Pumpkin beer is a polarizing subject, this year perhaps more than ever. To some brew enthusiasts, saying you love beer while drinking a Shipyard Pumpkinhead is like saying you’re a diehard Red Sox supporter when wearing a pink hat. So here’s a 12-pack of brews to drink this season that have nothing to do with those damn gourds.

For the record, though, I’m against the pumpkin-hating because there are tons of great breweries out there conjuring up tasty, imaginative takes on the loosely-defined style. Pumpkin porters, pumpkin shandies — I say keep ‘em coming. What I dislike about the pumpkin craze is that it draws attention away from other great fall styles. Typically, these are beers brewed in summer to be enjoyed when the season turns: Marzens, dunkelweizens, harvest ales, and brown ales. The heavier, higher alcohol content beers that hit the market around this time of year give you a nice fuzzy warm feeling, like you’re wearing a knit sweater that smells like hops. Others aren’t going to knock you on your ass, but pack huge autumnal flavors. I’m bending the rules a little on some of these, but these are a dozen beers available now that I’m really, really into as of mid-October — brews that I like to drink during fall. No pumpkins to be found.