New Beer Friday, Crisis Averted Edition (July 11)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Behold! The glory of beer.

Like every business that sells alcohol in the state of Michigan, Siciliano’s Market is required to carry a liquor liability insurance policy that has to be renewed on an annual basis. In past years I’ve always received a bill a few weeks before the policy expires and promptly sent out a check for the premium.

Until this year.

Yesterday morning I got a call from an obviously distraught Sarah.

“Steve, someone from the state just called. Our license is going to be suspended today because the liquor liability hasn’t been renewed.”

It was only then that I realized that I had never received a bill from the insurance company for the annual premium. The fact that I was out of town made the situation even worse.

I made a quick and somewhat panicked call to my insurance agent. She would have to find out what happened and get back to me.

What happened was an incongruous combination of errors, but I’m happy to report that the appropriate paperwork has been signed and faxed, and a major crises for Siciliano’s, and our customers, has been averted.

Have a great weekend everyone.

New and Returning Beer

• Victory Dirt Wolf Double IPA, $2.59/12oz - "This dangerously delicious recipe features often subtle, but sometimes assertive signatures of American hop varieties. Look for: Citra: heavy citrus aroma, fruity flavor; Chinook: grapefruit, resinous pine; Simcoe: dry, piney; and Mosaic: earthy and mildly floral, with notes of sweet citrus and spice" (source).
• Stone RuinTen, $8.69/22oz - "We first released this decidedly indelicate beer in 2012, as Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our belovedly bitter Stone Ruination IPA. Stone RuinTen IPA uses the same recklessly hoppy recipe as the 2012 release; only the name has changed, since we're now unleashing this belligerently delicious hop monster upon the public on an annual basis. We packed a whopping five pounds of hops into each barrel, and cranked up the ABV to stand up to the hop onslaught. The results are glorious, and we know you'll rejoice in tasting this audacious gem of hoppy splendor once again. You're welcome" (source).
• Dark Horse Single Hop Variety Pack, $25.39/12pk - "The 12 pack contains three sets of four IPAs. Three of the IPAs are new single-hopped Dark Horse beers and are curiously named Edacsac Dekorcc EERT (Cascade Hops), FF Dekorcc EERT (Falconer’s Flight-a proprietary blend of several types of hops in pellet form), and Artic Dekorcc EERT (Citra® Hops).  The final beer in the set is the much beloved Crooked Tree IPA (Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus hops; AKA the three-Cs of American hops)" (source).
• DogFish Head Festina Peche, $2.59/12oz - "A refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse fermented with peaches" (source).
• Evil Twin Falco, $4.09/12oz - "What makes a great leader? First of all a perfectly balanced blend of qualities; the ability to stand out - be authoritative without overpowering. Show courage and endurance - you will lead the way and set standards. Very important; be appealing and refreshing to the people. This stereotypical portrait applies whether referring to politics, religion or maybe even this outstanding IPA" (source).
• Evil Twin Hipster, $2.99/12oz - "Perhaps you heard of a worldwide beer-movement that tributes favorite hipster neighbourhoods across the globe. First came Istedgade, Copenhagen then Södermalm, Stockholm followed by Williamsburg, New York and Shoreditch, London accompanied by Trastevere, Rome & last El Raval, Barcelona. If you feel excluded because you’re hip but your city is not, this cutting-edge, ‘hip without borders’ pale ale is an homage to you – the global hipster" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, $2.59/2oz - "Hops, hops and more hops are the stars of this big, whole-cone Imperial IPA. Resinous ‘new-school’ and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar and tropical fruit – all culminating in a dry and lasting finish" (source).
• Left Hand Good Juju Ginger Ale, $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).

Video of the Week | Dark Horse Brewing Co.

Available now at Siciliano's in the Single Hop Variety pack

Cheers!