Two things brewing at AleSmith this Halloween

Every year, as we usher in fall and a chill grows in the air (by San Diego standards, anyway), locals can celebrate two things: tourist-free beaches and the release of AleSmith’s seasonal Evil Dead Red Ale. This year, the long-running local brewery is upping its Halloween ante by hosting AleSmith Fright Nights, featuring a haunted maze which takes attendees on a tour through the brewery and ultimately divulges the shocking secrets behind Evil Dead Red.

Even without braving the haunted brewery to learn all about Evil Dead Red, beer fans can expect a hoppy American red ale with 6.66% ABV brewed with caramel malts and Cascade, Chinook, and Simcoe hops. The caramel malts provide a dark red color and allow Evil Dead Red to pair nicely with Halloween treats such as toffee and caramel apples, while the hops contribute citrus, pine, and resin notes.

Evil Dead Red has a sister ale, My Bloody Valentine, which releases in the winter. However, don’t expect the same flavor profile from the two brews. Ryan Crisp, AleSmith’s Head Brewer and Director of Brewery Operations, explains, “They are similarly conceived beers, but Evil Dead Red is lighter in body and sweetness with a heavier dry hop rate.” Heavier dry-hopping gives Evil Dead Red more aromatics than My Bloody Valentine, but to really discover the difference for yourself, you might want to save a bottle of Evil Dead Red until February and do a side-by-side tasting.

As for AleSmith Fright Nights, the brewery teamed with Scareventures to decorate its tasting room and to construct a haunted maze that leads from the loading docks through the brewing facilities and back to wheat fields, where the secret of the Red Harvest is revealed. AleSmith’s Kristen Ballinger explains, “We wanted to do something unique and fun that would not only showcase our beer, but the brewery itself. Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year here at AleSmith, from fall seasonal beers to ghost stories and spooky times with great people. We felt like an event like this was the best way to showcase it all.”

Just because the event is at a brewery doesn’t mean the haunted maze will be toned down. Ballinger warns, “Without giving away too much, I’d say expect the real deal. The maze is designed to be scary and give you a glimpse at the darker side of AleSmith to show you how we truly make our favorite fall seasonal beer, Evil Dead Red.” Less scary: “The tasting room will be decked out in Halloween décor, and we will have live music and a costume competition on the 30th.”

Tickets to Fright Nights can be purchased on the AleSmith site and are available in three levels: general admission, which includes a trip through the maze and two drinks in the tasting room; designated driver, which includes a trip through the maze without drinks; and Light Fright for children, where the scares are removed and families with children can walk through the maze and collect candy.