Seasonal beers are coming out earlier every year, it seems. But I think it's just plain wrong to drink a fall beer while there's still humidity in the air (most fall orders get placed in July!) and right now is the perfect time of year to enjoy a pumpkin or Oktoberfest-style brew. Here are my five favorites from Maryland:

• Evolution Craft Brewing Company's Jacques Au Lantern: This brewery, which just moved from Delmar to a larger facility in Salisbury, released a classic pumpkin beer for their fall season. Jacques Au Lantern is an amber ale with traditional pumpkin spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove) that is definitely sweet to the nose, but has an earthy after-taste that doesn't leave you bogged down with spice. I tried Jacques Au Lantern at a bar in Ocean City, but it's available throughout Baltimore, including CVP and No Idea Tavern.

• Stillwater Artisanal Ale's Autumnal: This Baltimore-based gypsy brewer Brian Strumke is known for his Saisons/farmhouse ales and this fall seasonal is no exception. Autumnal, with a 7.2 percent ABV, is a beer with a lot of depth that combines German wheat and Belgian farmhouse styles. The result is a complex flavor that starts out with sweet pear and caramel notes and finishes on the dryer side. Stop into Strumke's Of Love & Regret where Autumnal is on tap.

• Flying Dog Brewery's Dogtoberfest: The Frederick brewery's Märzen-style beer uses all imported German ingredients and is extremely well-balanced. The initial taste has a rich malt flavor that turns into a slight caramel sweetness and finishes with mild hops. Dogtoberfest is a lighter take on a traditional Märzen, to be sure, but is well-rounded and goes down smooth. Try this one everywhere from Judge's Bench in Ellicott City to Red House Tavern in Canton.

• Heavy Seas Beer's The Great Pumpkin: I've written about this one before because it's my go-to local pumpkin beer. The aroma is fairly sweet, as your nose fills with scents of brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Once you taste it, though, the spiciness cuts through nicely leaving you with a rich and balanced pumpkin flavor. Be warned, though, that The Great Pumpkin is a steep 8 percent. Find the beer, naturally, at Heavy Seas Alehouse and Max's Taphouse.

• The Brewer's Art's Proletary Ale: While you can find this one on tap at Brewer's Art sporadically throughout the year, it's meant to be a fall/winter ale. After much demand for a darker ale, the brewers came up with Proletary, which has flavors of coffee and chocolate with a dry, nutty finish. This is one of the most sessionable beers at Brewer's Art (clocking it at only 5 percent ABV), making it easy to drink and enjoy.

[Image: courtesy of greatpumpkinbeerreview.wordpress.com]

As I wrote about back in May, Gordon Biersch Brewery Resaurant is opening its first Baltimore location on Lancaster Street in Harbor East. The official opening date is Monday, October 29.

The 9,500-square-foot space will have an on-site brewery, headed by Chris Cashell formerly of The Brewer's Art. There will be siganture and seasonal beers like a traditional German Hefeweizen, a Bohemian-style Czech pilsner, and coffee-like lager Schwarzbier. Additionally, the restaurant will serve burgers, salad, pizza, seafood, and steaks under the direction of executive chef Jacob Pulcher.

"The vibrant Harbor East community is the perfect place for us to introduce ourselves to diners in the area," general manager Jon Jones said in a press release. "Baltimore has become a city known for its food and we are eager to bring our fresh handcrafted beers and made-from-scratch menu items to the area for the first time."

The restaurant will seat nearly 300 diners with additional seating on the outside patio for 50 people. Hours of operation will be Sunday and Monday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (bar 11 a.m.-midnight); Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (bar 11 a.m.-midnight); and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight (bar 11 a.m.-2 a.m.).

[Image: courtesy of Gordon Biersch]

As Ron Cassie wrote about earlier, we were so incredibly saddened to hear about the death of Patrick "Scunny" McCusker, the owner of Nacho Mama's and Mama's on the Half Shell, who was killed riding a bicycle in Ocean City Friday night. 

