New Beer Friday, New Whiskey Edition (June 28)

By Chris Siciliano

Every once in awhile something new and exciting arrives at Siciliano's that is not beer and yet deserves our attention nonetheless. Case in point, our new staffer Josh Swift, who Steve Siciliano, the bossman, introduced in a blog post earlier this week (read it by clicking here).

Case in point again, Balcones Distilling, which, judging by the following description, is a whisky producer after our own hearts.

"Just five years ago, Balcones was little more than an idea fueled by a ruthless drive to create something new, something genuine, something worthwhile - a Texas whisky tradition. It all started with an old welding shop under a bridge. We hammered and welded our own stills, and sawed and nailed on that little shack to build the distillery that we use to this day. Since then, we have released seven unique spirits of which we are very proud and won 40 national and international awards from the world's top judges and critics. We don't just make whisky in Texas. We make Texas whisky" (source).

Not bad, eh? Keep reading to see the specific Balcones whiskys which we are now proud to carry. And, of course, for the beer-minded out there, there is something here for you as well.

New (and Returning) Beer to Siciliano's

• Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB, $1.69/12oz - "Brewed as a collaboration between Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter, Senior Brewer Keith Gabbett, Pub Brewmaster Nick Barron and Alumni Brewmaster Greg Hall. Deep mahogany color, rich fruit aroma with notes of lilac, big malt body with touches of roast and a dry, crisp finish" (source).
• Dogfish Head Theobroma, $14.39/22oz - "This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilization to toast special occasions. the discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC. As per the analysis, Dogfish head’s Theobroma (food of the gods) is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds)" (source).
• Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon, $14.39/22oz - "Rogue Ales has collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Bacon Maple Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen number of ingredients including bacon and maple syrup from one of Voodoo’s signature doughnuts" (source).
• Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout, $10.79/22oz - "Complexity. Aged for three months in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels, this luxurious stout has a deep ebony hue and a beautiful mahogany head. The woody, vanilla-like notes imparted by the barrels mingle with aromas of fresh baked bread, toffee, and espresso and envelop the rich chocolate and roasted barley flavors with a fine bourbon character. Our exclusive partnership with Wild Turkey gives Anderson Valley a world class, consistent source of barrelage, allowing our brewers to explore new frontiers in barrel-aged craft beer" (source).
• Arbor Demetrius Barrel Aged Sour Double IPA, $17.49/22oz - "Arbor Brewing Company is proud to offer this exclusive, limited-edition, hand-packaged and bottle-conditioned ale in the Belgian Aged Pale tradition. Our interpretation of this rare Belgian stye was created by aging our Larry Hoppe Double IPA for six months in gueuze-innoculated oak casks and then bottle conditioning for a minimum of two months. The result is a unique ale with a bright golden hue, moderate carbonation, and a burst of complex fruity, spicy, sweet-tart, and earthy flavors, with a quenching acidity in the finish. As with most bottle-conditioned ales, there may be a thin layer of sediment on the bottom of the bottle. For best results, uncork slowly and decant gently into a glass without disturbing the sediment" (source).
• J.K. Scrumpy's Farmhouse Summer, $7.99/22oz - "J.K. Scrumpy first started making hard cider in the 1850's, and they've been using the same apples from the same orchards ever since. This natural, USDA Certified Organic cider is the real thing, offering up crisp apple flavors, and maintaining a moderately sweet profile that makes it sweet year 'round" (source).
• Wychwood Ginger Beard, $5.49/17oz - "Back off it’s Ginger Beard, he’s a fiery character and his beer is no different. This amber ale is infused with fiery root ginger to deliver a spicy finish with a bit of bite" (source).

New Spirits

• Balcones Baby Blue, $44.68/750ml - "Baby Blue is a unique corn whisky made from atole, a roasted blue corn meal. Baby Blue isn’t bourbon nor white lightning. It has the freshness and verve of traditional corn whisky but with a refined complexity. The result is a round nuttiness and roasty overtones with a smooth finish. Baby Blue was the first Texas whisky on the market since prohibition, and is the only craft-made whisky to have received a 5-star rating from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal other than Balcones '1' Texas Single Malt" (source).
• Balcones Brimstone, $44.68/750ml - "Purification through fire—a Texas oak fire, that is. Rather than using Scottish peat smoke, this one-of-a-kind whisky is smoked with sun-baked Texas scrub oak using our own secret process. The result is a whisky full of fresh youthful corn and light fruit notes married with a bold smokiness. Brimstone is the world‘s first wood smoked whisky ... a Texas campfire in a bottle" (source).
• Balcones Texas Single Malt, $63.16/750ml - "A unique style of malt whisky—Texas made, Texas proud. Balcones Texas Malt Whisky is born of hundreds of years of distilling tradition transformed by a deep sense of place. Mellow notes of sauteed pears and ripe fruit mixed with a lingering toasty malt character. We are very excited that this whisky which we have worked so hard to produce is finally ready to release. We hope you enjoy it" (source).

