New Beer Friday, Help Wanted Edition (April 10)

Contemplate a job at Siciliano's

Introduction by Steve Siciliano

It’s getting to be crunch time for Team Siciliano. For the rest of the month Barb and I will be busy putting the finishing touches on our annual trifecta of spring homebrewing events, and I’m sure there’s going to be days when we feel like we’re moving in three directions at once. Running the homebrew competition, organizing the Big Brew at the Calder and preparing for the homebrew party may be a lot of work but we can’t think of more enjoyable ways to show our loyal customers how much they’re appreciated.

Just a reminder that the deadline is approaching for signing up for the 12th Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Party on May 16th at Johnson Park. Those who have attended the parties in recent years know that this annual celebration of the hobby of homebrewing has evolved into a mini outdoor beer festival. Barb has once again picked out some nice gifts for our guests, the folks from Two Men and a Grill will be serving up some delicious food and local music legend and good friend Jimmie Stagger and his bandmates will again be cranking out the tunes.

Space for the party is limited. Tickets are $40.00 and may be purchased in person at Siciliano’s or with a credit card over the phone by calling 616-453-9674.

Employment Opportunity

Are you passionate about craft beer, fine wine and quality spirits? Siciliano’s Market, one of West Michigan’s premier specialty stores, is looking for a friendly, hardworking individual to join our elite sales team. Candidates must be willing to work nights and weekends and knowledge of homebrewing and winemaking is definitely a plus. Please send cover letters and resumes to steve@sicilianosmkt.com.

New and Returning Beers

• Boulder Beer Shake Chocolate Porter, $1.89/12oz - "Our twist on the traditional american porter, Shake chocolate porter is black in color with rich, dark chocolate aromatics and flavors and subtle coffee-like notes. This unique brew blends five different grains, including Chocolate Wheat, that along with cacao nibs create a devilishly delicious chocolate finish with a velvety mouth feel" (source).
• Coronado Skull Wrapper IPA, $8.29/22oz - "West Coast style IPA - hopped to Hell and back, melding the pitchiness of Citra with evergreen character of Simcoe and high Alpha bitterness of Nugget hops to create a well-rounded hop bomb" (source).
• Dark Horse Smells Like a Safety Meeting IPA, $2.19/12oz - "An extremely hoppy ale, that really does smell like weed" (source).
• Founders Rubeas, $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).
• Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale, $4.29/11.2oz - See video below.
• Oddside Mayan Mocha, $2.19/12oz - "Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, this smooth stout will keep you coming back for more! It is carefully blended with Dutch chocolate coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, and habaneros which will leave you with the perfect balance of chocolate and heat" (source).
• Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink and the Holy Gose, $1.99/12oz - "Originating in the town of Goslar, Germany in the early 16th century, the Gose style (pronounced “Go-zuh”) was traditionallybrewed using salted water and 50% malted wheat and was spiced with coriander and hops.  It was fermented with both traditional yeast and lactic bacteria, giving it a slight tartness, similar to that of a Berliner Weisse.  The brewing of Gose eventually migrated to Leipzig, Germany by the turn of the 18th century and became the most popular style in the region by 1900, only to virtually disappear after World War II brought destruction to the breweries and hard economic times" (source).
• Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, $1.99/12oz - "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).
• Ommegang Three Eyed Raven, $10.09/750ml - "Push through the thick brambles and present yourself to the Three-Eyed Raven. Abiding in the shadows of the Three-Eyed Raven lies this deceptive Dark Saison. The ominous Three-Eyed Raven inspired us to brew a Dark Saison ale, a hybrid style open to brewer’s imagination. In the end it is neither a pure saison nor your typical dark beer, but instead a delectable blend that both deceives and thrills the senses" (source).
• Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale, $1.99/12oz - "We brewed this especially bitter ale in dedication to all the world’s would-be astronauts, in remembrance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre on the Brewery Party Grounds and also in joyous celebration of our 20-day suspension that following January. Do the crime. Do the time. Get the bragging rights" (source).
• Shorts Freedom of 78, $2.39/12oz - "Freedom of ’78 is a medium bodied IPA with a wonderful, bright clarity and pleasing bronze hue. The aroma is a unique fusion of citrus fruit and subtle pine qualities. The distinct characteristics of the guava nectar are impossible to miss, and attributes of tangerine, nectarine, and even faint honey flavors are detectable. The finish quickly turns to an expected IPA bitterness that turns dry during prolonged tastings" (source).
• New Belgium La Folie, $15.99/22oz - "La Folie, French for "the folly," is a beer steeped in New Belgium brewing tradition. This wood-aged, sour brown spends one to three years in big, oak barrels, known as foeders. And when the beer finally hits the glass, La Folie is sharp and sour, full of green apple, cherry, and plum-skin notes. Pouring a deep mahogany, the mouthfeel will get you puckering while the smooth finish will get you smiling. Not a beer for the timid, La Folie is a sour delight that will turn your tongue on its head" (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 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).
• Stone Imperial Stout, $8.99/22oz - "Stone Imperial Russian Stout is so thick, rich and, well, sinful, you might worry that you'll be doomed to the fiery pits just for thinking about a sip. Rest assured, however, that even though this seemingly pernicious brew is indeed as black as sin, we guarantee that no actual sin was committed in making it...you'll have to add that on your own. This massive and intensely aromatic beer abounds with notes of chocolate, coffee, black currants, anise and roastiness, and its heavy palate is nothing to be trifled with" (source).
• Frankenmuth The Hef, $1.69/12oz - "A sweet mixture of spices and fruit with hints of clove and banana, this refreshingly pale German wheat is top fermented, unfiltered and lightly hopped to achieve its smooth, pleasant flavor and unmistakable cloudy appearance" (source).
• Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, $1.99/12oz - "This mouthwateringly delicious IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of citra and mosaic hops. Don’t worry, no fruit was harmed in the making of this beer" (source).

Whiskey of the Week | WhistlePig

Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey, $77.00/750ml.

Now available at Siciliano's!

Video of the Week | Monk's Cafe

Cheers!