New Beer Friday, Help Wanted Edition (March 28)

Work Here!

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

It was Confucius who said that when you choose a job you love you will never have to work a day in your life. I have a feeling that the members of Team Siciliano would beg to differ with the great sage on this one.

I can say with a great deal of certainty that our employees love helping customers with craft beer, fine wine and liquor, beer and wine making supplies, cheese making supplies, coffee, tea, hand rolled cigars and every other lifestyle enhancing product that we sell here at the store. I also know that there are many times when they are working their tails off.

During an average week the members of our staff price and stock hundreds of cases of beer, wine and liquor. They unload skids of inventory and unpack dozens of boxes. They keep the shelves full, the coolers stocked and the store looking presentable. That’s a lot of hard work. But they are passionate about selling the things that we offer here at the store and that is what makes the job so enjoyable.

We are now looking to add a part time person to our sales team who is equally passionate. We are looking for someone who loves craft beer and fine wine. A knowledge of beer and winemaking would certainly be a plus.

If you would like to join the sales staff of one of the area’s premier specialty stores and if you wouldn’t mind working hard at a job you can love, I urge you to drop a resume off at the store or contact me at steve@sicilianosmkt.com. No phone calls please.

New and Returning Beer

• Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale, $1.59/12oz - "We are from the city that invented the skyscraper. We constructed our Urban Pale Ale on a balanced malt backbone, so the citrus hop aroma and crisp flavor can stand tall. Recipe Information Style: Urban Pale Alcohol by Volume: 5.4% International Bitterness Units: 30 Color: Marigold Hops: Amarillo, Mt. Hood, Nugget Malts: 2 Row, Crystal 60 Serving Suggestions: Preferred Glass: Nonic Pint" (source).
• Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, $1.49/12oz - "Beer with natural lemonade flavor" (source).
• Giradin Gueuze, $6.69/375ml - "Unfiltered" (source).
• Traveler Beer Company Curious Shandy, $1.79/12oz - "Driven by wanderlust and a desire for discovery, the Curious Traveler™ set out to explore the globe. Always fearlessly inquisitive, he relished opportunities to befriend other travelers and to experience cultures he had only previously imagined. He sampled their wares, their foods and most importantly their libations. Some were good. Some not so good. Others were downright dangerous. Many years into his travels, his pace slowed on a particularly sweltering day. He sought refuge in a small pub to escape the oppressive heat. Before he could even finish wiping his brow, the bartender handed him a glistening glass of ale. The Traveler took a liking to the invigorating lemon shandy concoction. “Quite a refresher!” he said gratefully. The Traveler has never stopped exploring – in fact, he’s on the road this very day. Somewhere. Only one thing has changed: he now makes sure he orders a shandy everywhere he goes" (source).
• Traveler Beer Company Time Traveler Shandy, $1.79/12oz - "A beer truly ahead of its time. A vibrant wheat beer brewed with real strawberry for a subtle yet complex flavor" (source).
• Traveler Beer Company Illusive Shandy, $1.79/12oz - "Ale with real grapefruit" (source).
• Abita Spring IPA, $1.69/12oz - "Spring IPA (March-May) is a West Coast-style IPA with an up-front intense hop flavor and aroma. Amarillo and Centennial hops give the brew a rich and resinous flavor of citrus and spice. This bright pale ale has a malt sweetness that will give way to a pleasant bitter. It pairs well with Mexican or spicy Szechwan Chinese food. Spring IPA is a nice accompaniment for cheeses with strong flavors, like sharp cheddar or goat cheese" (source).
• Big Sky Olde Blue Hair Barley Wine, $1.579/750ml - "A taste of apricots, honey flavors, a sliver of vanilla, and a hint of caramel, round out the Barley Wine. Like so many things in life, Olde Bluehair just gets better with age. Aged for a minimum of 3 months in American Oak Bourbon Barrels" (source).
• Left Hand Good JuJu, $2.09/12oz - "Our beer is basically a pale ale brewed from a relative low gravity, with some of the hops which would normally be used in the beer replaced by freshly ground ginger root. The beer is light in body, lower in alcohol, has a distinct ginger aroma, and has a very crisp finish. It was initially brewed as a refreshing alternative to the plethora of wheat beers which are popular in the summertime. Popular demand turned it into a year round beer" (source).
• Victory White Monkey, $9.69/750ml - "Golden Monkey aged in Chardonnay barrels. 'Our Golden Monkey is beloved by many, so we anticipate some heartfelt responses to our intriguing transformation of this beer,' expressed Victory brewmaster Bill Covaleski. 'The wine barrel aging has had a substantial and delicious impact on the Golden Monkey.' Approximately 100 oak barrels that once held chardonnay varietal white wine from Wente Vineyards of Livermore, CA were filled with Golden Monkey and aged at ambient temperatures in the Downingtown brewery for 3 months. This process is an extension of an experiment dating back 6 years prior, when a single oak barrel once holding white wine from local vintner, Chaddsford Winery, was used in a similar manner to produce a test batch which never left the brewery. Deemed delicious by Victory brewmasters and brewing staff, the White Monkey project was made possible through a collaborative partnership with Wente Vineyards" (source).
• Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, $2.19/12oz - "Summer Solstice Seasonal Ale is not just your average summer seasonal. This unique copper colored ale is smooth, malty, and lightly sweet, with a delicate hint of spice for that oh-so-drinkable, extra velvety flavor" (source).
• Blue Mountain Estate Winesap Hard Cider, $7.89/22oz - "Fresh pressed from our sustainably grown Winesap apples, this single varietal cider has a dry refreshing finish, with a hint of tart apple taste. Blue Mountain Cider Company is committed to environmentally safe growing and production practices, which is why all of our apples are certified Salmon Safe. It’s not only easy to drink, but easy on the environment" (source).
• Blue Mountain Eden Ridge Hard Cider, $7.89/22oz - "This crisp hard cider was created using our fermented "five-apple" blend made from apples grown in the Pacific Northwest. Lightly carbonated with a hint of tartness balanced with fresh apple aromas and sweetness, this cider is an easy to drink beverage that provides a great introduction to the world of hard apple ciders" (source).
• Blue Mountain Dry Creek Hard Cider, $7.89/22oz - "Dry Creek is our handcrafted semi-dry cider fermented from select apples grown in the Pacific Northwest. This clean crisp cider brings out the true essence of the five primary apples which make up our cider blends. It is lightly carbonated with tartness, acidity and a sparkling dry finish, a sure delight to your taste buds. This cider is a perfect compliment to salmon, poultry and spicy foods.  Pair with a blue cheese or a gourmet pizza and you’ve found a match made in heaven" (source).
• Blue Mountain Cherry Hard Cider, $8.29/22oz - "Created using our fermented 'five-apple' blend from apples grown in the Pacific Northwest, this lightly carbonated cider has a refreshing balanced apple flavor with a splash of tart cherry freshness.  It is a perfect blend of sweetness and acidity with an unmistakable quality that will surely delight your taste buds. Enjoy it for dessert or use this cider for a recipe of pork loin with a cherry cider glaze. It pairs extremely well with rich chocolate desserts and strong cheeses" (source).

Picture of the Week

Chest freezer turned kegerator
by Siciliano's customer Ross Vander Weide

Cheers!