Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Encyclopedia
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is a microbrewery
in Dexter, Michigan
founded by Ron Jeffries in 2004. It operates two pubs in Ann Arbor and Traverse City, Michigan. Jolly Pumpkin produces a variety of unfiltered and unpasteurized
"rustic country beer
s".
Jolly Pumpkin ages their beers in wine barrels which contain naturally occurring microbiological culture
s including brettanomyces
. These cultures produce a complex flavor profile in their beers, which includes flavors described as leathery, earthy, wild, funky, or even "sweaty horse hair character", and which may approximate how some beer tasted before the advent of pasteurization and industrialization. This style of beer has been described as "farmhouse ale
", or American wild ale
.
Their Oro de Calabaza won the 2004 Gold and the 2005 Bronze Medal in
in the Belgian
- and French-style ale category at the Great American Beer Festival
. Their Bam Bière won the Bronze Medal in the 2009 GABF
and was named the 21st best beer in America by Men's Journal
.
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
in Dexter, Michigan
Dexter, Michigan
Dexter is a village in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The majority of the village is in the northwest corner of Scio Township with a small portion in Webster Township. The population was 4,067 at the 2010 census...
founded by Ron Jeffries in 2004. It operates two pubs in Ann Arbor and Traverse City, Michigan. Jolly Pumpkin produces a variety of unfiltered and unpasteurized
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
"rustic country beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
s".
Jolly Pumpkin ages their beers in wine barrels which contain naturally occurring microbiological culture
Microbiological culture
A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture media under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are used to determine the type of organism, its abundance in the sample being tested,...
s including brettanomyces
Brettanomyces bruxellensis
Brettanomyces bruxellensis is a yeast native to the Senne valley near Brussels, Belgium. It is one of several members of the genus, which was discovered at the Carlsberg brewery in 1904 by N. Hjelte Claussen, who was investigating it as a cause of spoilage in English ales, hence the name...
. These cultures produce a complex flavor profile in their beers, which includes flavors described as leathery, earthy, wild, funky, or even "sweaty horse hair character", and which may approximate how some beer tasted before the advent of pasteurization and industrialization. This style of beer has been described as "farmhouse ale
Saison
Saison is the name originally given to low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, for farm workers during harvest season...
", or American wild ale
American wild ale
American wild ale is a style of beer pioneered by American microbreweries which is characterized by the use of yeasts other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae for fermentation...
.
Their Oro de Calabaza won the 2004 Gold and the 2005 Bronze Medal in
in the Belgian
Belgian beer
Beer in Belgium varies from pale lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. There are approximately 178 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries..-History:...
- and French-style ale category at the Great American Beer Festival
Great American Beer Festival
The Great American Beer Festival is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. This year, 2011, the festival runs from 29 September through 1 October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample more...
. Their Bam Bière won the Bronze Medal in the 2009 GABF
Great American Beer Festival
The Great American Beer Festival is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. This year, 2011, the festival runs from 29 September through 1 October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample more...
and was named the 21st best beer in America by Men's Journal
Men's Journal
Men's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
.
Year-round beers
- Oro de Calabaza ("Pumpkin gold") (8% abvAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
), described as a Franco-Belgian-style strong golden ale - La Roja (7.2% abv), a Flanders red aleFlanders red aleFlanders red ale is a style of sour ale usually brewed in Belgium. Although sharing a common ancestor with English porters of the 17th century, the Flanders red ale has evolved along a different track: the beer is often fermented with organisms other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae, especially...
- Bam Bière (4.5% abv), described as a light farmhouse ale or saisonSaisonSaison is the name originally given to low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, for farm workers during harvest season...
- Calabaza Blanca ("White pumpkin") (4.8% abv), a Witbier
- Bam Noire, a dark farmhouse with flavors reminiscent of dark plums and burnt sugar.
Seasonal beers
- Madrugada Obscura ("Dark Dawn") (8.1% abv), released in January, described as a Belgian-style stoutStoutStout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
- Bière de Mars ("March Beer") (7% abv), released in March, a Bière de GardeBière de GardeBière de Garde is a strong pale ale or keeping beer traditionally brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. These beers were originally brewed in farmhouses during the winter and spring, to avoid unpredictable problems with the yeast during the summertime...
- E.S. Bam, released in April. A "hoppy" FarmhouseFarmhouseFarmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
, hoppy to higher levels than regular Bam Biere. - Luciernaga ("Firefly") (6.5% abv), released in June, described as a spiced Belgian pale ale in the Grand Cru tradition
- Weizen Bam, a hefeweizen which is released in summer
- La Parcela, "No. 1 Pumpkin Ale", a Belgian inspired fruit beer released in mid-October. Brewed with roasted pumpkin and spices.
- Fuego del Otono ("Autumnal fire") (6.1% abv), released in October, a Bière de GardeBière de GardeBière de Garde is a strong pale ale or keeping beer traditionally brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. These beers were originally brewed in farmhouses during the winter and spring, to avoid unpredictable problems with the yeast during the summertime...
- MaracaiboMaracaiboMaracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
Especial (7.5% abv), released in November, an Oud bruinOud bruinOud Bruin, also known as Flanders Brown, is a style of beer originating from the Flemish region of Belgium. The name literally translates as "old brown", referring to the long aging process which can take up to a year. It undergoes a secondary fermentation, which takes several weeks to a month,...
, or Belgian-style brown ale - Noel de Calabaza ("ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
pumpkin") (9% abv), released in December, a holiday beer
Special releases
Their occasionally available Grand Reserve beers, each of which are hand-blended from mature, barrel-aged batches, include:- La Roja Grand Reserve: this beer is often a blend of older batches of La Roja that have been aged additionally in bourbon or wine barrels. There have been four releases.
- First release: aged 12 months. The only oval Label 12oz bottle came with a white neck label in black print.
- Second release: aged 18 months. Square Label 12oz bottle with a gold neck label with black writing.
- Third release: aged 24 months. Square Label 12oz bottle with black foil covering the cap and neck, with a gold neck label in black print over the black foil.
- Fourth release: aged 32 months. Square Label 12oz bottle with a gold neck label that stated the age.
- La Roja Krieked: A version of this beer aged with cherries was offered at the 2008 Michigan Brewers GuildMichigan Brewers GuildThe Michigan Brewers Guild is a non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing sales of Michigan brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness, and consumer education while monitoring and assuring a healthy beer industry within the state....
Festival. - Bière De Mars Grand Reserve: There have been two releases of this beer. The first was aged for 14 months in bourbon barrels. The second batch (#65) was aged for 27 months in bourbon barrels.
- Luciérnaga Grand Reserve: There have been two releases of this beer. The first was aged for 14 months in bourbon barrels and released in 2004.
- Oro De Calabaza Grand Reserve: this is known as Perseguidor Batch 2.
- Madrugada Obscura Grand Reserve: This was barrel aged for 18 months. It was offered only on draft at the First Annual StoneStone Brewing CompanyStone Brewing Co. is a craft brewery headquartered in Escondido, California. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, it is the largest brewery in Southern California...
Sour Fest in July 2007 and was a special tap at the 2008 Michigan Brewers GuildMichigan Brewers GuildThe Michigan Brewers Guild is a non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing sales of Michigan brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness, and consumer education while monitoring and assuring a healthy beer industry within the state....
Festival. - Perseguidor ("Pursuer"): A limited-release, custom-blended ale which is oak-aged an additional six months before release. There have been five releases.
- Batch 1 (7.2% abv): A blend of Bam Biere and La Roja This batch was offered at the 2006 Michigan Brewers GuildMichigan Brewers GuildThe Michigan Brewers Guild is a non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing sales of Michigan brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness, and consumer education while monitoring and assuring a healthy beer industry within the state....
Festival and released during the fall of 2006 in 750mL and 12oz Bottles printed with a matte paper label. - Batch 2 (8% abv): Also known as "Oro de Calabaza Reserve," this batch was a blend of Oro de Calabaza and Bam Biere. This batch was only offered on draft at the First Annual StoneStone Brewing CompanyStone Brewing Co. is a craft brewery headquartered in Escondido, California. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, it is the largest brewery in Southern California...
Sour Fest in July 2007. - Batch 3 (abv unknown): This was offered at the 2008 Michigan Brewers GuildMichigan Brewers GuildThe Michigan Brewers Guild is a non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing sales of Michigan brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness, and consumer education while monitoring and assuring a healthy beer industry within the state....
Festival and released in 750mL Bottles in early August 2008. - Batch 4: released January 2009. A blend of 3-year-old La Roja, 3-year-old Madrugada Obscura and 1-year-old Noel de Calabaza. Conditioned for 6 months in 12-ounce bottles.
- Batch 5: released January 17, 2010. A blend of La Roja Grand Reserve, Luciernaga Grand Reserve, and Bam Biere Grand Reserve. Blend was aged on oak for 6 months and then bottle-conditioned for 6 months. Packaged in 12-ounce bottles. 480 bottles were produced.
- Batch 1 (7.2% abv): A blend of Bam Biere and La Roja This batch was offered at the 2006 Michigan Brewers Guild
- Lambicus Dexterius, a lambicLambicLambic is a very distinctive type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium and in Brussels itself at the Cantillon Brewery and museum...
External links
- http://www.jollypumpkin.com/
- http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers//jolly-pumpkin-artisan-ales/4923/
- http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?p=B8955
- http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706140384-->
- http://www.metromodemedia.com/Print.aspx?FileID=119fd4af-3e1c-47c0-a81a-adef202831b9
- http://seattlest.com/2007/06/27/new_beer_in_tow.php
- http://www.tcimbiber.com/events/2007/08/jolly-pumpkin-firkin-night-at-the-happy-gnome