New Beer Friday, Homebrew Seminar Update Edition (4/26)

This week the bossman kicks off New Beer Friday with a reminder that celebrated beer writer Stan Hieronymus will be the keynote speaker at the May 10 homebrew seminars.

Photo from Stan's Twitter homepage

By Steve Siciliano

According to For the Love of Hops author Stan Hieronymus, there are many more adjectives used to characterize hop aroma and flavor in beers today than there were in the early years of homebrewing.

In a recent email, Hieronymus stated that nowadays, "You might prefer using pine, pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, melon, mango, lychee, passion fruit, gooseberries, blueberries, stone fruits . . . even Lifesavers and sauvignon blanc. This raises a few questions. Which particular hops do these flavor and aromas come from? What can we expect next? Can these hops be successfully grown in Michigan?”

The intricacies of hop flavors and aromas will be among the subjects that the popular author of three books on homebrewing will be addressing during a presentation at the Siciliano’s Homebrew Seminars on Friday, May 10, at the enclosed pavilion at Johnson Park. Besides his recently published book on hops, Hieronymus has also written Brewing with Wheat and Brew like a Monk. All three of his books can be purchased at Siciliano’s Market. In addition to speaking at the seminars, Hieronymus will be holding a book signing at the store on Friday, May 10 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Also speaking at the seminars is Walter Catton who is in the process of opening a distillery in the Holland, Michigan area. A Belgian beer tasting will follow the speakers’ presentations. The May 10 seminars will run from 6 to 10 pm. The $5 entrance fee is payable at the door.

New (and Returning) Craft Beer at Siciliano's

• New Belgium Shift Pale Lager, $1.59/12oz - "New Belgium employee-owners work in shifts to brew to life world-class beers. Those efforts are rewarded daily with a shared end-of-shift beer. We’re passing that welcomed occasion onto consumers in this lightly-hopped Shift Pale Lager. From work to play, from bottle to can, from bold and heavy to refreshing and sessionable; Shift salutes the shift in occasion, package and beer. So, go ahead and get your Shift beer, you’ve earned it!" (source)
• MillKing It Productions Axl Pale Ale, $1.99/16oz - "In this classic style American pale ale the hops grab center stage and carry the flavor with a light, drying, citrusy palate. Although hoppy, this beer is easy drinking and contains mid-range alcohol" (source).
• Saugatuck Serrano Pepper Amber Ale, $2.59/12oz - "An amber ale spiced with fresh serrano peppers. Spicy but not overwhelming in both the nose and the palate" (source).
• Point Nude Beach, $1.19/12oz - "Point Nude Beach is the perfect summer pleasure. Available only during the warm months of summer, this lively and unfiltered wheat ale is well balanced using "au naturel" raw and red wheat, then delicately finished with Yakima hops. With a refreshing light flavor, Point Nude Beach is perfect while enjoying summer activities or just hanging out with friends. Clothing optional" (source).
• Point Cascade Pale Ale, $1.09/12oz - "Point Cascade Pale Ale is handcrafted combining special top-fermenting yeast and a dry hopping process to create this truly classic American Pale Ale. The intriguing character is derived from generous quantities of the choicest Yakima Valley Cascade hops and the finest crystal, 2-row pale, and Munich malts. The result is a delicious American Pale Ale with a signature fragrant hop bouquet and soft malt palate" (source).
• Bass IPA, $1.59/12oz - "Brewed at Anheuser-Busch’s Baldwinsville plant. Bass brings its rich English brewing heritage to an all new, intensely satisfying India Pale Ale. Bass IPA is a 6% ABV English- style beer. Launched nationally on November 19, 2012. Profile: 6% ABV, 49 IBUs, a full flavored India Pale Ale brewed with a mix of English style hops, including Hallertau, Saaz, Cascade and Fuggle" (source).
• Thistly Cross 'Whiskey Cask' Cider, $6.69/16oz - "Matured in ex-Glengassaugh whisky casks this is a dry & subtle cider. Infused with mellow, vanilla oak of the cask. A refreshing, complex drink to be savoured" (source).
• Crown Valley Barrel Select Big Bison Ale, $4.59/22oz - "The Barrel Select Big Bison Ale is 7.2 percent ALC by volume and brewed using two different American hop varieties. This beer is a robust Belgian style Dubbel with intense nutty, spice and dried fruit notes in the aromatic profile. The Big Bison Ale was barrel aged in red wine casks for two months, thus producing a buttery sensation on the palette with a body and consistence thicker than the average Ale" (source).

Epic Glutenator | Featured Beer of the Week

• Epic Glutenator, $6.69/22oz - "You won’t find any astringent sorghum in this beer. Instead we use light-bodied millet, brown rice, sweet potatoes and molasses along with plenty of American hops. This beer has a golden color, aromas of hops and sweet potatoes with a sweet grain flavor and a clean, sorghum-free finish" (source).