Brewery Tour
Jolly Pumpkin
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It was a beautiful October Saturday afternoon. My wife, her sister and I lunched in Dexter, a village northwest of Ann Arbor, and then wandered over to the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery. Good thing we had pulled a Google map – because village laws do not allow much in the way of signage. Once at the brewery, Laurie welcomed us. Ron was busily cleaning barrels in another area. The aromas were of the strong malt variety experienced in any brewery, but they had a different character to them – more complex. It made sense; after all, Jolly Pumpkin produces some very complex flavors. Soon we were joined by a handful of other beer enthusiasts and Ron emerged to show us around. As Ron launched into his presentation of the brewing process, his passion was immediately evident. The discussion of the ingredients and their contributions to the flavor of the beer was complete without seeming rehearsed and without wandering into the realm of rant. As questions arose, he dealt with them completely, giving full attention to each. Discussions of ingredients included malt types, some water chemistry, hops, yeast and a strong feeling that artificial flavors and chemicals have no place in a good, natural fermentation. Processes at Jolly Pumpkin are conducted differently than at most breweries in the United States. Fermentation, for instance, is conducted in squat, open fermenters. In early, vigorous stages, cleanliness and the exhalation of carbon dioxide from the fermenter is counted as sufficient to prevent unwanted organisms from contaminating the wort. As the fermentation slows, clear plastic film is applied over the fermenter. Ron explains that the open fermentation allows him to keep closer track of what is happening in the fermenter and that the shape of the fermenter has an effect on the flavor profile as currents in the fermenting wort circulate more readily than in a tall, narrow fermenter. From the fermenters, Ron transfers beer to wooden kegs for maturation. Most of the kegs are reclaimed bourbon barrels. These kegs are home to a variety of other organisms that are allowed to grow and prosper so long as they have beneficial effect on the flavor of the beer (again, Ron maintains watchful monitoring). It is the Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and a variety of other “wild” yeasts which provide some of the complexity of flavor to Jolly Pumpkin beers – most noticeably, perhaps, the sour components. Open fermentation is rare in this day and age, and maturation in casks which are home to so-called wild yeasts is, to the best of my knowledge, conducted by no other commercial brewery in the country. After the review of Ron’s processes, we moved to the tasting. Laurie set out bottles of each of the current beers, including some bottles of the lovely Maracaibo Especial, a Belgian brown ale with cacao nibs. As we explored these beers, Ron presented, from his personal library, bottles of year-old examples for comparison. The effects of aging were immediately obvious. Accounting for some natural batch-to-batch differences that are to be expected from the brewing processes, the aging benefited the flavors of each of the beers we tasted. Caramel notes were particularly noticable in in La Roja and Oro de Calabaza. I made up my mind at that point to put together a vertical decade of some of my favorites to be enjoyed down the road. What was originally presented as a one-hour tour turned into more like three hours and one of the most pleasant Saturday afternoons I have enjoyed in a long time, and Ron and Laurie Jeffries proved to be faultless hosts. My only disappointment was that they have no glassware to add to my collection. If you want to go to Jolly Pumpkin, it is well worth the visit. You will be received with an aloha spirit and (unless you are hopelessly stuck in the product that passes for pilsner throughout most of the world) you will enjoy the beer thoroughly. If you are fond of Belgians, you will have found a little corner of paradise, though you will find that these Belgians have a very American character. Get a map from your favorite map program and be aware of two things: the 3115 Broad Street address is a loading dock – the real entry is around the corner on Forest, and Broad Street, in spite of what your map program may indicate, does not connect for driving with Main Street (there is, however, an alley which is passable for foot traffic). If you cannot get there in person, visit their website: www.jollypumpkin.com/ If you are a Michigander with an enthusiasm for beer, you may wish to check out the Michigan Brewer's Guild Beer Enthusiast membership at: www.michiganbrewersguild.org/registerind.asp
by David Dickason |
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