Wisdom of the Week

The radish farmer points the way with a radish;

the brewer points the way with his beard.

Cheers!

Meet Josh Swift: Beer & Wine Aficionado, New Team Member at Siciliano's

Welcome, Josh!

By Steve Siciliano

Josh Swift’s first experience in retail was not exactly a good one. 

When he was eighteen and working as a stocker in a Grand Rapids beer and wine shop, he broke a bottle of 2001 Hess Mount Veeder Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. But he didn’t let that rather inauspicious beginning deter him.

“Wine fascinated me and I began asking my older co-workers questions,” he said. “Eventually those interrogations, along with the stealthy tastes of wine they would sometimes give me, helped me to build a base of knowledge and I was occasionally given the opportunity to help customers.”

His fascination with wine gradually grew to encompass beer, and soon as he turned twenty-one “it didn’t take long for me to tear through all the styles.”

Josh, a recent graduate from Grand Valley with a major in history, views both beer and wine as a symbol of camaraderie. “My fondest memories with family and friends usually involve beer or wine in some way,” he said. “I’m always excited to show customers new ambers or push them to try a lambic for the first time, not because I’m looking for a sale, but because I want to share my passion.”

We have a feeling that he is going to fit in nicely around here.

Gin Review: St. George Botanivore, Dry Rye & Terroir

By John Barecki

The world of American craft spirits in the last few years has been churning out some pretty amazing stuff, from single malt whiskey to absinthe. St. George's Spirits out of Alameda, California has been pressing the issue since it's conception in 1982, starting from something this imbiber sadly is not too familiar with, Eau de vie, fruit based brandy that is notoriously hard to make.

It all began with Jorg Rupf, a native of Germany. Rupf came to America to work and was completely blown away by the food culture and the availability of fresh top quality materials. Inspired by the quality of fruit in the Californian orchards, Jorg took his old school knowledge of Eau de vie distilling and started to write his own symphony for the palate, and the rest, as they say, is history.

These three St. George gins I will lay out are prime examples of what the right combination of history and raw materials can become. The Botanivore is the first on this journey. This, for the most part, is similar to the London dry style of gin. One of the fun things about gin is the alchemy of extracting the essential oils from all the produce. Flavors in this gin range from black peppercorn and coriander to even citra hops. It has a fresh Herbaceous character in the nose, floral, citrus peel and a slight sweetness.

The second is the Dry Rye, a curious one using a high rye content in the mash causing a malty backbone similar to a Genever (the precursor to gin). Big juniper sets the tone followed by a peppery spiciness, nice savory herb and fruit qualities brings up the rear. This is a great one to experiment with in place of whisky in mixed drinks.

The last selection is the wonderfully flavorful Terroir. Using a generous handful of plant life from the California woodlands, this elixir conjures up sitting in the middle of a fir forest. Douglas fir and sage start it off, very herbaceous on the palate, zesty lemon and lime accompany a dry but lingering finish. This one really threw me for a loop. It's a gin with a story within itself.

All of these gins pack a lot of character into each bottle. Even for unseasoned gin drinkers, they are a treat for the senses. I definitely recommend a least checking out the available sample pack to see what all the fuss is about.

These gins are available at Siciliano's Market at $36.99/750ml each or $29.97 for the 200ml three pack.

First-Hand Aid: Bringing Medical Supplies to the People of Cuba

The author with Marc Bohland

By Steve Siciliano

I first met Marc Bohland when he owned The Guest House, a hall on Stocking Avenue in Grand Rapids where a few of our Siciliano’s homebrew parties were held before the annual event outgrew the confines of an indoor venue. Marc also owned the Copper Top at the time and Barb and I formed a friendship with him during our occasional visits to his restaurant. “You should travel with us to Cuba sometime,” Marc said during one of those visits.

Cuba?

Before Marc gravitated to the restaurant business he worked as a surgical assistant in the emergency room at Spectrum Health and it was there that he met a doctor who had recently escaped from the island. The doctor told Marc about the horrible conditions in Cuban hospitals, about the antiquated equipment and about the lack of basic medical supplies. The doctor also told Marc about how his two companions on the inner tube raft had drowned in the Straits of Florida. Most people would have listened and gone back to their lives. Marc Bohland listened and decided to help.

