New Beer Friday, Happy Halloween Edition (Oct 30)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

In honor of Halloween, we're posting an excerpt from a blog post we published back on October 31, 2013. In it, Steve 'Bossman' Siciliano explored the origins of pumpkin ale while pondering its growing popularity, which, in the two years since first publication, has not appeared to waver. To read the complete post, please go here.

The use of pumpkins in the production of beer is uniquely American. Our colonial forefathers occasionally added pumpkins to their beer recipes, not because they wanted to but because they had to. Good quality, inexpensive malt was hard to acquire back then and the indigenous gourd, with its requisite starches and sugars, provided a viable alternative. As malt became more readily available, the use of pumpkins in the production of beer became an historical footnote. It might have remained there if not for William Owens.

Back in the mid 1980s, "Buffalo Bill" Owens, who was at the time the owner of Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Haywood, California, was researching historical beer recipes when he came across one, allegedly formulated by George Washington, which used pumpkin flesh in the mash. Owens also happened to be a gardener. He took one of his prize 500 pound pumpkins, chunked it, baked it and then threw the pieces into a mash for his standard amber ale. After he fermented and carbonated the beer, Owens was disappointed that it had no discernible pumpkin flavor. But then he had a brewing epiphany—why not use pumpkin pie spices to achieve the flavor profile that he thought would be achieved from using the baked pumpkin? He brewed another batch, this time without pumpkin, and dumped a can of pumpkin pie spices into the bright tank. The first modern “pumpkin” beer was born.

Obviously it’s these spices, used in differing proprietary amounts and combinations, which are the main reason as to why pumpkin beers today are so popular. People equate the spicy flavors and aromas of these brews to those of pumpkin pie. And who doesn’t like pumpkin pie? But maybe there are other, perhaps subliminal, factors that are contributing to the wild popularity of pumpkin beer.

I would guess that most adults have fond memories of donning costumes and traipsing through neighborhoods collecting overflowing bags of treats on Halloween. Perhaps drinking a beer that exalts the most cherished and ubiquitous symbol of Halloween helps rekindle those memories and allows for a somewhat vicarious participation in a decidedly childlike activity. Then again, maybe the popularity of these brews is due to the fact that the pumpkin is such a photogenic fruit and its image looks so appetizing on a beer label. Other fruits are used in beer and make equally delicious pies—apples, cherries peaches and blueberries for instance—but they haven’t lent their names to a craft beer phenomenon. Can this be because they don’t have the same visually appealing impact and marketing panache of the pumpkin?

Griffin Claw Screamin' Pumpkin, still available at Siciliano's ($2.19/16oz)

