One local beer is the product of three Coupeville businesses collaborating to create a smooth, new, pumpkin-infused brew.

Brothers and owners of Coupeville’s Penn Cove Brewing Co., Mitch and Marc Aparicio, picked more than 300 pounds of Coupeville-grown pumpkins to create “Farmer Dale’s Pumpkin Stout.”

“It’s all the things you’d expect in a pumpkin pie, but in a stout form,” said assistant brewer Erickson Adam.

For a company that often highlights the importance of community in its products, the stout is is a seasonally appropriate addition.

The Aparicio brothers plucked the pumpkins from nearby Sherman’s Pioneer Farm and roasted them in the ovens at the Pizza Factory in Coupeville to make their fall-inspired concoction.

The kitchen is just across the parking lot from the brothers’ taproom.

Marc Aparicio, who co-owns the Coupeville brewery with Mitch, said they used 335 pounds of pumpkin meat to make their new stout.

The brothers have known Sherman and his family since they were kids, so it was a natural collaboration, Marc Aparicio said.

“Dale’s supported us in our brewery since day one,” said Marc Aparicio.

Marc Aparicio said Sherman even helped the brothers move some of their equipment when they launched their brewing venture.

In addition to its hyper-local connection, making the pumpkin stout unique is its actual pumpkin flavor — not just pumpkin pie spices.

The brewers used the pumpkins from Sherman Pioneer Farm in two steps in the process, resulting in a flavor of pumpkin that is easily recognizable in the brew.

It wasn’t easy to make, Marc Aparicio said.

First, the pumpkins had to be smashed open in order to be roasted with brown sugar. Then they made the mash for the brewing process. The mash was so thick that water couldn’t pass through at times, and the men had to physically mix it, which they said was comparable to mixing cement.

“It was an all-day process, Marc Aparicio said. “When you make that thick of a mash, it makes the process very difficult.”

The team made 10 barrels of the new brew.

In addition to its hallmark flavor, the stout has notes of ginger, clove, nutmeg and other classic fall spices.

The fall flavors become more pronounced as the beer becomes warmer.

Marc Aparicio said the plan is to age some of the stout and make about 100 bottles in time for Christmas gifts.

Aging the stout will make the bitter, hoppy flavors mellow and the pumpkin rise to the top, Erickson explained.

Asked what he thinks about having a beer named after him, Dale Sherman answered with humor.

“I feel pretty damn important, but I’m an important guy,” the farmer said with a laugh. “I’ve known these boys since they were kids.”

The brothers have said that supporting the community is important to them and their business.

Especially now, Marc Aparicio said.

“It’s all about the community,” he said. “We wouldn’t have survived without community support.”

Penn Cove Brewing Co.’s new pumpkin stout highlights the orange gourd, along with notes of ginger, clove, nutmeg and more. Photo by Emily Gilbert/Whidbey News-Times