IHOP releases fall-inspired craft beer

Restaurant teams up with craft brewery for pumpkin beer

Glendale, Calif.-based IHOP announced the release of IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout, a limited-edition, fall-inspired craft beer brewed by Kingston, N.Y.-based Keegan Ales. The ale pairs the flavor of pumpkin and seasonal spices with IHOP’s buttermilk pancakes, for a smooth, rich stout, the company says.

To create IHOPS, the brand collaborated with Keegan Ales, producers of one of the "Top Ten Stouts in North America" as rated by The New York Times, the company says. The innovative flavor profile of IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout is different from other pumpkin-flavored beers as it blends IHOP's signature buttermilk pancake batter mix with ingredients from its fall menu into a Keegan Ales' stout, it adds.

The seasonal brew was inspired by the breakfast brand's newest promotional menu item: Pumpkin Spice pancakes, Cinn-A-Stack pancakes, and the ultimate mash-up, Pumpkin Cinn-A-Stack, which are made with real pumpkin, the company says. The limited-time pancake lineup is available at IHOP Restaurant's nationwide through Oct. 28.

"Every year, our guests eagerly await the return of our seasonal pancakes: Pumpkin Spice, Cinn-A-Stack, and a new combination of the two this year, Pumpkin Cinn-A-Stacks, which tastes just like a pumpkin pie and a cinnamon roll married and had a food baby," said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer at IHOP, in a statement.

"Our advertising agency, Droga5, suggested that those same ingredients that make our fall pancakes so delicious would also make a great tasting beer, and we wholeheartedly agreed,” he continued. “So, we partnered with award-winning craft brewers Keegan Ales to create IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout, a limited-run beer that can exclusively be discovered at some of the Northeast's top fall beer and food festivals and bars."

IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout will make its debut Sept. 29, at the 5th annual Bacon and Beer Classic at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

"We're excited to partner with IHOP on this first-of-its kind brew and bring fans a unique craft beer that blends the deep, roasted flavors of our stout with hints of pumpkin, vanilla and IHOP's iconic pancake batter," said Tommy Keegan, founder of Keegan Ales, in a statement. "Being able to showcase it at the Bacon and Beer Classic was the perfect launch pad — nothing elevates breakfast or bacon better than pancakes. Now fans can get the taste of IHOP's famous fall pancakes in a beer."

Fans looking to sample the beer can do so at select bars and festivals, across the New York tri-state area throughout September and October. IHOPS Pumpkin Pancake Stout will be available from the following distributors and at beer festivals: