CENTRAL CITY BREWING IMPERIAL PUMPKIN ALE

LCBO 518787, 650 mL, $9.95

For those who like their pasta zesty, Saison Dupump from Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery affords a savvy pairing for this dish when only spicy sausage is used. The black peppery notes produced by the unique yeast used to ferment this ale will complement the spiciness of the sausage, while the beer’s bitterness will keep the heat in check and the pumpkin pie spices add even greater depth and diversity to the already flavourful sauce.

For a tamer version of this dish, made with equal parts spicy and sweet sausage, the barrel- aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale from British Columbia’s Central City Brewers & Distillers is the way to go. Stronger and sweeter than the average pumpkin beer, this potent ale, conditioned in Central City’s very own whisky barrels, features light spice alongside oaky vanilla notes and a rich, malt- intense body that will draw forward all the flavourful complexity of the sauce.