Day 438: Jolly Pumpkin Made That!

You should bring something into the world that wasn’t in the world before. It doesn’t matter what that is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a table or a film or gardening — everyone should create. 

You should do something, then sit back and say, “I did that.”

                                                                                                         -- Ricky Gervais

I have the luxury of being able to create things pretty regularly in my career. But every so often, it's good to be reminded of what an amazing feeling it is to look at something and say, "I did that." The power to create is amazing and this one is totally on my highlight reel...

Franklin Hall at The Franklin Institute, April 5, 2012
Groundbreaking of Karabots Pavilion and my pretend birthday party!

I'm pretty certain that the folks over at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales often find themselves sitting back and feeling pretty good about the beer that they are creating. I know I'm proud of their work because I find myself enjoying their beers fairly regularly.

The latest find is Luciernaga or The Firefly. It's a Belgian pale ale that pours a hazy, deep apricot color with a thick, fluffy white head. The smell reminds me of those jelly fruit candies that I remember from my childhood. I wish I could remember what they were called. Anyway the aroma is fruity but with an overlay of tartness. The flavor is metallic, dirt, earthy with tart lemon rind. There's a hint of tannins in there as well. Jolly Pumpkin can do no wrong in my book.

Beer Stats
Style: Belgian pale ale
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Jolly Pumpkin
Gary's review of E.S. Bam
My review of Madrugada Obscura and some crazy lady ranting about St. Patrick's Day
Gary actually has tried all the Bam bieres

All Aboard

Beer #344 Pier 54 IPA / Titanic Brewery, Stoke-On-Trent, England
Beers to go: 22

Another great, but tiring weekend in the books, as Penn State dominated on the field, and our tailgate dominated in the parking lot.  Literally, as a girl tried to come over and challenge one of our crew to a dance-off (don't ask).  She left defeated, and it wasn't even close.  She found out that when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

I'll go ahead and get right into the beer, as I'm tired, and I need to cram five days worth of work into three courtesy of the short week.  Tonight I'm reviewing the Pier 54 IPA from Titanic Brewery.  As you may not know, the doomed luxury liner Titanic was scheduled to arrive at Pier 54 in New York after completing its maiden voyage.  Only problem was that things didn't quite work out according to plan.  This unsinkable beer has a copper color with an off white head, and your nose picks up aromas of citrus and hops.  The taste is a nice mix of caramel malt, lemon, and pine, with a nice bitterness on the finish.  If you're looking to try this beer, I suggest visiting The Farmers' Cabinet in Philly, which has the most impressive European bottle list I've seen on our beer journey.

Cold beer, dead ahead!

Titanic Brewery opened for business in 1985, and was named in honor of the Titanic's Captain Edward John Smith, who grew up just down the road from where the brewery was located.  They have a number of beers with Titanic themed names, however it does appear the Pier 54 is only released occasionally.

Thing to Think About Today:
We're by all means sticking with the theme today.  For those in the Philadelphia area, the always entertaining and amazing Franklin Institute just opened Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit, which will run through early April.  This traveling exhibit features 300 artifacts recovered from the ocean floor, and tells the complete story of this ship, from how it was built to the fateful events during the maiden voyage 100 years ago to current technology used to explore the wreck 2.5 miles below the surface and collect artifacts.  I was fortunate enough to see this during an opening night event, and it's fascinating on many levels and incredibly well presented.  If you're near Philadelphia and looking for a great way to spend an afternoon, I highly encourage you to check out this exhibit.  Bonus tip for guys: great place to take a date you're trying to impress....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4j0iGNv6ZQk