As the summer sun descends southward, the nights grow longer, and the leaves begin their colorful demise, another annual tradition has made its presence known in just about every place you go these days. Pumpkin. Flavored. Everything . Especially beers. Please don’t misunderstand – I’m just a red-blooded American like y’all, but I demand variety and must seek out the best each season has to offer. The fresh hop (not wet hop*) beers and the old-world style of the Flanders Red/Flemish Brown are a great place to start. Here’s a map by which to plot your escape from Pumpkin-flavored hell.

Fresh Hopped Beers

Especially prevalent in the Northwestern states (the heart of America’s hop-growing region), the fresh hopping of beers allows a gentle transition from the bitter offerings of the summer months into the heavily spiced and sweet, dark beers of winter. Instead of using pelletized or dried hops, brewers race to and from the hop yards to stir in these fresh nuggets, creating the freshest available IPA, Pilsner, Belgian and Ale offerings.

What sets these beers apart for me is the mellow bitterness they provide, generally featuring an earthier, oily, and sweet take on a traditionally more pungent style. This year, the best I’ve downed have come from Oregon brewers Deschutes and BridgePort. Hop Trip is Deschutes quintessential fresh hopped IPA, filled with big grassy and resinous hop notes and a fine caramel malt base. The Imperial Hop Harvest Pilsner from BridgePort is a deliciously different spin on the classic pilsner style, featuring a double helping of fresh hops, making it a beer even your fizzy-yellow-guzzling uncle may like.

Other offerings to check out are Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Series (Northern and South Hemispheres) and Almanac’s three different fresh hopped IPAs: Cascade, Chinook, Cluster. Get them while you can – these beers are only available during the month of October.

Flanders Red and Flemish Brown Ales

Historically the domain of the Belgian region it’s named for, Flanders and Flemish Sour Ales have begun to elbow their way into the American craft beer arena, bringing with them sour and hoppy variations on the classic style.

In this variety, you’re most likely to come across New Belgium’sLa Folie, a crazy sour Flemish brown ale. It’s aged 1-4 years and blended with lacto-bacteria, giving Belgium’s Rodenbach Grand Cru a run for its money. For those on the West Coast, seek out Cascade Brewing’sKriek Ale, a Flanders Red that’s like biting into the sourest of cherry pies, sporting a pucker factor through the roof. Another phenomenal Flanders is Lost Abbey’sRed Poppy Ale, a well-balanced sweet and sour experience. Lastly, The Bruery’sOude Tart, which has won gold at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, is a gem amongst their other stellar sour/wild offerings.

This detour should be well received by friends and loved-ones alike. They may even commend you for your excellent and worldly taste – then, when no one’s looking, whisper gently in your ear their thanks for delivering them from yet another pumpkin-flavored beer. If that doesn’t happen, there’s always Elysian’sDark O’ the Moon Pumpkin Stout – something no one should miss before the orange gourds finally go away.

^*The New School provides a fine tutorial on why Fresh Hopped beers should not be called Wet Hop beers.