Our thoughts are with McCusker's family, close friends, and the tight-knit community that he built in Southeast Baltimore. Last year, I interviewed McCusker and asked him why he loved Canton, a neighborhood he was so instrumental in building when he opened Nacho Mama's 18 years ago:

Canton is like a small town they plucked out of the middle of suburbia and dropped into a city. The neighborhood has a real sense of itself, and a real sense of community. Plus, we have a waterfront for kayaking. We have a huge park for outdoor concerts. We have a lively square and tons of corner bars.

I opened Nacho Mama's 18 years ago and, along with the owners of Looney's, Claddagh, and Speakeasy, I've watched this neighborhood grow. When I first opened, a guy asked me why I was putting a Mexican restaurant in a Polish neighborhood. It's grown from that old-school, working-class feel to a place where people are settling down with their kids and raising families.

I have original customers of mine bringing in their grandkids now—which is a testament to the fact that people don't just live here, they stay here.

Thank you, Scunny, for creating that community. You will be sorely missed. 

Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen and memorial contributions can be made to the Hopkins Children House's Believe in Tomorrow Children's Foundation, 6601 Frederick Rd., Baltimore, 21228.

[Image: Scunny handing out a Natty Boh draft at the first "Tapping of the Keg," courtesy of The Daily Record]

Last night I got the opportunity to help judge the Ultimate Ciroc Summer Cocktail Competition. The contest, put on by Ciroc and Baltimore magazine, involved 10 local bartenders creating cocktails using a base of Ciroc vodka, with proceeds from each drink benefiting the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Throughout June and July, patrons were asked to try the various cocktails and vote for their favorite on our website.

The entire thing culminated at an event last night on the beautiful rooftop terrace of the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court (formerly the InterContinental). Each bartender had 10 minutes to create their Ciroc drink for the judges including myself, B&O Brasserie bar manager Brendan Dorr, Ulman Fund president and CEO Brock Yetso, and Reliable Churchill's business development manager Don Davolio. Baltimore contributor Gina Geppi emceed, as an audience full of industry insiders, Ulman Fund staff, and friends and family of the bartenders munched on appetizers, sipped on Ciroc cocktails, and looked on.

We rated each cocktail according to specific categories: presentation, appearance, aroma, and taste. Coming in third place was Meggan O'Rourke, bar manager at Blue Hill Tavern. She brought her pre-bottled cocktail called June Baby, a mixture of Ciroc, agave nectar, a fig and passion fruit tincture, grapefruit juice, and soda with lime. This was a refreshing summer drink that reminded me of an alcoholic Orangina. Coming in second was Bobby Kerfoot of Roy's Restaurant with his Rock'n Tahitian, a mix of Ciroc with muddled strawberries, raspberries, and lemongrass with fresh mint, lime, and an edible flower garnish. This was a sweeter, more tropical take on the vodka drink, but got points for its colorful appearance and fragrant mint. 

The winning cocktail came from Trevor Ifill, a member of the Baltimore Bartender's Guild, who works at the Four Seasons Splash Pool Bar and Grill. He made a Tamarind-Ginger Tea, which he described as an international fusion of the African tamarind spice, hints of ginger, agave nectar, and, of course, Ciroc. The exotic flavors all combined for a spicy, herbal and, ultimately, bold cocktail. Another standout was the über-refreshing Summer Garden, made by Christian Parent (another BBG member) from Bad Decisions, with Ciroc and flower-blossom liqueur served over crushed ice with fresh strawberries, cucumbers, and mint. I also enjoyed The Fourth Estate, pictured, left, made by Francisco Cutter at Talara, a truer Ciroc martini with St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, a Champagne float, and grapes acting as olives—clean and delicious.

After all of the drinks were judged and awards were given out, the most important ceremony of the night took place: Yetso and his team at the Ulman Fund were handed a check for $3,000. I was honored to be apart of a truly fun event for such a wonderful cause. Keep a lookout for these cocktails, which should be on most of the menus throughout the summer.

[Photos by Meredith Herzing]