New and Returning Beer

• Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale, $7.59/22oz - "Our latest Rough Draft Limited is a collaboration with Heritage Coffee -- a delicious beer we call Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale" (source).
• Brooklyn Insulated Lager, $1.59/12oz - "Brooklyn Insulated Lager is your protection against biting wind and soggy weather. German Munich, roasted Carafa, and Pilsner malts create a nimble, racy body, while a helping of American black barley adds just a hint of roast coffee. A light dry hopping of American and German hops pitter-patters across the nose and dives into the dry, warming finish. Try it with dark breads, hearty meats, and sturdy cheddars. If you still feel the chill, just add another layer and enjoy your insulation" (source).
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, $2.29/12oz - "This is the famous Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, our award-winning rendition of the Imperial Stout style once made exclusively for Catherine the Great. We use three mashes to brew each batch of this beer, achieving a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specialty roasted malts. We brew it every year for the winter season. It is delicious when newly bottled, but also ages beautifully for years" (source).
• Founders Backwoods Bastard, $3.89/12oz - "Big and delicious for your ’perty mouth. Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts. A bit of earthy spice and a scintilla of dark cherries. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate" (source).
• New Holland Mischievous, $4.79/22oz - "Mischievous presents flavors derived from its 100% brettanomyces fermentation. This wild yeast contributes earthiness, spice, mineral-character and slight tartness" (source).
• Stone Coffee Milk Stout, $1.99/12oz - "From imperial stouts to IPAs, we’ve discovered the tantalizingly roasty lift that comes from adding coffee beans to just about any kind of beer. This English-style milk stout, originally a limited-edition offering at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Liberty Station, proved the perfect foil for beans from San Diego-based Ryan Bros Coffee. The bitterness of the coffee is balanced out brilliantly by the milk sugar we used to add a touch of sweetness and creaminess to the stout’s smooth, easy-drinking texture. Cheers to the coalescence of two highly artisanal (and delectable) mediums" (source).
• New Belgium Ben and Jerry Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale, $1.69/12oz - "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream beer. Our newest collaboration with Ben & Jerry’s brings together two different types of pint-makers for one common goal: To help Protect Our Winters combat climate change. When two foodie B Corps join forces for good, delicious ideas are created. Our Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale scoops the lip-smacking fun of dessert from a bowl right into your pint glass. Brewed with specialty ingredients and a healthy sweet tooth, this beer’s rich chocolaty, salted-caramel, vanilla goodness is worth savoring to the last drop. Reward yourself, and dig in" (source).
• New Belgium Accumulation, $1.69/12oz - "This winter, IBUs start accumulating like snow in Colorado with our new ACCUMULATION WHITE IPA . Brewing a white IPA was not only a way to salute the white beauty falling from the sky, but a direct revolt to the longstanding tradition of brewing dark beers for winter and WINTER SEASONAL BEERS . At least that’s what our rebellious brewer Grady Hull likes to claim as he shovels in plenty of new hop varietals and a bit of wheat for a smooth mouthfeel. Stack up a few cases of Accumulation White IPA to keep your long nights glowing blizzard white" (source).
