New Beer Friday - September 16 Edition

The polls are closed, the votes are in, and we at Siciliano's are pleased to announce the grand prize winner of the first ever DIY Kegerator Contest. Congrats to Jackson Payer and his slick-looking vintage refrigerator-turned-beer-dispenser. Jackson's 1952 Philco collected nearly 300 votes, not only taking top prize but also eliciting pangs of envy from homebrewers everywhere. (To see more pictures of the winner and finalists, please follow this link.)

While Jackson took top honors by narrowly edging out first runner up David Butler, a special thanks should go to all contestants, and to the voters especially, without whom there would have been no contest. Have yourself a beer, everyone, you deserve it. And speaking of beer, here's what's new at Siciliano's.

New (and Returning) Beers

• Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, $7.59/22oz - "We believed that America was ready to embrace things made with artistry and passion" (source). Wait. Is Stone talking about their beer or Siciliano's kegerator contest? Either way, the statement rings true. (Limit one bottle/customer.)
• Magic Hat Hex, $1.49/12oz - One of the more interesting grain bills you'll see in an Octoberfest; in addition to pale, vienna, and crystal malt, it includes cherry wood smoked malt and malted rye (source). Definitely worth checking out.
• Ommegang Aphrodite, $14.99/750ml - A dry fruit beer brewed with raspberries, pear, grains of paradise, and a combination of Ommegang's house yeast and the infamous brettanomyces (source). We want the funk. Gotta have that funk!
• St. Ambroise The Great Pumpkin Ale, $2.59/12oz - "Brewed just once a year, The Great St-Ambroise Pumpkin Ale returns this fall to captivate aficionados with a savvy blend of pale and caramel malt, hops and spices. If you enjoy original taste sensations, this seasonal specialty is certain to appeal" (source). The Great Pumpkin Ale? Is that Peanuts reference?
• Short's Noble Chaos, $1.69/12oz - "A subtle hop bouquet and toasted caramel malt flavors create a well balanced beer that finishes fresh and clean. With a pleasant nose and medium body, this brew is a taste of the season" (source). Noble chaos trumps ignoble chaos every time. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
• Great Lakes Octoberfest, $1.79/12oz - "An amber lager with rich malt flavor balanced by fragrant noble hops" (source). Noble hops trumps ignoble hops every time. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
• Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, $5.69/22oz - "Like our Celebration Ale, the fresh hops in this beer are dried right after being picked then shipped immediately to Chico for brewing so that they retain their peak aromatics and flavors. To ensure the freshest hops possible, we went to the added expense of flying these hops from New Zealand to Chico so we could brew with them the week after they were picked" (source). Limit two bottles per customer.
• Bell's Best Brown, $1.69/12oz - Anybody who attended WMU will have fond memories of this beer. To read more about it, click here.
• Dark Horse Scotty Karate, $1.99/12oz - The man this beer is named after apparently wrote its description for the Dark Horse website: "Tastes like a smokey chocolate chip cookie, wild roadside cherry-asparagus, woody, crispy leaf on a fall day" (source).
• New Holland Charkoota Rye Smoked Dopplebock, $8.19/22oz - "An homage to all things Pig, including Porkapalooza and the age-old tradition of Charcuterie, Charkoota Rye’s malty backbone is derived from a blend of rye and four other malts, including malted barley smoked over cherry wood" (source).
• Guinness Black Lager, $1.89/12oz - Guinness "describes the new taste as light and crisp with a subtle hint of malt, and a slight hop finish" (source).
• August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm, Minnesotta - Four new beers from the second oldest family owned brewery in the country. Welcome back to Michigan, Schell! Varieties include...
• Premium Grainbelt, $1.49/12oz - "With its crisp, unique flavor, Premium quickly became the flagship of the Grain Belt brand. And still is to this day" (source).
• Grainbelt Nordeast, $1.49/12oz - "Light maltiness and hop aroma with a mild bitterness. Smooth taste with an excellent drinkability" (source).
• Schell's Octoberfest, $1.49/12oz - "Brewed with the perfect balance of pale, munich, and cara pils malt with liberty and perle hops to create a rich, smooth taste" (source).
• Schell's Firebrick, $1.49/12oz - "A refreshing all-malt lager with an amber-red hue that reflects the feeling of the brewery itself" (source).

Picture of the Week

Siciliano's staffer Kati Spayde poses with Ted Marti, President of Schell Brewing and fifth-generation descendant of August Schell, the brewery's founder, pictured here with the awesome facial hair apparently required of all brewers.