New Beer Friday - August 19 Edition

There's no sense in fighting it, Fall is on its way. What began two weeks ago as a trickle of Autumn seasonals has become this week a deluge of Oktoberfests, pumpkin ales, and harvest beers.

So rejoice those of you who look forward each year to the crisp days and hearty beers of September and October--your wait is almost over. For those of you less willing to go gentle into that good night, take heart, it wasn't just harvest beers arriving new to the shelves this week. Two beers in particular recall the steamy days of summer (which are still here, by the way)--Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison and Short's Key Lime Pie. For more on these and other interesting brews, please keep reading!

New (and Returning) Beers

• Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison, $11.49/750ml - "With earthy and spicy aromas this Saison has notes of green grass and a faint citrus tang." For more info on the Ovila project, follow this link.
• Sierra Nevada Tumbler, $1.59/12oz - A solid brown ale from one of the country's most respectable breweries. 
• Short's Key Lime Pie, $2.19/12oz - Made with fresh limes, milk sugar, graham cracker, and marshmallow fluff. Yes, you read that right, marshmallow fluff.
• Stoudts Oktoberfest, $2.09/12oz - A traditional German-style Oktoberfest beer. According to Stoudts, this beer pairs well with sausage, pork, pizza, and pretzels. A pork-sausage pretzel pizza? Yes, please.
• Abita Harvest Pecan, $1.69/12oz - Made with real Louisiana pecans. It's true.
• Erdinger Oktoberfest, $1.99/12oz - A rare wheat-based Oktoberfest. Solid scoring beer. Definitely worth a try.
• Left Hand Warrior IPA, $6.69/12oz - "Brewed only once a year using fresh whole flower Colorado-grown hops flown in from Rising Sun Farms in Paonia, CO" (source).
• Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout, $9.29/22oz - An imperial stout brewed with vanilla beans and milk sugar. Rated very good (B+) on Beer Advocate.  
• Sam Adams Oktoberfest, $1.49/12oz - "Samuel Adams Octoberfest blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee" (source).
• O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale, $1.79/12oz - O'Fallon adds "136 pounds of real pumpkin to the three-barley mash and then [they] season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves" (source).
• Unertl Weissbier & Weissbock, $4.49/500ml - Two new offerings from Germany, both with solid ratings on BA (here and here).
• Napa Smith Brewing, Napa, California - Brand new to Siciliano's, we now carry three styles from this West Coat brewery, including:
• Crush Beer, $4.39/22oz - An amber lager made with traditional malts and a small amount of of California grapes.
• Organic IPA, $2.19/12oz - Certified Organic by CCOF.
• Lost Dog Red Ale, $2.19oz - If found, call...

Cigar of the Week

HOPZ - "The Craft Beer Cigar" - $11.89/stick

"These premium Craft Beer Cigars are handmade in the Dominican Republic using only the finest long-leaf tobacco. The cigar is aromatically seasoned with Centennial Hops using a proprietary process. Each cigar is then carefully sealed in a glass tube, preserving the flavor and freshness indefinitely. We suggest pairing this cigar with one of your favorite IPA craft beers" (from the box). To learn more, click here.

Picture of the Week

Siciliano's staffer Ren Hanselman enjoys a beer at Founders.
Sources tell us it was a Dirty Oatmeal,
a fifty/fifty mix of Dirty Bastard and Oatmeal Stout.

*All prices subject to change.