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Happy birthday to Arianna Elizabeth Hines!

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Quiet week expected for the Wyoming Valley

<p>Every October I get a real kick out of looking at all of the jack-o-lanterns decorating area homes. I carve at least three pumpkins to go along with my elaborate display of tombstones, skeletons and an almost life-sized coffin. We don&#8217;t get as many trick or treaters like we used to, but I still like to get into the ghoulish spirit of Halloween especially with a good pumpkin ale by my side.</p><p>As I carve my pumpkins, I think back to a time about 20 years ago when my children asked me to buy the biggest pumpkin I could find. I thought, why not? and the search began. After several days and many pumpkin patches I found an orange monster fit for a Godzilla movie. This great gourd was so large, I had to get help transporting it back home. The behemoth of a &#8220;Cucurbita Pepo&#8221; was so big it took two grown men to get it on the porch. We couldn&#8217;t wait to carve it up to create the biggest jack-o-lantern in town.</p><p>Every day leading up to Halloween, kids would come over to gaze at the spectacular squash wondering what face we would carve into its side. As Oct. 31 approached, my mind turned to Mischief Night and the tradition of smashing pumpkins on the road. Would my pumpkin end up splattered on the pavement like roadkill?</p><p>No way.</p><p>No kid could lift it to get it off the porch and toss it airborne. It just had to be safe.</p><p>As darkness fell on Oct. 30, I kept a vigilant eye on my prize. There was no way I was going to let anyone abscond with my monster pumpkin. As time went on and the clock approached 11 p.m., I felt confident that we were out of the woods so I retired to bed and dreaming of winning jack-o-lantern contests all over the world.</p><p>As we all arose on Halloween morning, we scrambled down the steps and opened the front door to make sure the pumpkin was alive and well. To our dismay, it was gone. How could it be gone? Our tearing eyes turned to the street but there was no carnage. The gutless gourd grabbers actually stole our most precious Halloween possession.</p><p>How did I miss them backing up the flatbed truck to haul it away?</p><p>I remember sitting back wondering how I could replace a pumpkin that large on Halloween Day. It was impossible. To this day, I hide my jack-o-lanterns on Mischief Night so they can be proudly displayed on Halloween, waiting for trick-or-treaters to gaze at their beauty while dipping their hands into candy bowls.</p><p>Halloween time is made for pumpkins as well as a pumpkin ale. I was bowling at Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center and asked my favorite bartender, Kara, what kind of pumpkin ales were available. As she ran down the list, she came to New Belgium Pumpkick. New Belgium is new in town and they have been doing a great job promoting their beers. Sold!</p><p><strong>Sight:</strong> As I poured Pumpkick I gazed at a nice copper color that kept its hue throughout the glass. The white head was very slight and dissipated quickly. It did stay as a ring around the inside of the glass.</p><p><strong>Aroma:</strong> When I lifted my glass of Pumpkick, I expected a hearty aroma that accompanies most pumpkin ales. Instead I got a very subtle crisp smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg along with some type of tart aroma. It was unique to most of the pumpkin ales on the market. I was intrigued.</p><p><strong>Taste:</strong> With your first sip you will immediately get a smooth mixture of the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg with a back note of something tarty. At first I could not make it out, but after a few sips it was definitely cranberries and lemongrass. An interesting combination for a pumpkin ale that I really liked.</p><p>I liked New Belgium Pumpkick. It is a subtle smelling beer with a great taste that ends with a little zing. If you have never had a pumpkin ale, I would not start with this one simply because of its complexity. Make sure you work your taste buds up to the Pumpking rung of the Pumpkin Ale ladder. I recommend drinking a Pumpkick with a big slab of pumpkin or apple pie or a nice turkey breast. You can pick up New Belgium Pumpkick at Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowing Center or at your local beer distributor.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jim McCabe The Beer Meister </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_james.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jim McCabe The Beer Meister </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_pumpkick.jpg">
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Jim McCabe</p><p>The Beer Meister</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>The Beer Meister is a new column that will appear twice a month in the Times Leader</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p style="text-align: left;">Jim McCabe is an avid beer enthusiast and the circulation manager for the Times Leader.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

The Beer Meister: New Belgium makes a mark in NEPA with Pumpkick