• Arcadia Nut Brown, $1.79/12oz - "This English-style brown ale has an alluring mahogany color capped by a rich foam head. It is brewed with six different varieties of premium malted barley, creating a robust body and delicious flavor profile featuring hints of chocolate, raisins, dates and almonds. Its ripe fruit notes and malty, sweet finish are counterbalanced by a subtle hop bitterness and aroma" (source).
• Frankenmuth Christmas Town, $1.69/12oz - "For many, our little town of Frankenmuth is known as Christmas Town. So, it's no wonder we created an ale to celebrate the Merry Season. Enjoy toasted sweet dark malts and American hops which combine with holiday flavors to create a taste and aroma that is unmistakably Christmas" (source).
• Blake's Beard Bender, $1.99/12oz - "Blake's Beard Bender is a 100% natural hard cider. It's funny when nothing's added you taste the true characteristics of the apple. Not for the faint of heart. Beard Bender packs a punch not expected from hard cider. Derived from a variety of Bittersweet and Bittersharp apples. Beard Bender is tart, crisp and amazingly drinkable. And, of course, 100% grown at Blake Farms in Armada, Michigan" (source).
• Deschutes Foray IPA, $4.99/22oz - "Foray is all about the journey. Belgian yeast delivers hints of apple and pear which blend with the citrus hop aroma for a clean even finish. So no matter where you’re heading, this a trip worth taking" (source).
• Deschutes Hop Trip, $1.99/12oz - "Part of the Bond Street Series. This Fresh Hop Pale Ale is all about celebrating the hop harvest in the fall. Fresh picked hops have to be added to the brew immediately and in abundance. Roughly 270 pounds of Crystal hops from Doug Weathers' farm outside Salem, Oregon will be added to the 50 barrel batch in addition to some dry kilned whole flower hops. That adds up to approximately 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel brewed" (source).
• Shorts Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, $2.39/12oz - "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is a Double Belgian IPA brewed exclusively with Galaxy hops. The nose is an impressive blend of citrus aromas reminiscent of guava and lemons. It also has subtle Belgian yeast esters. An intense, clean bitterness dominates the flavor profile, with little malt character to compete with. A fruity yeast sweetness is noticeable in the finish, alongside a resounding bitterness" (source).
• Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout, $1.69/12oz - "Dark and roasty yet light and smooth as a fresh coat of snow, our Oatmeal Stout will kick your cabin fever and inspire you to toss another log on the fire" (source).
• North Coast Grand Cru, $16.69/500ml - "Reminiscent of North Coast Brewing's Gold Medal-winning Twentieth Anniversary Ale, North Coast Grand Cru is brewed with pilsner malt and agave nectar, then aged in oak bourbon barrels" (source).
• Southern Tier Choklat, $4.99/12oz - "Moving through centuries, the circular journey of cacao has been realized in our brewing house, encompassing the complexity of the darkest, bitter-sweet candy together with the original frothy cold beverage of the ancient Maya to bring to you our Blackwater Series Choklat Stout. We have combined the finest ingredients to tempt your senses & renew the power & interrelation of history in every bottle" (source).
• Lagunitas Born Yesterday, $2.19/12oz - "Quite possibly the freshest Fresh Hop ale you'll get your paws on—Born Yesterday. How? Our farmer friends in Yakima, WA harvested and rushed straight-to-our-breweries the freshest virgin, un-kilned hops. Then a herculean effort involving Lagunitas folks from across all different departments commenced with a quickness … sorting and picking through the hops to remove twigs, twine and other stuff from farming. After all the lupulin glands are sufficiently tickled, the hops go into a proprietary Borning Process which allows us to take these whole-cone hops (not pellets or oils or other sorcery) and deliver their absolute essence and liquid likeness to you in bottles and kegs for an immaculate reception" (source).