In 1999, Marc and a fellow spectrum employee smuggled medical supplies to the Cuban doctor’s family. That initial and, in the eyes of the United States government, illegal trip to Cuba was the first step in a remarkable journey that has culminated in the formation of First-Hand Aid, a non-profit organization that now regularly, and legally, brings medical supplies to Cuba.

Barb and I made the trip six years ago and it was an extraordinary experience. Like the other travelers in our group, our suitcases were packed with the much needed medical supplies as well as with staples that the average American takes for granted—toothpaste and deodorant, soap and aspirin. We stayed with a Cuban family. We saw first hand what impact the embargo is having on the lives of the Cuban people.

This past Saturday Barb and I worked the cigar bar at “Havana Night,” First-Hand’s annual fundraiser. Siciliano’s market donated the cigars and we donated a few hours of our time as a way of helping the organization continue its extraordinary work.

There are numerous arguments for and against the continuation of the Cuban embargo, in effect now for over fifty years. In the meantime the Cuban people are suffering. Since it doesn’t appear that our government will lift the embargo anytime soon, Barb and I just might have to make another trip.

Learn more about First-Hand Aid by visiting their website and Facebook page.

New Beer Friday, All New Eight Pack Edition (June 21)

Preamble by Doug Dorda

Jeff enjoying his new eight pack

How often has this happened to you? You walk through the aisles of Siciliano’s with a freshly filled six pack and begin to approach the register. But on your way there you uncover the very beer you were there for in the first place! Obviously you desire that beer so you grab one, or two, and proudly place the arrangement of beers on the counter.

Up until this very moment, beer carrying technology has supplied us with flimsy cardboard four or six packs that offer no insulation, can become soggy due to condensation, might break (causing the appalling loss of one or more beers), can hold only four to six beers, and simply do not provide the proper canvas for a beer lovers sticker collection.

Scientific breakthroughs in hold-my-beer-for-me technology have finally provided us with the solution to the problematic packs of the past. Meet the new fan-plastic eight pack, designed right here in Michigan by Adam Harden.

This eight pack will comfortably hug eight beers of your choosing inside its protective walls of high density plastic that is nigh indestructible. The pack can be coated with ice and will show no signs of degradation. It can even be washed in the case of thorough soaking.

Adam designed the pack with the craft beer populace in mind. No longer shall we be shackled by the constraints of six beers alone, or how to comfortably fit six beers or more into a bag or box. Arrived are the days of the four beers for you and four beers for myself scenario. Homebrewers, bring eight samples of your creations to a friend's house or club meeting with a brand new panache!

Now, being that the eight pack is new to the market and this will be its first iteration, Adam would like to welcome anyone who purchases one to contact him directly with suggestions for improvement or to provide any insight you may have.

You may be wondering how much this pack will cost, perhaps $20 or $30 dollars? Act now and we'll give you the entire eight pack for the low low price of $12, Siciliano's "Brew On" sticker included. Ironically, there are only six selections on this week's list of new beers at Siciliano's. What are the odds of that?

New and Returning Beers at Siciliano's Market

• Dogfish Head Sixty-One, $2.59/12oz - "The continually hopped India Pale Ale brewed with Syrah grape must" (source).
• Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, $5.09/12oz - "Founders most complex, most innovative, most feared and yet most revered ale produced. Massive in complexity the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alpha’s used to create this monster. More IBU’s than any brewery has documented, more than you would believe and dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil. We dare you to dance with the Devil. 112 IBUs" (source).
• Nectar Ales Red Nectar, $1.99/12oz - "Boasting a ruby hue and an exquisite floral aroma, Red Nectar is a robust yet elegant brew with distinctive accents of toasted malt, caramel, spice and residual sweetness. The beer that started it all… Red Nectar was considered a strange bird when it was first released in 1987. After all, where did a robust, handcrafted all-natural amber ale fit into the massive flock of American industrial lagers? Answer: it didn’t. So it blazed its own trail, helping set the pace for the craft brew revolution. Enjoy Red Nectar for its dazzling reddish copper hue, original flavors and caramel spice accents" (source).
• Nectar Ales Nectar IPA, $1.99/12oz - "Our IPA is created from a base of Pale and Crystal malts and is aggressively hopped throughout the brewing process with a final hop addition in the conditioning vessel. A beautiful flowery hop aroma will greet you as you dive into this hop lover’s dream. A middle caramel malt presence balances high hop bitterness with hop flavor end to end... learn to love hops!" (source).
• Nectar Ales Humboldt Brown Hemp Ale, $1.99/12oz - "Affiliated with the Nectar Ales experience through shared origins at Humboldt Brewing Company, Hemp Ale is a one-of-a-kind brew that boasts an incredibly rich profile and unique herb-accented flavor that is attributable to the incorporation of hemp seeds into the brewing process. A wonderful brown ale full of complexity Hemp Ale is great with food or by itself. American hops create a perfect balance to the darker malts used in this brew. This brown ale is the Gold Medal winner for first place in its category at both the 1999 and 2000 California State Fair Craft Brewing Competitions" (source).
• Frankenmuth 150th Anniversary Lager, $24.19/34oz - "Special 150th Anniversary Dark Lager blended with a portion of a Frankenmuth Dark batch from 50 years ago. Only 1862 1 liter bottles produced" (source).

