We’ve given you a lot of pointers over the past two weeks geared towards helping you throw the perfect Halloween party — but you know what our tips so far have been missing? A beer keg made out of a pumpkin. Sure, Halloween cocktails are all well and good; let’s not forget, however, that October is Pumpkin Ale season, and to pass up this glorious adult beverage would be a terrible mistake, indeed. What better way is there to enjoy it than out of an actual pumpkin? Answer: There isn’t one. Pumpkin ale dispensed by a real pumpkin trumps every other possible serving method.
Happily, Mashable has us covered with an instructional video teaching us exactly how one turns everyone’s favorite seasonal squash into a beer receptacle worthy of Jack Skellington himself. The best part? It doesn’t even look that difficult. Besides the pumpkin and the beer, you only need four additional supplies, most of which you probably already have in your house, anyway. Scroll down to watch the whole video and marvel at exactly how easy it is; for those of you who don’t have the time for a video, though, here’s a breakdown of the steps involved.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies.
You’ll need a large carving knife, a pumpkin carving kit (Pumpkin Masters FTW!), a Sharpie, a spigot, and — of course — a pumpkin.
Step 2: Carve Off the Top and Clean Out the Insides.
Just like you would if you were making a regular ol’ jack-o-lantern.
Step 3: Make Your Spigot Hole.
This one should go at the front of the pumpkin. Make it slightly smaller than the diameter of the spigot itself — otherwise you’ll end up with a huge mess when you fill it.
Step 4: Stick the Spigot in the Hole.
Insert optional innuendo here. (You know you want to.)
Step 5: Add Your Beer.
Mashable went with Sam Adams’ Harvest Pumpkin Ale; as a native Bostonian, I approve of this choice. Any brown or amber ale will also work. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, it’ll probably take somewhere between six and 12 beers to fill it.
Step 6: Enjoy!
Put the top on, let the foam settle, and stick in a bucket just in case (you could also rest it on a table top, propping it up a little higher will make it easier to use). Then pour away!
Check out the whole video here, and while you're at it, head on over to Paste Magazine to get the lowdown on this season's best and worst pumpkin ales.
Images: Mashable/YouTube (7)
