Everyday masterpieces: the art above us

The sky over Lake Michigan,
Sleeping Bear Dunes

By Steve Siciliano

Sometimes when I look at the sky I imagine that I’m gazing at a painting. It could be a painting of a clear summer morning when the horizon is brightening and a white ghost of a moon is fading into the gradually deepening blue. I study how tree-top greens look against the expanse of blue and if I’m lucky a few high flying crows will add distant specks of ebony to the canvas.

Other times it might be a picture of billowing, snow-white clouds floating silently like icebergs in a crystal blue ocean. Sometimes the artist will choose to use the darker colors of the palette—slate, ash and charcoal grays, boiling dark purples and roiling burnt umbers. If it’s a painting of the sky at twilight there could be pastel layers of crimsons and pinks, reds and yellows, magentas and oranges.

Above us each day are works of art that rival museum masterpieces. An upward gaze is the only price of admission.

New Beer Friday - June 8 Edition

By Chris Siciliano

Assuming my calculations are correct, today is the 53rd edition of New Beer Friday. That means we published the first NBF one year and one week ago today, give or take a day or two. And though our weekly list of new arrivals looked much different back then, lacking the features we've all become accustomed to, like basic beer descriptions, the foundation was in place for a resource we think—we hope—our customers look forward to and find useful every week.

If nothing else, we're pleased that New Beer Friday has remained relevant for this long, which, unfortunately, is more than we can say for at least one of the beers that appeared on the first edition. We won't name names. All we'll say is that some things, pizza for instance, are better served alongside beer rather than in it.

On with the show!

New (and Returning) Beer

• Founders Cerise, $2.59/12oz - "Using only fresh Michigan tart cherries, this beauty tantalizes with intense flavors combined with a no-hesitation malt bill. Adding fresh cherries at five separate stages of fermentation achieves the ultimate balance between tartness and sweetness" (source).
• Lakefront Cherry Lager, $1.69/12oz - "This light ruby-red beer pours with a thick, slightly pink head resulting from the ample amounts of real, juicy Door County cherries. Aromas of tart cherries lead into a nice spritzy cherry flavor, balanced by a subtle malty background and low hop bitterness" (source).
• Napa Smith Hopageddon Imperial IPA, $8.59/22oz - "Hopageddon is an end-of-the-world Imperial IPA with an intensely aromatic hop profile that defies expectations and will leave you wondering, "What just happened?" at 144 IBUs, Hopageddon flows with a gorgeous fiery orange color and showcases a distinct, full white head. The unique flavors from our obscenely extend dry-hopping and shockwave of bitterness lingers on the palate and leaves hopheads with a Post-ahopalyptic yearning for more" (source).
• Southern Tier Mokah, $9.29/22oz - "When empirical and creative impulses collide, the result is often timeless. The classic utility-art aesthetic of the coffee maker is an example of design and engineering working in concert. It is through similar cooperation that the simple bitter cocoa bean is transformed into a sweet treat. As scientists, our brewers utilize their materials to exacting standards. As artists, they couldn’t resist the temptation to combine the best flavors of two of our highly acclaimed Blackwater Series Imperial Stouts, Jahva and Choklat. Alone each is perfect, but together as Mokah, they are an inimitable expression of two of the world’s most sought after flavors" (source).
• Tri-City Brewing Loons Summer Ale, $1.79/12oz - "Loon’s Summer Ale is a smooth, clean, light blonde ale. This all-malt beer is perfectly balanced to provide a clean, clear presentation without the heavy cloudiness that is often found in summer wheat-beers. The hops that were selected accentuate the light malt flavor and provide a touch of bitterness. The unique yeast and hop combination give this beer a hint of citrus aroma with a delicate Belgium flavor that provides a refreshing, thirst quenching finish" (source).
• Avery Karma Belgian Pale Ale, $1.89/12oz - "We believe in Karma. We suspect most of you do, too. It truly is a global concept. Very simply put, "you get what you give." Inspired by this principle and the wonderful farmhouse and pale ales of Belgium, we've created Karma Ale, a decidedly fruity and estery ale, intricate in body and nose, all driven by a unique Belgian yeast strain" (source).
• Left Hand Smoke Jumper, $10.29/22oz - "A twenty-one degree plato porter made with barley malt hand-smoked by our brewers. Roasty brown in color, the long lingering smokiness wraps around flavors of molasses, toasted malt and an earthy hoppiness" (source).