Picture of the Week | The White Whale of Beers

Buzz editor Chris Siciliano found this gem at a bar
in a little mountain town in Southern Oregon
during his recent vacation. 

Cheers!

Pardon Our Dust: Homebrew Area Reconfiguration

By Steve Siciliano

Anyone who has been coming into Siciliano’s for more than two years will remember how jam packed the store was before we knocked a hole in the wall and added 900 square feet of much needed space to the beer- and wine-making sections. While that expansion eliminated a great deal of congestion, we have realized for some time now that we could have utilized the additional space a little more efficiently.

We are now in the process of doing a bit of fine tuning, the main focus of which is being directed towards the reconfiguration of the weighing stations and the grain milling area. When completed, these changes will give our customers much more room to gather ingredients and will reduce wait times for the scales and grinders.

The homebrew section will be a little discombobulated for awhile but I want to emphasize that there will be no disruption in business. We anticipate that these changes will be complete by the first week of July.

Temporary clutter now,
More convenient work area soon

Thanks for your patience!

Gluten Free Beers: A Forced Perspective

By Doug Dorda

“How does this one taste?” It's a question I hear far too often coming from the painfully hopeful visage of those of our customers who are unlucky enough to have developed an allergy to gluten. The customers will point to a gluten-free offering that has arrived on the shelf and, with eyes a-shimmer, ask me or one of my co-workers to offer them solace by way of nodding a simple yes and perhaps confirming that the beer in question tastes like, well, beer. 

Being that none of us on staff at Siciliano’s has an allergy to gluten, our response to the question is often to confirm that other gluten-intolerant customers seem to enjoy it. The reason for this is not that we have anything against the gluten free options available in store; it is that we simply do not have to try them, and therefore, often will not. However, in an effort to connect with those of you who must live without gluten, and to pique the interest of everyone else, I have decided to try the gluten free (GF) offerings again and perhaps relate them to other commercially available beers.

The big three—meaning, those GF beers that are available at most locations—are New Grist, Redbridge, and Bards. Each of the beers is based off the gluten-free fermentable sorghum rather than the barley or wheat that traditional beer is made from. As I sipped each beer in kind I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed them. In my head I had convinced myself that a fundamental change to one of the ingredients of beer would almost definitely equal something awful. I had often heard of other non-afflicted imbibers complain that the sorghum was responsible for a flavor that was ultimately disagreeable to the ale drinking populace. I personally found that each of the beers reminded me more of a “entry” level belgian styles of beer. Think abbey ale with a heightened presence of bubble-gum fruit that adds a layer of appreciated intricacy to a somewhat sweeter flavor profile. I found that the addition of rice syrup to the New Grist dried out the finish a touch more than the others. But it is important to note the lasting effect of the sorghum sweetness in the profile of the beer.

My new answer to the old question—"How does this one taste?"—will first be answered with a return question, "What sort of beer did you prefer?" Being that the big three GF beers are more akin to the sweet, fruity, floral and spicy notes of a Belgian ale I would not suggest them to someone who loved, say American IPAs or pale ales; yet their flavor, I'm sure, can be appreciated by those who enjoy the complex bouquet of flavors found in the realm of Belgian ales.

It is not my intention to detail the possible health benefits of a gluten free diet, or to argue the legitimacy of lifestyle changes as pertains to a personal GF prescription. I merely intend to try all classes of the beers offered to those who seek to try them so that they may be better educated as far as their closest gluten-laden kin. In the coming weeks, I will detail my experience with the other families of GF beer and do my best to offer their possible comparisons. Please feel free to offer your own experiences with GF beers, or suggest some you would like me to try. Next week I will offer my notes and comparisons on the kombucha based beers of Unity Vibrations.