New Beer Friday - March 16 Edition

Founders owners Dave & Mike (left & middle) were on hand
Thursday to greet customers like this one (right)

By Chris Siciliano

No sense pulling punches. The beer everybody is hoping against hope to see on this week's New Beer Friday—Founders KBS—is long gone for another year. We blew through our supply Thursday morning in little over an hour, thanks in part to the people lined up outside Siciliano's before opening (we open at 8am).

Say what you will about standing in line for beer or the general frenzy surrounding the KBS release, I happen to think it's a great thing on all accounts—great for Founders, great for the city of Grand Rapids, great for its beer scene, great for area businesses like Siciliano's and Hopcat, and great for our patrons, who may not have scored as much KBS as they would have liked—or any—but who will no doubt benefit from the success and frenzy in other ways (events and beers like this inspire and make possible other events and beers like this).

At Siciliano's, we saw firsthand the positive impact of KBS. It came in the form of out-of-state beer fans who stopped in last weekend after the brewery release to load up on beer from Michigan's other noted brewers. These pilgrims, some from as far away as Alabama, many from Chicago or Indiana, had only nice things to say about our city and its people. Some said they might not stand in line for KBS again, but many promised to return on vacations (beercations) to our town.

That, to me, is best part of KBS. It helps put Grand Rapids on the map, where more and more it deserves to be.

New (and Returning) Beer

• New Holland Golden Cap Saison, $1.79/12oz - "A modern interpretation of a traditional farmhouse ale. A soft, pale beer, Golden Cap embodies the flavors and aromas of summer fields. Brewed with an ancestor of wheat called spelt, its straw-colored body, lively carbonation and a unique fermentation profile evoke fresh cut hay and cracked peppercorn" (source).
• Arcadia Whitsun, $1.79/12oz - "A modern interpretation of a mid-19th century English spring and summer festival ale. It is light golden in color with a rich, creamy head, full bodied and has a lightly toasted caramel flavor. The addition of Michigan star thistle honey contributes a uniquely smooth drinkability to this unfiltered wheat ale" (source).
• Blue Point Spring Fling, $1.69/12oz - "A perfectly balanced copper ale that delivers a crisp and refreshing taste with subtle hints of nuts and honey" (source).
• Short's The Golden Rule, $1.99/12oz - "An English style India Pale Ale made with 100% organic malt and hops. English ale yeast and a simple grist bill create this light golden colored brew and provide a template for the discernable hop characteristics of earthy, grassy, and even hay-like flavors that are detected before a bitter finale. Brew unto others as you would have brewed unto you" (source).
• Heavy Seas Black Cannon, $1.89/12oz - "The style is an oxymoron but this ale is an extension of our Loose Cannon style brewed with black malt" (source).
• Blue Moon Spring Blond Wheat Ale, $1.49/12oz - "Blue Moon Brewing Company is bringing a completely new beer to the table for spring. Brewed with orange and lemon peel for a little extra zing, Blue Moon Spring Blonde Wheat Ale is a refreshing golden-colored beer with a crisp, citrus finish" (source).
• Brunehaut Gluten Free Blonde, $3.89/12oz - "Hazy golden with a medium white head. Yeasty and slightly spicy aroma with some earthy and dusty hops" (source).
• Brunehaut Gluten Free Amber, $3.89/12oz - "Amber copper colour with a beige head. Caramel malts smells with reminiscences to vanilla, some toffee, butterscotch and ripe fruits" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Torpedo 16-oz Cans - $2.59/single, $9.99/4pk - "Sierra Nevada Torpedo is a big American IPA; bold, assertive, and full of flavor highlighting the complex citrus, pine, and herbal character of whole-cone American hops" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 12-oz Cans - $1.59/single, $17.69/12pk - "A delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor" (source).

St. Patty's Day
Recommendations

• Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale, $1.79/12oz - "A malty Irish ale with a notable toasty flavor derived from lightly roasted malt" (source).
• Murphy's Irish Stout, $2.09/16oz - "A dry stout brewed in County Cork, Ireland according to the original recipe by Murphy's Brewery since 1856. In comparison to its heavier and more bitter chief competitors, Guinness & Beamish, Murphy's is a lighter and sweeter dry stout. Its flavor is evocative of caramel and malt, and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk"(source).
• Harpoon Celtic, $1.49/12oz - "Harpoon Celtic Ale features a deep amber color. The flavor is malty and complex. Celtic Ale has a moderate hop finish that, along with the generous amounts of malt, makes for a medium bodied, smooth, rich beer. Try serving Celtic Ale with a hearty stew… the beer’s robust character will complement the bold flavors" (source).

Video of the Week

Thanks to WZZM 13 for stopping in at Siciliano's for the release of KBS.


Cheers!