Tyne Bank hopes its spooky Pumpkin Pale Ale is a hit for Halloween

A Tyneside brewery is hoping it’s latest spooky brew will be more treat than trick as it hits bars in time for Halloween.

Tyne Bank Brewery, from Byker in Newcastle, has made a 5.2% spiced pumpkin ale to mark the autumn holiday after requests from drinkers and landlords for another seasonal beer.

“Last year we were asked if we had a beer for Halloween so we thought we would do a spiced pumpkin ale,” said brewery managing director Julia Austin.

“We’ve used pumpkin puree imported from America. Pumpkin is really popular in the USA and it is readily available.”

The beer is one of three the brewery plan to unveil by All Hallows Eve, with a barrel aged version of its Heavenly Porter – aged for six months in a barrel previously containing the Heavenly bourbon used to brew it – and an imperial version of its Mocha Milk Stout to be launched at the nearby Free Trade Inn on October 31.

“The barrel aged Heavenly Porter has picked up a more intense bourbon flavour, and the longer it has been in the barrel the more oak and vanilla notes it has developed,” said the brewery’s Sam Capper.

“There’s also now a stronger bourbon aroma and a smooth oak-y quality to it.

“The Imperial Mocha Milk Stout we brewed on our test kit using the same ingredients as before but amped up, and it is a very limited edition with only around 20 750ml swing top bottles of it available.”

Mocha Milk Stout was originally created after a vote among Newcastle’s “Twitterati” as to what they wanted Tyne Bank to brew. At the time the vote said the group of bloggers and drinkers wanted an imperial milk stout, but the brewery chose to produce a lower ABV beer instead.