New Beer Friday, Let's Party Edition (March 17)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

The Siciliano’s Homebrew Party will be held this year on Saturday, May 20, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the enclosed shelter at Johnson Park. Tickets will go on sale Monday, March 20. Seating is limited so if you plan on attending this homebrew event — one of Beer City USA’s most popular — you are encouraged to buy your tickets early. Here are the details you need to know:

• Bring some homebrew to drink and share. If you are not a homebrewer simply bring a six-pack or two of your favorite beer.
• Tickets are $45.00 and must be paid in advance with cash, check or credit card either in person at Siciliano's Market or over the phone. Tickets purchased over the phone may be picked up on the day of the party.
• Please note that party attendees will again be receiving T-shirts this year and we will be asking for sizes at the time you purchase your ticket. If you are purchasing tickets for a spouse, friend, family member or significant other, you will need to know the correct size. Please don’t guess.
• Snacks and munchies will be provided and brats, hamburgers and sides will be served from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Attendees will receive a logoed Siciliano’s tasting glass at the time of check-in.
• Live entertainment will be provided Jimmie Stagger.
• Score sheets for the Fourteenth Annual Homebrew Competition will be available for pick-up. Medals will be presented and the Best-of-Show winner of the Siciliano’s Cup will be announced at 4:30 pm. Score sheets for those not attending the party will be available for pick-up at the store on May 21. If you live outside the Grand Rapids area and would like your scoresheet (and medal) mailed to you, contact steve@sicilianosmkt.com.

Just a reminder that entry registration for the Fourteenth Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition opens on Monday, March 20. Go here for competition details.

A cooler full of homebrew at a previous homebrew party.

New and Returning Beer

• New Belgium Juicy Melon, $1.69/12oz - "Cool off with this refreshingly fruity summer beer brewed with watermelons and limes" (source).
• New Belgium Tartastic, $1.69/12oz - "Brace yourself for a refreshingly tart snap. Tartastic's lacto sour profile and fruity, spicy undertones enliven the taste buds with each bright, sessionable sip" (source).
• Ommegang Short Sleeve, $2.59/12oz - "This beer is brewed with lemon peel, coriander and grains of paradise" (source).
• Great Lakes Turntable Pils, $1.69/12oz - "Flip that record and wax nostalgic about Ohio's deep-cut music legacy with our refreshing pilsner. Consider this our reissue of a classic style" (source).
• Southern Tier Tangier IPA, $1.69/12oz - "Where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean is the ancient city of Tangier. This confluence has made Tangier a cultural waypoint for millennia. From Greek heroes to Cold War spies and uprisings, Tangier has inspired thousands of legendary stories. It is written that before his battle with the giant Antaeus, Hercules rested in a nearby cave. But where myths end, our tale begins. Tangier is brewed as a Session India Pale Ale with spicy citrus aromas and stone fruit flavors. These flavors, with the addition of lightly roasted malts and brilliant hop bitterness, make Tangier a beverage as refreshing as it is exotic. The approachable 4.6% abv yields more time to enjoy the synergy between the tangerine peel and spicy, citrusy, Azacca hops. Enjoy Tangier in celebration of your epic adventure" (source).
• Abita Creole Cream, $1.69/12oz - "Ready for a tasty break from the super-heavy and super-hoppy? Our new Creole Cream Ale is all about easy drinking and interesting flavors. It’s Abita’s unique take on a true American style, brewed with pale malted barley for sweetness and Louisiana-grown Blanca Isabel Purple Rice for a crisp, dry finish. Mild dry-hopping delivers a pleasant fruity, piney aroma that balances the grains. And the welcoming result is a lighter, warm-weather ale that’s not too fancy and always fun — the perfect partner for everything from a front porch jam session to a Sunday sauce piquant" (source).
• Detroit Brewing Woodward Wit, $1.79/12oz - No commercial description.
• Ballast Point Bonito, $1.89/12oz - "Our Bonito blonde ale is inspired by our perma-sunny days. This brew draws you in with its golden color and soft malt character, while the light mouthfeel and dry finish keeps you coming back. And what would set a San Diego blonde apart? A subtle hint of hops, naturally" (source).
• Anderson Valley Ee Tah IPA, $2.19/12oz - "Our Ee Tah! IPA pours to a bright, golden yellow color with aromas of rich tropical fruit, passion fruit with a hint of citrus. Pale, pilsner, and midnight wheat malts give it a solid malt character while Chinook, Citra, and Amarillo hops impart flavors of ripe tropical fruit, peach and apricot leading to a clean hoppy finish" (source).
• Jolly Pumpkin Apocolocynposis, $14.39/750ml - "A 4.3 percent ABV sour ale brewed with both blackberries and lime. The ale’s name refers to the fear of turning into a pumpkin" (source).
• Jolly Pumpkin Smashed, Grabbed and Hop Dusted, $14.39/750ml - "Have you ever been smashed, grabbed and hop dusted? It's what can happen should you take a trip to Holy Mountain" (source).
• Short's Goodnight Bodacious, $2.39/12oz - "Goodnight Bodacious is a Double Black India Pale Ale with the maltiness of a Barleywine and the hoppiness of an IPA. A rich, hoppiness dominates the aroma, with earthy and loamy scents. A medium body presents big, bitter black barley and roasted coffee flavors, with subtle complements of dark fruit and green hops. Strong alcohol flavors and pleasant warming qualities become more noticeable as the beer approaches room temperature" (source).
• Boulevard Noble Prize, $3.09/12oz - "Pouring brilliant golden in color, Noble Prize opens with aromas of bready, honey-like malt sweetness with subtle floral and black pepper notes from the use of Saaz and Mandarina Bavaria hops. With the flavor of freshly baked bread, the 100% pilsner malt base provides a crisp platform to showcase spicy herbal and earthy noble hop tones provided by first wort and end of boil hopping. The delicate, simple malt bill and cooler than normal fermentation temperature, 49 F as opposed to 55 F for KC Pils, result in an incredibly balanced, complex beer born from an amazingly simple recipe" (source).
• Boulevard Scotch on Scotch, $4.09/12oz - "Stylistically speaking, Scotch on Scotch is an Imperial Scotch Ale aged on Scotch barrel chips. A massive malt presence is created by layering caramel and amber malts with just a touch of peat smoked malt for additional complexity. Brief resting on oak chips following primary fermentation allows Scotch On Scotch to coax rich woody, char and vanilla notes along with the essence of Scotch whisky into a hearty, warming beer, 
a liquid fireplace of sorts. Hopping with Magnum, Chinook and Northern Brewer hops contributes a spicy earthiness 
to Scotch On Scotch" (source).
• Boulevard Show Me Sour, $1.69/12oz - " A touch of acidity, some dehusked black malts for a rich, dark color followed by a short time in whiskey barrels before being blended back with fresh beer should make for a nice, round 4% beer that’s unique and inviting. Show-Me Sour is our play on a beer version of a whiskey sour." (source).

Video of the Week | Jimmie Stagger

Siciliano's Homebrew Party: Come for the beer. Stay for the music.

Cheers!