New Beer Friday | December 21 Edition

By Chris Siciliano

According to some interpretations of the ancient Mayan calendar, the world ends today. I don't buy it, personally. But if I'm wrong (I don't think I am), so be it. At least I go out knowing that I had a pretty good time in my 32 years, drank a few good beers, shared a few good meals with some pretty good people, friends and family anybody in their right mind would count lucky to have.

Of course it would be extremely inconvenient if the world did end today, what with a promising new brewery opening up just north of Grand Rapids. That reminds us: Congratulations to the guys at Rockford Brewing Company! The crew at Siciliano's hopes your first weekend in business falls well short of apocalyptic.

Please visit RBC's official Facebook page for hours, directions, special events, and news. For a list of the newest beers to arrive at Siciliano's, just keep reading!

New (and Returning) Beer

• Lakefront Wheat Monkey, $1.49/12oz - "Wheat Monkey Ale captures the fresh, unfiltered spontaneity of our brewers' creativity. Crisp and refreshing year-round, this American Wheat Ale pours a lazy, hazy golden color. Its large, white, foamy head can be attributed to the generous amount of malted white wheat added to the mash. The aroma is enhanced by our fruity house ale yeast and its fresh baked bread flavors are perfectly balanced with a Cascade hop addition. This easy drinking wheat beer pairs well with a wide range of foods, such as green salads, feta and gouda cheeses, steamed or baked seafood, and grilled chicken" (source).
• Darkhorse Tres Blueberry Stout, 2.69/12oz - "A full bodied stout made with all malted barley and blueberry. Flavors of chocolate, roast malt and light blueberry make up the palate with lots of fruity blueberry aroma" (source).
• Epic Elder Brett, $12.09/22oz - "Epic Brewing Company’s latest barrel-aged beer brings something new—wild yeast. This brew is a collaboration ale with Crooked Stave Artisan Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado. Chad Yakobson, Brewmaster/Owner of Crooked Stave, is well known for his skill and knowledge in the brewing of sour and Brettanomyces driven beers. The beer was brewed at Epic by the two brewers. Kevin Crompton, Epic’s Brewmaster, and Chad spent several weeks working on the recipe and selecting the proper Brett strains and barrels for the beer to morph from a golden Saison into a Saison-Brett Golden Ale" (source).
• Epic Big Bad Baptist, 12.09/22oz - "It’s Big, it’s Bad, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, with Coffee and Cocoa Nibs" (source).
• Epic Blue Law Porter, $7.69/22oz - "This is a medium-bodied porter to which we added blackberry puree at the end of primary fermentation and finished it with spruce tip extract harvested from Blue Spruce trees found on the grounds of Utah’s State Capitol building. It has a roasting profile with a fruity tartness and an aftertaste of resinous spruce" (source).
• Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12, $7.69/22oz - "Intense cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice with banana esters dominate up front. Hints of citrus arrive mid-palate, while molasses notes persevere in the finish along with a very nice dark-roasted malt dryness" (source).
• Shorts Woodmaster, 2.19/12oz - "The auspicious blueprint of savory fermented delight extracted by formidable humans of the world" (source).
• Blue Moon Impulsive, $10.79/22oz - "Wheat ale brewed with the juice of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes" (source).

Picture of the Week

Siciliano's staffer Doug Dorda and customer David Devries,
calm in the face of impending apocalypse.

Cheers!