that, the style was in decline for a few years but remained a big market force overall. However, according to some beer industry observers, pumpkin beers are starting to make a comeback.

I tend to fall somewhere in between the pumpkin beer haters and the lovers. Every year, I really enjoy one (or maybe two) pumpkin beers a lot. This beer or two gives me a fun taste of fall and unusual beer ingredients. If I drink any more than that, even if it’s a great pumpkin beer, it is too much for me.

Even so, I’m always interested in award-winning beers in any style. That’s why I took notice earlier this year when the judges at the World Beer Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious beer competitions, blind taste-tested dozens of pumpkin beers and crowned three as the world’s best for 2024. The winner’s podium included beers from Texas, Washington, and Denver, but the competition is open to beers from around the world and receives many international entries. You can be assured that these pumpkin beers are not the overly sweet, unbalanced variety but instead represent everything a pumpkin beer can and should be.

Here’s a closer look at these award-winning pumpkin beers.

To brew this gold medal-winning pumpkin beer, the team at Karbach Brewing Co. combines Munich and caramel malts with real pumpkin and pie spices including pumpkin pureé and pumpkin pie spice (made with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and mace.) This lager mix is then aged in the brewery’s cellar for 4 weeks. The process is designed to create a seasonal beer that delivers all the flavors of pumpkin pie. Whether you want to take a “bite” probably depends on your preexisting feelings toward pumpkin beer.

I love a good pun-inspired beer name, and this one sure delivers on that front. But it’s more than a clever name. Per the brewery’s tasting notes, Ryes of the Pumpkin King is an oatmeal brown ale “brewed with pumpkin puree and rye malt and then cold steeped on cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.” The result is meant to be smooth and complex, welcoming the fall season.

A pumpkin twist on the River North Brewery’s barleywine, this beer means business. Its 11.4% ABV is hefty by any standard, and particularly striking for a pumpkin beer, which generally features lower alcohol content. While I haven’t tasted this beer myself, the combination of pumpkin and barleywine seems intriguing and distinct from the typical pumpkin beers available.