Video of the Week | Killer Beer

We posted this last year on Halloween. It's too good to only post once.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Expanded Liquor Edition (Oct 23)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

If you have been in Siciliano's Market over the past few weeks you may have noticed that we have done some rearranging behind the sales counter and we managed to find an additional twenty-four feet of shelf space that can be dedicated to our ever expanding liquor selection.

It certainly didn't take long for liquor buyer John Barecki to fill every inch of that space with a lineup of new and interesting rums, ryes, bourbons, single malt scotches and high end tequilas.

If you're a fan of fine liquors make sure you take a few minutes to check out the new arrangement the next time you're in the store.

Liquor buyer John Barecki (right) stands with Smiling Matt in front of
24 newly added feet of shelf space for spirits.

New and Returning Beer

• Founders Mosaic Promise, $1.79/12oz - "Mosaic Promise showcases a single malt—Golden Promise—and a single hop—Mosaic. The traditional barley’s depth of flavor and the versatility of the hops’ bittering, flavor and aroma characteristics are the strong pillars that comprise the structure of this clean, rich, golden beer. We can brew complex beers with the best of them, but we recognize that there’s also beauty in simplicity." (source).
• North Peak Dubious Black Chocolate Stout, $1.79/12oz - "North Peak Dubious is a Dark Chocolate Stout that has the perfect combination of chocolate, roast and black malts resulting in a smooth rich beer. Judicious use of hops bring out a complex, yet subtle bittering finished off with a big Goldings nose. This swirl of aroma, flavor and body is underscored by the rich chocolate that is added at the end of the boil. This medium bodied beer is brewed in Traverse City, MI, on Old Mission Peninsula incorporating locally grown hops" (source).
• North Peak HooDoo Wet Hop IPA, $2.79/12oz - "North Peak Hoodoo Midwest Wet Hop IPA is the first of it’s kind. Brewed with fresh from the farm Michigan hops for exceptional flavor. Hoodoo is hops from start to finish with a little malt in the middle, just enough to keep Hoodoo from going Voodoo on you. not to worry - pretty much nothing but hops" (source).
• Victory Harvest Ale, $2.59/12oz - "Three hop varieties have added tremendous zest to this Pale Ale. After a soft and full floral nose, those juicy hops saturate the middle of this amber ale with more flowery fullness. The malt body punctuates the lingering hop richness of this one-of-a-kind ale" (source).
• Victory Vital IPA, $1.79/12oz - "The IPA style can be a powerhouse of flavors and impressions. But what is vital to you? What commands your taste and attention? We packed our Vital IPA full of fresh, crisp and fruity notes driven by whole flower American hops and robust German malts. You’ll find it bright, delightfully aromatic and complex, leaving you with dry, spicy satisfaction. Taste Victory in these flavors Vital to your senses" (source).
• Victory Saison Du Buff, $2.59/12oz - "In June of 2003, armed with a manifesto on freedom and flavor in beer, Sam (Dogfish Head), Greg (Stone) and Bill hosted a highly unsuccessful retail sampling in Boston. Undaunted, they vowed to prove that they were indeed Brewers United for the Freedom of Flavor (BUFF). With the unlikely help of fresh parsley, lemon thyme, sage and rosemary, they proved it in this refreshing saison recipe" (source).
• Southern Tier 2xMass, $1.99/12oz - "Double spiced ale brewed in the tradition of Swedish Glögg" (source).
• Abita Bad Mother Shucker, $4.69/22oz - "Deep in the oyster beds of Louisiana surfaces one Bad Mother Shucker - Abita's Oyster Stout. Brewed with pale, caramel, roasted and chocolate malts, this Mother Shucker is hopped up with Willamette hops and balanced out with the sweet and full flavors of oats. Fresh Louisiana Oysters are added to the boil in the final stages, infusing a slight taste of sea salt that offsets the sharpness of the stout" (source).
• Oddside Merry Elf, $1.99/12oz - "Dark ale with candi sugar and orange peel" (source).
• Left Hand Fade to Black Vol 1, $2.09/12oz - "That time of year when the day seems to fade away. Drifting further into the darkness with each passing day. Volume 1 – Foreign Stout – Pours black with licorice, espresso bean, molasses, and black cardamom notes that give way to a feeling of self loathing, burnt opportunities and smoked relationships" (source).
• Short's Black Cherry, $2.69/12oz - "Black Cherry Porter is made using local Northern Michigan sweet black cherries and eight different malts. The combination of ingredients provides the deep radiant flavor profile and creates a dark opaque color. The beer leaves a slight purple lace from the fruit puree and finishes with flavors of roasted chocolate and pleasurable black cherry" (source).
• Ommegang Lovely Deep and Dark, $2.89/12oz - "Deep with roasty aromas, coffee with cream and chocolate notes. Ommegang house yeast imparts light fruit and spice character" (source).
• Vander Mill Nunica Pine, $2.99/16oz - "Opposites attract in this limited release seasonal specialty. Our Hard Apple cider provides a base of unmatched fruit and acidity, while Columbus hops unveil an earthy bitterness no other cider can match. Gluten free" (source).
• B. Nectar Devil's Juice, $8.19/375ml - "So many dare to speak of me, run with me, to dance with me, advocate for me..Where are those who dare to drink with me? I am B. Nektar and I am here to do B. Nektar's work. To tempt the world and spread the sin of the B. It is but a small sacrifice to uncork this bottle and indulge in it's succulent pineapple and honey sweetness. Savor the smoke of hell as that jalapeno, serrano, habanero and ghost peppers delicately sear your tongue. The initiation begins" (source).
• Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout, $12.09/22oz (1 per) - "One Big Bad Imperial Stout with Cocoa nibs and Coffee beans. Each season's release uses a different dark roasted coffee" (source).

Video of the Week | M-22

In the mood for a road trip this weekend?

Check out all M-22 has to offer.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Learn to Homebrew Edition (October 16)

Come one, come all!

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

On Saturday, November 7, Siciliano’s Market and Elk Brewing are teaming up to host an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Learn to Homebrew Day. This free event is open to the public and will be held on the brewery’s outdoor patio at 700 Wealthy St. SE in Grand Rapids from 11 AM to 5 PM.

The AHA’s Learn to Homebrew Day is an international event held annually on the first Saturday of November. Since its inception in 1999, thousands of homebrewers have gathered at locations throughout the world to celebrate and demonstrate the basic techniques of this life enriching hobby.

