New Beer Friday, Mother's Day Edition (May 9)

The following Buzz post was originally published on Mother's Day, 2011. Please enjoy.

Dear Moms,

Thank you for raising so many weird and wonderful homebrewers, beer geeks, oenophiles, foodies, enthusiasts and just good people in general.

When your sons and daughters come into Siciliano's Market they are always on their best behavior. They say please and thank you. They hold the door for strangers but never take candy from them. They turn the lights off when they leave a room. They play well with others. They never put their elbows on the table. They always put the toilet seat down. Their jokes are funny and never crude unless they warn us first. They wait patiently for their turn in the hop cooler. They never take the last ounce of Amarillo hops unless there is simply no other option.

Your hard work has paid off, Moms. We appreciate everything you do to keep us all in line. Happy Mother's Day. You all deserve a beer.

New (and Returning) Beers

• Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers, $9.09/22oz - "Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers is a thing of spicy glory, with the just-right heat of smoked jalapeños (aka chipotles) that combines beautifully with the beer’s peat-smoked malt and roasty character. The idea came about in 2006 when Merchandise Manager Chris Carroll suggested we make a special "South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter" for Cinco de Mayo that year. One sip, and we were hooked" (source).
• New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale, $2.59/12oz - "Since the early 1600's, the Dutch have attempted to breed a pure black tulip. Many have tried and a few have come close...but none have succeeded. Call it the Holy Grail of the tulip world. In honor of this elusive flower we have brewed this special elixir. We have combined the finest Belgian malt, rare European hops, an authentic Belgian yeast and finally, the brew is dusted with tulip petals. The resulting blend is nothing less than magical" (source).
• Founders Rübæus, $2.99/12oz - "Not another boring summer wheat beer or lemonade shandy—Rübæus is Founders’ way to celebrate the season’s warmest months. Optimizing the flavor of fresh raspberries added at multiple stages during fermentation, this stunning berry red masterpiece is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. No question about it, with a hefty malt bill and 5.7% ABV, this beer is 100% Founders" (source).
• Griffin Claw Platinum Blonde Lager, $2.19/16oz - "An American Premium lager brewed with a classic German lager yeast for a clean crisp flavor. Low malt and hop character makes this a refreshing summer beer" (source).
• Goose Island The Illinois, $3.19/12oz - "Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s grandiose vision for a mile-high skyscraper dubbed "The Illinois," we set out to brew an imperial IPA that would be similar in name and ambition. "The Illinois" Imperial IPA is dry-hopped with three of our favorite hops: Cascade, Meridian, and Citra. the result is a harmoniously hoppy ale with a flavor and aroma that is uniquely Goose Island" (source).
• Latitude 42 Lil Sunshine Golden Ale, $1.89/12oz - "The perfect introduction to craft beer, this brilliant Golden colored ale tastes crisp and clean, with a well-balanced malt profile blended with a subtle floral hopping. Premium 2-row and Munich malts with a hint of flaked corn provide the clean malt flavor. Willamette and cascade hops add the perfect balance of subtle spiciness and floral notes" (source).
• Latitude 42 Powerline Porter, $1.89/12oz - "The smooth robust style porter ale features symmetry between the complex malts and hops required for the style. Black in color with deep streaks of dark amber, the medium bodied ale starts smooth with a perfect blend of caramel, coffee and chocolate and subtle yet crisp roasted malt flavors finishing clean and slightly dry" (source).
• Latitude 42 Red Beard's India Red Ale, $1.89/12oz - "Our red ale is a cross between a northwest red ale and an India pale ale hence the style India red ale. The dark amber-colored brew uses a variety of crystal malts and premium 2-row malt as well as Munich malt to create a full bodied ale. Generous additions of Chinook, centennial and simcoe hops impart abundant hop character. Together the malts and hops generate a tasty rich and quaffable ale" (source).
• OddSide Paranoia, $2.49/12oz - Imperial India Pale Ale.

Photo of the Week 

The Boss photobombing a shot at last weekend's
Big Brew on the Calder

Cheers!