New Beer Friday, Homebrew Contest Edition (Jan 17)

The prestigious Siciliano's Cup

Attention home brewers!

How would you like to win a $500.00 gift card to Siciliano’s Market? Do you think it would be cool to brew your own award-winning recipe on New Holland Brewing Company’s seven-barrel pub system and then be able to drink that beer with your friends and family at local craft beer bars? Have you ever dreamed of seeing your name engraved on the prestigious Siciliano’s Cup? The $500.00 prize along with everything else we listed could be yours providing your beer wins Best in Show in the 11th Annual Siciliano’s Market Homebrew Contest.

Someone is going to win. Why not you!

See below for contest rules and regulations. Please note that the registration and drop off dates posted in The Buzz on January 6th have changed.

1. Every homebrewer is allowed one (1) beer entry. All entries must be brewed by the registrant. Please do not submit entries under the names of significant others, etc.
2. Beers are submitted according to the BJCP Style Guidelines. Ciders and meads are excluded from this contest. If you are unsure of which is the correct style for your beer, contact us and we will help.
3. Entries require two (2) plain, unlabeled/unmarked 12-ounce amber bottles. Please no clear bottles or bottles of any other size.
4. We will again be using the Beers to Fear online software for entry registration. More information regarding the online entry format will be detailed as we near the opening of registration, including the website URL, directions on how to enter your beer and label printing.
5. The entry fee is $5.00, cash or check only.
6. The total number of contest entries will be capped at 250. Don’t delay in submitting your entry. Once the cap is reached no additional entries will be accepted.
7. Online registration for entries will be accepted from Monday, March 17 through Sunday April 6 or until 250 entries are submitted, whichever occurs first.
8. You will have until Sunday, April 13 to drop off entries at Siciliano’s Market. Entries will not be accepted after that date. If mailing an entry, please include paperwork and submission fee. Ship in a well-packed box to: Siciliano’s Market // 2840 Lake Michigan Dr. NW // Grand Rapids, MI 49504

All entries in the Siciliano’s Homebrew contest will be judged by industry professionals and/or trained judges according to the standards of style, not in comparison to each another, with the exception of Best in Show. Entries that receive scores falling within designated point totals will be awarded bronze, silver or gold medals. Best of luck everyone!

New and Returning Beer

• Bells Hopslam, $2.99/12oz - "Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repetoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style" (source).
• Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale, $1.69/12oz - "A malty beer with a notable toasty flavor derived from lightly roasted malt. Slight fruit and hop accents add to the overall complexity" (source).
• Cheerday Lucky Buddha, $1.69/12oz - "Light aromas of hops with nuances of honey & malt, which pre-announces the transcending flavours across your palate with a silky easy finish" (source).
• Berghoff Straight-Up Hefeweizen, $1.69/12oz - "A real hefe-weizen, with the creamy goodness of wheat, plus a fruity and spicy nose" (source).
• Berghoff DortWunder, $1.69/12oz - "A classic and evenly balanced pale lager in the Dortmunder tradition" (source).
• Berghoff Winter Ale, $1.69/12oz - "There is a long-standing tradition of brewers making special beers for winter, both as a little holiday present to their customers, and also because a bigger, stronger, darker beer simply tastes great in the dead of winter. This rich, smooth, copper-colored ale is brewed with six malts for a lot of aromatic complexity, with cookie, caramel, raisin and toasted marshmallow notes. New World versions of noble hop flavors bring a certain European elegance, but with a little more brash personality, topped off with the floral-and-citrus that the all-American hop—Cascade—delivers" (source).
• Berghoff Germaniac, $1.69/12oz - "Scratch the surface of the German beer tradition and you find gems like this: a crisply bitter golden ale from Northern Germany that faded into obscurity a hundred years ago. With its subtle honey notes and small dose of molasses which gives it a lightly nutty character, this is a beer that deserves a much wider audience. We follow the classic recipe, with a mix of three types of malted barley, plus wheat and a dash of oats for a creamy texture, plus tiny amounts of Wisconsin cranberry honey and light molasses, both of which add subtle shading of aroma. Hopping is vigorous, and along noble lines, but amped up a bit with some North American varieties as well, just to keep it fresh-tasting and bold. It’s an ale fermentation, so there is a hint of fruitiness that plays nicely with the honey and molasses notes" (source).
• Cellar Brewing Uncle Krunkles, $1.79/12oz - "A somewhat fruity, caramely wheat ale that’s very easy to drink. Its light to medium body gives way to a bit of carbonation" (source).
• Saugatuk Hop In Your Rye P.A., $2.59/12oz - "Aromas of rye malt and bright citrus. Just the right amount of grapefruity hop presence. A delightful mouthful" (source).
• North Coast Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserve 2011, $26.29/500ml - "Old Stock Cellar Reserve is a one-time, small batch, limited release that has been aged in oak whiskey barrels. The aging process gives this world-class beer an added layer of complexity. A memorable drink that should be enjoyed as a completely unique offering" (source).
• Lagunitas Sucks, $1.99/12oz (No Limit!) - "Originally brewed in 2011 as a Brown Shugga’ substitute, due to construction-induced capacity issues. But we liked it so much it had to make a return trip" (source). 
• Bloom Ferments Ginger Kombucha (Non-alcoholic), $3.99/16oz - "Bloom kombucha is 100% raw and free of any artificial additives, colorants, sweeteners, and preservatives. Although the term "lacto-fermentation" may seem to convey that lactose in the form of whey is in BLOOM's kombucha, we do not use any animal ingredients in any of our flavors" (source).

Video of the Week | "The Michigan Beer Film" Trailer

The Michigan Beer Film Trailer from Rhino Media Productions on Vimeo.

Cheers!