For more information on the Learn to Homebrew event at Elk Brewing, please contact lisa@elkbrewing.com.

New and Returning Beer

• Brewery Vivant Pepper in the Rye, $3.39/16oz - "Great friends. Great food. Great beer. Relaxing at a meal together is the best part of our day. This beer is made for enhancing that experience. The flaked rye lends an earthy spiciness and the addition of green peppercorns into the boil kettle give a ping of peppery notes that will turn up the flavor of whatever dish you sit down to at your table. Add a friend or two and you’ve got yourself a memorable evening" (source).
• Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale, $1.69/12oz - "With the onset of winter, the brewer’s mind turns to providing warmth. For our winter seasonal, Southern Tier offers Old Man Winter Ale, a rich and complex amalgam of hops and barley that will put the feeling back in your toes and lift your spirits above the snow. Old Man Winter throws a deep and inviting hue with a thickness that clings to the glass and the warmth of an open flame. Because of its high alcohol content, Old Man Winter is a heady brew that encourages sipping and pondering its essential richness. Drink it fresh now, or cellar some bottles to see how this old man becomes wiser with age" (source).
• OddSide Ales How Now Brown Cow, $1.99/12oz - "A brown ale" (source).
• Perrin Hotbox Brown Ale, $1.89/12oz - "We've taken Hotbox Roasters' finest beans and woven them into our cult classic Nut Brown Ale. Encompassing subtle hints of melted caramel and toffee, toasted almonds, light chocolate, and a fresh brewed coffee aroma. This brew was born for shaking', baking', and day breaking" (source).
• Bell's Third Coast Old Ale, $2.79/12oz - "Third Coast Old Ale focuses on malt, offering notes of burnt caramel & other earthy malt flavors. Designed with vintage aging in mind, the malt aspect is matched to a heavy complement of hops. Sharply bitter at first, this will fold into the malt character over time and balance out the maltiness" (source).
• Stone 24 Carrot Golden Ale, $9.49/22oz - "As the name implies, this beer is richly aromatic and envelopes the palate with decadent flavors of cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, vanilla, carrots and raisins plus subtle malt sweetness, ending with a medium-dry finish. It’s nothing short of brilliant and well deserving of the 24 karat (carrot?) golden opportunity to be brewed by Stone and distributed across the country" (source).
• Smuttynose Cherry Short Weisse, $8.59/22oz - "Berliner-style wheat ale brewed with tart cherries" (source).
• Atwater Blueberry Cobbler, $2.99/12oz - Ale brewed with blueberries.
• Guinness Nitro IPA, $1.69/12oz - "Supremely smooth, unmistakably Guiness" (source).
• Smuttynose Scotch Ale, $6.99/22oz - "Dark brown in color. Candy sugar in used when brewing this beer" (source).
• Roak Roaka Cadabra, $1.69/12oz - "Spiced apple Belgian-style brown ale" (source).
• Atwater Vanilla Java Porter, $18.79/12pk - "A robust Porter made with chocolate malt. This malt Beverage is brewed with coffee beans with natural flavor added, and we balance it with U.S. Golding hops" (source).
• Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout, $2.09/12oz - "A full bodied stout made with all malted barley and blueberry. Flavors of chocolate, roast malt and light blueberry make up the palate with lots of fruity blueberry aroma" (source).
• Black Rocks Nordskye, $2.09/12oz - "We brewed/tweaked this beer at the pub for a couple years under a different name until it was can worthy. Galaxy hops bring out big tropical/fruity aromas and flavors, the low ABV and easy body make it easy to justify grabbing 'one more.'" (source).

New Spirits

• Long Road Gin, $34.99/750ml - "This is our take on a traditional favorite—generous in flavor and bold in character. In true British style, our hallmark Gin is juniper-forward, complemented with a robust blend of botanicals—some familiar and some unexpected" (source).
• Long Road Vodka, $29.99/750ml - "This is vodka. Made by people who do things only one way—the right way. The signature taste comes from our Red Winter Wheat, grown by a local farmer we know by name. It was milled in house, fermented carefully, distilled properly, and filtered honestly" (source).

