New Beer Friday, Homebrew Class Edition (July 8)

Preamble by Matt Ross

On nearly a daily basis I find myself explaining how to brew beer in one capacity or another to inquisitive customers. It is part of my job and I love doing it. My coworkers share this sentiment. We love the work we do and want to more effectively pass this information on to our patrons. In order to provide a better educational service, I am proud to announce that Siciliano’s Market is starting a series of homebrewing classes.

We understand that everyone is at their own pace in their homebrew journey so we are providing varying degrees of classes. We are kicking it off with Extract Brewing 101. This class is geared toward people with little to no brewing experience who want to learn the basics or for new brewers who want to refine their skills. Extract Brewing 101 is also offered on a rotating schedule to accommodate busy summer schedules.

The first class is set to start Monday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Siciliano’s Market. There is a ten dollar fee per class per person. Sign up for classes can be done in person or via phone. Stop in or drop us a line for further information.

• July 18 – Extract Brewing 101
• August 1 – Intro to All Grain and Recipe Creation
• August 15 – Extract Brewing 101
• August 29 – Culturing Wild Yeast
• September 12 – Extract Brewing 101
• September 26 – Kegging Home Brew

New and Returning Beer

• Cascade Brewing Noyaux, $35.79/750ml - "This NW style sour ale features blonds and triples aged on oak for 18 to 24 months, then additionally aged for 12 months on raspberries and apricot noyaux" (source).
• Cascade Brewing Manhattan 2014, $39.99/750ml - "Manhattan NW, a NW style sour ale that was, until recently, a secret. It’s a blend of Blond Quad aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels on 150 pounds of sour pie cherries for five months before additionally aging on apricot noyaux for three months. Aromas of cherries, Bourbon, sweet candy and hints of spice are noticed up front. Tart cherry skins and Maraschino cherries on the palate lead to a dance of rich cherry notes that are followed by slight Bourbon sweetness. Much like the process to make fission, the steps involved here are greater than the sum of their parts" (source).
• Cascade Brewing Figaro, $35.79/750ml - "This NW style sour ale is a strong blond ale aged in chardonnay barrels for up to 12 months, then aged with dried white figs and lemon peel or up to 12 more months. Aromas of sweet figs, golden raisins, and citrus zest are the first to be noticed. Hints of white wine grapes, lemon peel, and sweet figs roll across the palate, leading to a crisp lemon tartness in the finish that leaves a lingering sweetness on the tongue" (source).
• Arbor Brewing Bliss Wheat, $1.89/12oz - "U.S. Open Beer Champion – named “Best Hefeweizen in America” by the Craft Beer News Service.  Classic aromas of banana, clove and floral citrus blossom. Fruity, spicy aromas show a rich yeasty character that follows through on a smooth, medium-bodied palate with a delicately spicy finish" (source).
• Brewery Vivant Saison Du Maison, $3.49/16oz - "Spelt and raw oats give this "house saison" an earthy, rustic malt profile. French hops add hints of strawberry and lavender tied together with a cold two-month fermentation on our Biere de Garde yeast which yields some subtle flavors of cantaloupe and honeydew" (source).
• Mikkeller Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Cherry, $4.79/16oz - "Berliner-style Weisse beer brewed with Cherries " (source).
• Mikkeller Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Peach, $4.79/16oz - "Berliner-style Weisse beer brewed with Peaches" (source).
• Cambridge Brewing Company Working Class Hero, $2.29/12oz - "Barley, wheat, rye and oats combine with hops and citrus peel in this new American saison. Created by men and women who have forged their own paths to craft your beer, here’s a liquid reward for heroic people everywhere who take pride in an honest day’s work" (source).
• Amager / Grassroots Black Nitro, $10.79/500ml - "Dark (or Black or Cascadian) IPA is now a trend in the USA, and this beer was also a hit in Denmark when it was first brewed in 2009. The color is dark brown towards black. We used a special technique to avoid the burnt notes that usually come from dark malt. The aroma is a broad spectrum of hops thanks to a big dosage of many American varieties." (source).
• Buxton Red Raspberry Rye, $6.69/12oz - "Raspberry Rye Sour, with 100g/L raspberries" (source).
• Buxton/ To ØL Sky Mountain Sour, $5.79/12oz - "DIRECTLY FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN DENMARK - THE SKY MOUNTAIN - THIS SOUR IS BRINGING REBELLIOUS SENTIMENTS ALL OVER THE NORTH WESTERN PARTS OF EUROPE. THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN BUXTON BREWERY AND TO ØL IS A SOUR THIRST QUENCHER. IT WILL CLEANSE YOUR THIRST BUDS, STRAIGHTEN YOUR BACK AND MAKE YOU READY FOR ONE MORE ROUND" (source).
• Buxton / La Lervig Aktiebryggeri Trolltunga, $5.79/12oz - "Gooseberry Sour IPA. Trolltunga is a jutting rock in Norway, hanging 700 metres over lake Ringedalsvatnet. Only the wary tread the path to the very edge. This beer was brewed to celebrate friendship and a love of wild places. A collaboration with Lervig Aktiebryggeri from Stavanger, Norway" (source).
• Grimm Future Perfect, $11.29/750ml - "Brewed with blackberries and blueberries, conditioned on oak, and dry hopped with Hull Melon" (source).
• Odd Side Chicka Yeah, $1.99/12oz - "Wheat ale with camomile, pink peppercorn, lemon peel, and orange peel" (source).
• Greenbush Broken Promises, $2.19/12oz - "In the land of hop contracts, you can't always get what you want.  Lucky for us, when brewing our Wheat IPA we found Zythos hops, which lend a serious citrus burst to this fine brew" (source).
• Dogfish Head Flesh and Blood, $2.49/12oz - "An honest to goodness IPA brewed with a bounty of real citrus including lemon flesh, blood orange juice plus orange and lemon peel. A combination of Warrior, Centennial, and a rare experimental hop to perfectly complement the citrus ingredients and flavor. Flesh & Blood balances the resinous hoppy characteristics of an American IPA with the explosive, zesty fruitiness and subtle dry tartness of citrus to deliver a highly quaffable ale that’s incredibly unique and lovely to down the whole year round" (source). See video below.
• Short's Choco Giddyup, $1.69/12oz - "Chocolate Giddyup is a Stout brewed with a skillful combination of cocoa nibs and Higher Grounds Trading Co. cold brewed coffee. Dark brown in color and rich in aroma, Chocolate Giddyup has flavors of roasted malt, black coffee, and bitter chocolate" (source).

Video of the Week | Flesh & Blood

Now available at Siciliano's.

Cheers!