Picture of the Week

Nearing the end of asparagus season
at the Fulton St. Farmers Market.

Cheers!

The beer that began it all: Doug Dorda edition

Siciliano's staffer Doug Dorda introduces a new Buzz video series showcasing the life-changing craft beer moments that led industry professionals and everyday beer fans down the road to enthusiasm and, in some cases, obsession.

By Doug Dorda

When I was younger, it was difficult for me to understand the purpose of a picture. Of the people snapping them, I thought, why not put the camera down and join in the festivities yourself? The value of memory had not been known to me quite yet. I feel foolish now, looking at the photo albums that showcase my youth – I feel a deep gratitude for the camera wielders of the world. Each photo holds the essence of a place in time, a cue to travel into one's own history and, if you will, reflect on things that have been, are now, and have yet to come.

After looking at some recent pictures I was captivated by a world of self history – I toiled late into the night, scribbling down the stories of my history that lacked a photo to help me remember. It was then that I wrote the tale of my first craft beer, or rather the beer that changed my opinion of beer. The story immediately returned my mind to the day I enjoyed that beer, every wonderment I felt as I experienced the flavor capacity of craft beer, and how earnestly I wanted to try every other style of beer in order to know what I had been missing.

The memory struck me as particularly fun, and I found myself asking many people I knew what their “genesis beer” was, and how they came to drink it. In this spirit, Siciliano's is introducing a new video series so that we may all share our stories, and never forget where we came from. The first installment is a brief telling of my own “beer that began it all." I hope it inspires you to travel into your own libation history, and reflect on what it was that truly made you appreciate "the craft." We would love to hear your own stories (should you feel so inclined to share), either in the store, or right here on The Buzz.

Collaboration and symbiosis in the craft beer world

When it comes to selling, serving, or brewing craft beer, no one business can afford to be an island unto itself (a peninsula maybe).

By Steve Siciliano

The other day when Barb and I were at Founders one of the bartenders mentioned that he recently sent some folks our way who were looking for some Michigan beers. I thanked him and said that we in turn direct many out-of-towners to the brew pub.

I love having this type of rapport with Founders, Hop Cat and other local brew pubs and craft beer bars. We are always referring folks to these establishments and they constantly send customers to our store. Sharing the common denominator of craft beer, our businesses have formed mutually beneficial associations that I like calling symbiotic relationships.

Two ancient Greek words meaning “living” and “together” combine to form the word symbiosis. It is a term that was initially used by anthropologists to describe how people in a community have to cooperate to live together. The word has, however, been appropriated by biologists and today is most often used to describe the mutually beneficial relationships that exist between separate biological species. Because I feel that it’s an apt way to describe the cooperative attitude that exists within the craft beer industry as a whole, I’m appropriating it back.

There is a refreshing non-competitiveness amongst folks in the craft beer community. Unlike mega breweries that spend millions on advertising trying to snatch a bigger piece of the market, the vast majority of craft brewers seem more interested in spending their dollars on producing quality beer. And unlike the big boys, craft brewers are eager to share ideas, knowledge and resources. I highly doubt, for an example, that we’ll ever see a collaboration brew from MillerCoors and Anheuser Busch.

Doubtless this spirit of cooperation exists because craft brewers realize that the strength of the individual enhances the strength of the whole and that synergy rather than cut throat competitiveness is the key to the continued success of the craft beer community. I feel fortunate indeed to be part of a community that realizes that symbiotic relationships can be mutually beneficial and more productive than Machiavellian business tactics.