Video of the Week | Brewsader

Anyone have the inside scoop on what this is?

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Todd Hale Edition (October 9)

This year's champion
with the Siciliano Cup

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

On Saturday, September 19, the Best of Show winner of the 2015 Siciliano's Home Brew Competition  brewed his winning recipe on Pigeon Hill Brewery's 3.5-barrel system.

Todd Hale's award-winning American IPA will be available on draught at the brewery on Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m.

If you have yet to visit Pigeon Hill's beautiful taproom this would be a great time to travel to downtown Muskegon, Michigan, to give Todd's Equinox IPA a try and enjoy a pint or two of the brewery's other excellent offerings from its extensive tap list.

I would like to thank the folks at Pigeon Hill for giving Todd this wonderful opportunity and for their continued support of the Michigan home brewing community.

New and Returning Beer

• Dark Horse 4 Elf Winter Warmber, $2.19/12oz - "4 Elf is holiday cheer in liquid form. Spicy aromas like cinnamon and clove give this dark brown winter warmer a proper holiday welcome. Balanced between malt, hops, and spice at 8.75% ABV this beer goes great with all holiday foods—from sweet snacks to the roast beast" (source).
• Founders Dark Penance, $3.09/12oz - "A heavy malt foundation includes Crystal malt for sweetness and just enough Midnight Wheat malt to push the color to black. The bitterness is huge, but balanced by malt sweetness. The hop flavors and aromas range from citrus to floral to pine thanks to a delicious blend of hand-selected Chinook and Centennial hops" (source).
• Founders Harvest Ale, $3.49/12oz - "This liquid dream pours a hazy golden straw color with a white, two-finger head. Your first sip rewards you with a super juicy hop presence bursting with fresh citrus, then finishes to introduce toasted malt undertones" (source).
• Stone Enjoy By, $8.29/22oz - "This exquisite liquid patchwork of more than a dozen hops is a devastatingly fresh double IPA. Freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, hoppy IPAs – but we've taken it further, a lot further, with this one. We brewed this IPA specifically NOT to last. We've gone to extensive lengths to ensure you get your hands on this beer within an extraordinarily short window, and we've sent a very clear message in the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right NOW to enjoy this IPA" (source).
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Arcadia Shipwreck Porter, $8.59/12oz - "" (source).
• Oddside Fig Brewton, $2.29/12oz - "English pale ale brewed with figs" (source).
• Wyerbacher Althea, $9.59/750ml - "Althea is a Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with plums, bottle conditioned in a 750 ml/25.4 oz. cork and cage bottle, which weighs in at a substantial 7.7% ABV. It’s a beautiful, dark and fruity ale" (source).
• Stone 8.8.8. Vertical Epic, 9/49/22oz - "In 2008, Stone Brewmasters Steve Wagner and Mitch Steele traveled to Belgium, where they enjoyed a number of hop-driven Belgian tripels, pale ales and IPAs—beers that had taken a cue from the U.S. craft brewing movement and inspired us in return. It’s a big reason 2008’s summer season came to be known at Stone as our “Summer of the Triple.” Upon their return, they crafted Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale, the seventh beer in the 11-beer Stone Vertical Epic Ale series. Packed with floral, spicy essence from Belgian yeast plus plenty of hoppy New World character, it’s our West Coast take on hop-driven Belgian beers" (source).

Photos of the Week | Brew Day at Pigeon Hill

Todd with the fine folks from Pigeon Hill

One happy homebrewer

Just a little bigger than the one at home

Two Best in Show winners, Russ Smith and Todd Hale.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Super Premium Edition (October 2)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Each year Winexpert releases five super-premium kits from the world’s great wine regions that are not part of the company’s regular portfolio. These kits are available only on a pre-order basis and are released during the first four months of the year.

