October 18, 2025

Piled at farmstands, lined in rows in fields, on front porches—pumpkins are everywhere on the North Fork.  Magic Fountain ice cream store has not one, not two, but three flavors of pumpkin ice cream. (The pumpkin cheesecake is delicious, and I look forward to trying the pumpkin praline.)  So it was not exactly subconscious suggestion that led our visitors to want to try one of the many pumpkin beers on offer at local breweries.  Jamesport Farm Brewery was close by, so we decided to pop in and see if we could take home a growler, as we didn’t have time to stay for a tasting.

We began to worry that “popping in” would not be on the menu, when we were directed to park in about the fourth row in a field full of cars.  And indeed, as we entered, the place was in full Octoberfest mode, with a live and lively band, food trucks, and crowds of people—young, old, couples, families, groups of friends, and lots of dogs—everywhere.  Uh-oh.

Then we spotted two take-out windows, with only a couple of people on line.  “Can we get a growler of Basic Witch?” I asked.  “No,” but, he added, “we do have Crowlers of it, in the refrigerated case inside.”

What’s a Crowler? A tall 32 ounce can, I soon learned.  Crowlers in hand, we paid at the window, listened to the music a little while, and went home.

We enjoyed the beer, a smooth, pleasant ale, which we sipped with some cocktail hour snacks of dill pickle flavor hummus (surprisingly yummy), crackers, cherry tomatoes, and truffle flavored nuts.  We agreed that we were not sure what made it a pumpkin beer, but the Jamesport Farm website describes it as, “Easy-drinking, with subtle pumpkin & spice flavors.  Malty sweetness with a smooth, sessionable character.”  (4.8% ABV)  I’d agree.

I hope to return in the off-season to do a complete tasting!

Reason to visit on an October weekend: lively Octoberfest scene, dogs welcome.