Tuesday Review: The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve

By John Barecki

For the Tuesday Review this week I decided to try a whisky from one of the most well-know distillery's in the Speyside region in Scotland, The Glenlivet. I chose their 15-year-old French Oak Reserve, the wood characteristics of which conjure up some interesting new flavors on the palate. In fact, the flavors intrigued me so much I began researching the various effects of wood-aging in the world of whisky. I looked specifically at Limousin oak, the wood used to age The Glenlivet 15.

Limousin (pronounced lee-moo-ZAN) is a European oak and is popularly used in the production of fine Cognac's. It is medium-grained and a bit harder than other European oaks. It's also quite porous, which in turn provides the whisky more ability to leech larger amounts of tannins and characters from the wood itself. That being said, the flavors imparted are mainly a rich vanilla quality similar to that of the American white oak used in bourbons and whiskies, and the distinct hints of wood are strong but balanced. I should note too that the casks made from this oak are some of the most expensive in the world.

The Glenlivet 15-year-old Reserve shares similar notes with the 12, in that it has the smooth mouthfeel and general fruity character found in most of The Glenlivet lineup. The nose is filled with resinous oak, almond, marzipan and candied citrus fruits. A very smooth body compliments tastes of baked apple with a medium nuttiness and toffee, followed with the complexity of the wood adding a nice vanilla finish that lingers just long enough. This is a very good dram and at $52.99 a bottle it once again is an affordable luxury that most can enjoy.

German Invasion, Army of Steve

"Hey Steve, how 'bout buy one
get one free?"

By Steve Siciliano

I was knocking out pieces of the store’s shattered plate-glass windows with the butt of my M1 rifle when it really started raining. I ducked when I heard another explosion and when I rose back up two German Tiger 1 tanks were rumbling east down the middle of Lake Michigan Drive. Doug ran out, crouched behind a smoldering car in the parking lot, and began lobbing bottles of peach schnapps at each tank. The bottles bounced off the tanks' four-inch armor plates and exploded in bright orange flashes in the street.

A steel-helmeted Greg was perched atop a telephone pole pelting the Tigers with one pound bags of grain that Katie and John were shooting up to him with a giant sling shot. The tanks stopped at the edge of the parking lot, aimed their 88-mm cannons at the store, and when the guns fired, huge soap bubbles blew out from the muzzles. I heard something behind me and turning saw Joseph Stalin standing on the counter holding an open bottle of Popov and screaming obscenities. Meanwhile Winston Churchill was in the walk-in humidor filling the pockets of his suit coat with cigars. When the telephone began ringing Stalin motioned towards it with the half empty bottle of vodka. “Answer it, comrade” he said.

“Hello,” I said.

“Sorry to bother you but I.. .”

“Who is this?”

“Sarah."

"Who?"

"Sarah. I work for you, remember? I need to know how many…”

“You tell Churchill to pay for those cigars!”

‘What?”

“And tell that commie bastard Stalin to get his ass off the counter.”

“Steve, what the hell are you talking about?”

I noticed suddenly that a hard rain was driving in through the den’s open windows. There was a flash of lightning and an echoing rumble of thunder. I glanced at the television and saw a column of jack-booted Nazis goose-stepping under the Arch de Triumph.

“Have you been drinking?” Sarah asked me.

I got up from the recliner to close the windows. “No,” I growled. “But you did wake me up from a nap.”

New Beer Friday - June 1 Edition

John poses with a Lake Eerie Monster

By Chris Siciliano

Our friends at Pike 51 Brewing Co. are celebrating their grand opening this weekend. As luck would have it, it's also the third anniversary of the founding of Hudsonville Winery, which is owned by the same three guys and housed in the same building as the new brewery. So they're celebrating that occasion too. (Why not, right?) Here's the official announcement straight from the source, i.e., their Facebook page.

