New Beer Friday, Big Brew News Edition (Feb 20)

On Saturday, May 2, Siciliano’s Market will once again be sponsoring an American Homebrewers Association Big Brew Day at the Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids.

As the sponsor for the Big Brew at the Calder, Siciliano’s Market will be donating and providing the following:

• The ingredients for forty-eight all grain batches of Calder Red Ale.
• Bottled water for brewing. 
• A chilling station capable of simultaneously cooling six kettles of wort.
• Platform hand carts for moving brewing equipment to and from vehicles and transporting kettles of wort to and from the chilling station. 

We are now asking those who wish to participate in this event to complete a sign-up sheet at Siciliano’s Market or contact us (steve@sicilianosmkt.com) with the following information:

• Whether you would like to brew one of the forty-eight batches of Calder Red Ale with your own equipment (mash/lauter tuns, propane burners, kettles, etc.) and be designated as a captain of a brewing team.
• Whether you will need electricity for your brewing system. Spots with electrical access are limited and will be assigned on a first come basis.
• Whether you would like to brew but are unwilling or unable to transport your equipment to the event. In this case you will be assigned to a brewing team. 
• Whether you would like to participate as a member of a specific brewing team. If so, indicate the captain you would like to brew with.
• Whether you wish to participate as a volunteer helper.

While we will do our best to accommodate everyone who would like to participate as a brewer at this event, please keep in mind that the number of donated batches and the number of spots per team is limited. 

Also, just a reminder that we now have a dedicated web site for the annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Contests. General registration for the competition will open this year on Monday, March 9 at 8 a.m. and will close Sunday, April 12 at 10 p.m. The window for entry registration will open Monday, March 23 at 8 a.m. and close Sunday, April 12 at 10 p.m.  Complete competition details as well as bottle label printing can be found on the site. Please note that the registration for judging and stewarding is open now. If you are interested in volunteering as a judge or a steward you can find the pertinent information on the competition web site under Volunteer Info.

New & Returning Beer

Now available at Siciliano's

• Vivant Pothole Stout, $3.39/16oz - "A dark chocolate brown pour with lingering tan head in your glass. Rich roasty coffee notes greet the nose. Creamy, luscious, and balanced on the sip" (source).
• Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose, $1.99/12oz - "Our Blood Orange Gose is a tart, refreshing wheat ale that is kettle-soured with lactobacillus and brewed with sea salt and coriander.  However, unlike traditional versions of the style, ours features liberal additions of blood oranges during fermentation.  This imparts tangy citrus notes that complement the champagne-like flavors, creating a complex and sessionable ale perfect for any occasion" (source).
• Anderson Valley Spring Hornin' Spring IPA, $2.19/12oz - "With floral, spicy aromas reminiscent of lilacs, white pepper and Bartlett pears, our new Spring Hornin’ IPA embodies the season with a clean malt profile and herbal hop flavors lasting into a dry, refreshing finish" (source).
• Stone Old Guardian, $8.99/22oz - "Barley wines are traditionally hefty brews, but ours is downright excessive. The huge maltiness of this beer is only tamed by an equally prodigious addition of hops, creating a rich, slightly sweet, caramel-hued ale infused with assertive bitterness and bright hop notes, all culminating in a pleasing dryness. While it will evolve into an even more glorious brew with age, this beer's delicious onslaught of flavors will seriously challenge your ability to wait any longer to drink it" (source).
• Stone Extra Hoppy Old Guardian, $8.99/22oz - "2015 is an odd year, so we followed our five-year tradition of brewing a variation of the classic Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine recipe. This year we decided to focus on an extra-hoppy version, using the classic recipe as the base. We dry-hopped the beer with a new hop variety, Azacca…a dwarf variety with a name that sort of sounds to us like an all-powerful genie who lives in a bottle (coincidently enough) that was recently developed in Yakima Valley, Washington, and formerly known by the decidedly less genie-like name of "13-AD-483." We’ve used it before, most notably in last summer's Stone Collaboration beer Beachwood/Heretic/Stone Unapologetic IPA, but this is the first opportunity we’ve had to really showcase the Azacca hop at this level." (source).
• Shorts Chatterbox, $1.69/12oz - "Chatterbox is an American Pale Ale that has inviting hop aromas of sweet orange and tangerine. A balanced presentation of light toasted malt and fruity hop flavors lead into a bold bitterness. Chatterbox’s hoppy characteristics resonate in the finish, creating a very subtle dryness" (source).
• New Belgium Cocoa Mole, $9.19/22oz - "The cult classic returns! Chocolate, cinnamon and chilies combine for a sweet and spicy burst of fun in this Lips of Faith offering. Brewed with deep caramel and dark chocolate malts and a healthy dash of chocolate rye, Cocoa Molé pours midnight dark with a subtle reddish hue, lifting a pillowy burnished head. The cocoa and cinnamon accompany plentiful ancho, guajillo and chipotle chilies to bring the molé merriment to the forefront. Cocoa Molé starts on the tongue with the sweet and finishes with the fine-spun heat of peppers. A worldly contrast in a glass, this beer will get you dancing with Mexican hats" (source).
• Stone Saison Du Buff, $2.49/12oz (limit 1 per) - "This beer is collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA) and Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA). The idea for this beer germinated way back in 2003 when the three guys (Sam from Dogfish, Greg from Stone and Bill from Victory) formed the BUFF alliance (Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor) - a noble endeavor with the goal to highlight the passion and camaraderie of the American craft brew movement. So, BUFF didn't really do anything (beyond talk a lot of talk) until 2010 when the three brewers finally got together to jointly brew at beer at the Stone Brewery. Saison du BUFF was first brewed at Stone and then replicated at each of the other two breweries - same recipe, same ingredients, three different breweries throughout 2010. The brewers have a repeat performance planned for 2012! Saison du BUFF is a 6.8% ABV Saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The beer is brewed three times, once at each brewery using the same recipe." (source).

GR Beer Week Beer Tastings

In honor of Grand Rapids Beer Week (2/22 through 2/28), we will be hosting four tastings next week with the following breweries. All tastings are from 5 p.m. to 7p.m.

• Bell's (Monday, 2/23)
• Dark Horse (Tuesday, 2/24)
• Arbor Brewing Co. (Wednesday, 2/25)
• Cellar Brewing (Thursday, 2/26)

Drink of the Week | The Bloody Mitten

The Bloody Mitten is an all-Michigan version of your favorite morning mixed drink. Featuring Valentine vodka, McClure's Bloody Mary mix and a sidecar of Third Coast Beer from Bell's Brewery. All ingredients available now at Siciliano's!

Cheers!