HOW TO PAIR BEER WITH EVERYTHING: La Parcela
Beer: La Parcela
Brewer: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 6.00%
Description: La Parcela pours a cloudy copper orange with a frothy white head that leaves behind a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma is full of the tart funk notes that are standard in the sour style, but with backing notes of pumpkin spices along with bright citrus aromas and a sweet malt wafting in the background. The taste follows the nose, and it is apparent that this falls more in line with a sour-styled ale than the standard pumpkin ale, which is perfect for Jolly Pumpkin. The tartness hit the palate first with backing notes of light pumpkin spices and sweet malts. The pumpkin spices are not pronounced, as may be typical with many pumpkin ales, but instead serve as backing notes to a fairly complex beer.
The moderate carbonation and medium body give this beer an effervescent quality that enlivens the palate. La Parcela is a must-try beer for fans of sour and pumpkin ales!
Ideal setting: La Parcela is a beer that is best enjoyed in an environment that is relaxing and not over-stimulating. This fairly complex beer deserves a bit of attention to fully capture the subtle nuances, and any environment that has smoke or a vast array of food aromas will quickly dissolve these slight tones. Enjoy this beer at home or at a quiet smoke-free bar.
Ideal music: While pumpkin beers are a true sign of fall, La Parcela takes the style to another level and enables it to be a great beer to signal a crossover from fall to winter. This is also a time of great stress for many with the impending holidays. To truly enjoy this beer, it is best paired with relaxing music of any kind, but something with an acoustic or indie feel is best suited for it.
Some great albums to enjoy with La Parcela are:
- Amusement Parks on Fire – “Out of the Angeles“
- Elliott – “False Cathedrals“
- Chuck Ragan – “Feast or Famine“
- Malcolm Middleton – “5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine“
- Broken Social Scene – “You Forgot It in People“
- Ballboy – “Club Anthems“
Ideal movie: The pumpkin notes bring thoughts of fall to the forefront, while the subtle tart character makes images of summer apparent, mixing with the spice flavors, which makes one almost taste winter. This is not only a beer for all seasons, but one that is great with a wide array of films. However, the best films to watch while enjoying La Parcela are those which are thought-provoking, deep, and reflective in some manner.
Some great films to watch while enjoying La Parcela are:
Ideal book: The complexity of the beer will match best with a book that is dark, deep, and provocative. The pumpkin flavors especially elicit feelings of fall and Halloween, which always cries out for a book that is darker in nature.
Some great books to read with La Parcela are:
- “The October Country” by Ray Bradbury
- “Danse Macabre” by Stephen King
- “The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror” by David J. Skal
- “Dracula” by Bram Stoker
- “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America” by Erik Larson
The perfect experience: Those who have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed other Jolly Pumpkin beers know that these are beers that are both delicate and flavorful. This combination is to be respected, and to get the most out of La Parcela, it is best enjoyed at home with loved ones. This also makes for the perfect beer to transition from cool fall evenings into cold winter nights.
