Raise your glass, beer geeks! If you were trick-or-treating with a six-pack in the 1990s, odds are it was Pete’s Wicked Ale — the nutty, caramel-kissed brown ale that became the unofficial pumpkin-spice latte of craft beer. Second-best-selling craft brew of the decade? Check. Featured on every Halloween party playlist? I was lucky enough to have sipped it straight from the bright tank at August Schell Brewing in 1988.
How a Kitchen Garbage Can Gave Birth to a Cult Classic
Picture this: Belmont, California, 1979. A five-gallon bucket, a giant kettle, and a garbage can (yes, really) are the O.G. brewery for Pete Slosberg. The marketing exec by day was trying to clone Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale — and accidentally brewed pure Halloween magic instead. After seven years of tweaking recipes (talk about patience!), Pete nailed the perfect roasty-toasty brown ale that screamed “fall vibes” 365 days a year.
Fun fact: Pete originally wanted to make wine, but fermentation was too slow. Beer? Instant gratification. 🍻
From Homebrew to National Nightmare (for Big Beer)
1986: Pete quits the 9-to-5 grind, raises $50K, and partners with Palo Alto Brewing. First 200 cases drop in December — gone in 60 seconds.
1987: Disaster! Contract brewery files bankruptcy. Pete and crew raid the West Coast for bottles, working weekends to save the batch. “Fun for about two hours,” he laughs.
Solution: Teams up with 130-year-old August Schell Brewing in Minnesota. Raises $400K. Ships 1,400 cases.
Boom: Wins #1 Ale at the 1987 Great American Beer Festival. Repeats in ‘88. By early ‘90s, Pete’s + Samuel Adams = ⅓ of ALL U.S. craft beer.
Label spotlight: Millie the English bull terrier grinning on every bottle. Instant shelf candy.
Why Pete’s Wicked Ale IS Halloween in a Glass
Flavor: Toasty malt, hints of chocolate, caramel, and a whisper of hops — like a campfire s’more in liquid form.
Vibes: Perfect for carving pumpkins, haunted hayrides, or just scaring off light lager drinkers.
Nostalgia: If you hear “Monster Mash” and reach for a brown ale, congratulations — you’re a Pete’s kid.
R.I.P. (But Never Forgotten)
Pete’s Brewing eventually sold in 1998, and the Wicked Ale faded into craft beer Valhalla. But every October, homebrewers dust off the recipe, and vintage bottles still pop up at bottle shares. Want to resurrect the ghost? Clone kits and recipes are a Google away.
Search tip: “Pete’s Wicked Ale clone recipe” + “Halloween brown ale” = your next spooky brew day.
Prost to Pete — the guy who turned kitchen trash into craft beer treasure. Now go find a dark corner, crack a brown ale, and toast the original Halloween hero. 🥃👻
Originally brewed with garbage cans. Now legendary in our hearts.
For the Today’s Top 10 brown ales and more