"In very last minute fashion, here's some details on our Grand Opening party THIS WEEKEND! Friday and Saturday, June 1 & 2, noon till 9 both days. We will have lots of beer, wine, wine tastings and food. No cover/door charge. Tickets will be $4.50, and are redeemable for a beer, a glass of wine, a wine tasting or a plate of food. Come on out and have a beer and celebrate with us!"

Pike 51 is located at 3768 Chicago Dr, Hudsonville, MI 49426. If you go, tell 'em Siciliano's sent you. If don't go, stop by our place for a six or twelve pack of the latest brews to hit the shelves.

New (and Returning) Beers

• Great Lakes Lake Eerie Monster, $2.69/12oz - "An unfiltered imperial India pale ale with hug hop flavor" (source).
• Harpoon Summer Beer, $1.49/12oz - "A beer brewed to be enjoyed with summertime activities. It is light, refreshing, and crisp. The traditional serving style is in small, straight glasses which are constantly circulated among the tables in Koln’s beer halls. This beer goes well with a wide variety of foods, including delicate dishes such as salads and seafood. The overall character is light and refreshing, with a crisp, dry finish" (source).
• Lagunitas Lucky 13, $4.79/22oz - "Our 13th Anniversary Beer in was a Staff Favorite, So We Make it Each Year. BIG on the Amarillo Hops and Rich Dark Malts for a Round and Huge, Smoky Flavor" (source).
• Blanche De Bruxelles, $2.29/16oz (can) - "Blanche de Bruxelles owes its natural cloudiness to the large percentage (40%) of wheat that goes into its composition. The natural spice aromas of coriander and bitter orange peels are added during the brewing process. The brewing method, which includes infusion, is very slow. You need only take a sip of this delicious drink to appreciate the fresh and mellow flavour with its hint of orange. It is really not like any other beer" (source).
• Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout, $8.59/22oz - "Big chocolate and roast flavors abound as subtle hop bitterness evens out the sweetness of a rich malt profile in our most decadent brew yet.  The blushing black beer is complimented by a thick tawny head and lively chocolate nose" (source).
• Short's Kolsch 45, $1.69/12oz - "This thirst quencher is just what you need on a hot summer day. Kolsch beer originated in Cologne, Germany and is unique in that it is a warm fermented ale, but is aged like most traditional German lagers at a cool temperature. Though light in body and color, its prominent hoppiness and radiant yellow “straw” color set it apart. As you taste Kolsch 45, you’ll note that the sustaining head retains prominent, pleasant aromas. Light pilsen and munich malts lend grain flavors, aiding in the crisp, refreshing nature of this beer. Hop bitterness is present but complimentary with hardly any lingering resonance" (source).
• Short's Nicie Spicie, $1.99/12oz - "A Northern Michigan spiced wheat ale made with a 50/50 blend of malted barley and malted white wheat. Packed with fresh citrus zest, then spiced with coriander and a three peppercorn blend, this light bodied ale is complex yet scrumptious. Exemplified by its gorgeous golden color, this beer is crisp and refreshing" (source).
• Short's Sustenance Black Ale, $1.99/12oz - "Classically referred to as a Schwartz beer, this dark American lager is brewed in the spring. Soft and sweet on the palate, the roasted and dark caramel grains give the sensation of a satisfying and filling beer, while lager yeast lends refreshing thirst-quenching ability, providing a rich, full flavored, light bodied experience" (source).
• Short's Black Licorice Lager, $1.99/12oz - "Chocolate and roasted malt characteristics compliment the additions of Madagascar vanilla bean, anise, and fresh chocolate mint. Vanilla aromas greet the nose and are tasted in the initial flavors, followed quickly by the anise. The finish, especially when the beer warms a bit, show cases the crisp, sweet chocolate mint. This well balanced beer is a bronze medal winner at the 2010 WBC" (source).

Picture of the Week

Poblano pepper beer with Brett (and Jacob)

Cheers!