Game Day Beer Review: Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca Witbier

(4.80% ABV) Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is a Michigan-based craft brewer that has carved out an admirable reputation for brewing incredible sour ales -- and the latest one we sampled proved no exception.  We drank Calabaza Blanca on a recent Saturday night at the home office, where the beer poured a crystal clear gold color with a pillowy white head.

The smell was yeasty, with notes of coriander and clove. The beer was rich and spicy smelling.

On the tongue this beer truly shone; it hit all the right notes.  It was tingly and refreshing.  Although the spices were more muted than the beer's aroma would lead you to believe, the sour notes were accentuated on the the finish, and kept you coming back for one more sip -- until there were none left!  B+

The Third Coast: A Mecca for Craft Beer Lovers

Quick quiz for you: Which U.S. State has the second longest coast line?  Bet you'd never guess it's Michigan, unless you grew up in the Midwest.  Often derisively referred to as "fly over country" by east and west coast types, Michigan is a jewel of a state placed smack in the middle of the country, and lined with white sandy beaches and pristine turquoise water -- and lots of it.  In fact, the Great Lakes region of the U.S. holds more than 20% of the earth's entire supply of fresh water.  And to visit it in the summer time, as I recently did, is to take an unexpected beach vacation in the midst of America's heartland.

The Caribbean, or Michigan?

Boasting 400 foot tall sand dunes left over from the last Glacier Age, crystal clear water, and small beach town after small beach town (at least during the summer), Michigan is surrounded by beautiful and very accessible white sand beaches.  In fact, Michigan was a complete revelation to this particular traveler.  Yes, the water was a bit chilly -- but refreshing is probably a more apt description, at least for this South Floridian.  And the sunsets over Lake Michigan, as viewed from Traverse City, rivaled those in Key West and Naples, Florida....