We are now taking orders for the 2015 Limited Edition offerings. The following are the individual varieties along with the respective pricing and release dates. Complete descriptions are available here.

• Italian Barbera, $153.95 – Available January
• Italian Pinot Grigio Verduzzo, $147.95 – Available January
• Mosaic Red, $153.95 – Available February
• Australian Gewurztraminer Verdelho, $147.95 – Available March
• Australian Fourtitude with grape skins, $178.95 – Available April

These kits yield six gallons of wine which translates in thirty 750-ml bottles.
Please note that we must receive pre-orders by Sunday, December 6, 2015 either by phone (616-453-9674), email or in person at Siciliano's.

New and Returning Beer

Artwork by our own John Barecki

• New Holland Pilgrim's Dole, $4.19/12oz - "A barleywine-style ale made with fifty percent wheat malt, or what we at New Holland call a wheatwine. Pilgrim’s Dole blends warming and slightly sweet flavors with a unique caramelized character" (source).
• Shiner Cheer, $1.69/12oz - "We hope you enjoy your Shiner Cheer, an Old World Dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavors of this dark wheat ale are enhanced through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Kräusening ensures a smoothnessthat makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your days be merry and bright and your Shiner be cold" (source).
• Goose Island Autumn Ale, $1.69/12oz - "Pouring the color of autumn leaves, our red ale opens with pine aromas, and its spicy hop flavors and dry finish warms with every sip. Brewed with hops from our own Elk Mountain Farms, Goose Autumn Ale is the perfect companion for those looking for a heartier beer to welcome crisp fall weather" (source).
• Deschutes Jebelale, $1.79/12oz - " Warm spiciness and tradition grace this bold winter ale. Intriguing, layered flavors unfold to reveal chicory, dried fruit and toffee notes with a hoppy kick to finish. The deep garnet color pairs perfectly with holiday celebrations" (source).
• Roak Live Wire, $1.79/12oz - "Live Wire is our American IPA. It is a juicy beer with classic hoppy bitterness and a little malt sweetness to round out flavor and finish. Be careful with this one, it is shockingly refreshing" (source).
• Roak Devil Dog, $1.69/12oz - "For this beer, we took two thing we feel strongly about: our beer and our nation's veterans, and came up with Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout, a tribute beer for the WWII K-9 fighting unit. It's full-bodied and hearty stout with notes of coffee, chocolate and toasted oats. Brewed in honor of our nation's finest soldiers — on two feet and four — we give back a portion of the proceeds from all devil dog sales to our local VA hospital in Detroit." (source).
• Roak Kashmir, $2.49/12oz - "Kashmir is our Belgian Strong Dark Ale. It was inspired by the brewing process of the Trappist Monks in Belgium and made with American Ingredients. With its boozy rum-soaked cherry aroma and a lot of the distinctive spiced yeast character that defines a Belgian beer, this is a brew that will take you places" (source).
• Lagunitas Imperial Pils, $4.79/12oz - "A Big n' Juicy Imperial Pilsener, with Floral-Soft Aromas and Fruity Sweet flavors, this High Gravity Lager is like an Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove" (source).
• Short's Mmmkay, $1.99/12oz (2 per) - "MMMKAY is a beer originally produced from the final runnings of Aww Jeah. Since then, its own malt bill has been developed so the good people of Michigan can have access to MMMKAY even when Aww Jeah hasn’t been brewed. The initial fragrances are of bold citrus fruit; guava, orange, and lemon. As the head settles, the aromas shift to fresh evergreen accents. Indicated by the light body and pale yellow appearance, the focus of the beer is on hops, rather than malt. An array of enjoyable American hop flavors shock the palate ranging from slightly fruity to an intense earthy pine. A bold bitterness dominates the finish, enhanced by the clean unobtrusive nature of its lager origin" (source).
• Destihl Lynnbrook, $2.89/12oz (2 per) - "Lynnbrook, named after our founder's family farm, is a wild Berliner-Style Weisse with raspberries added, resulting in a very refreshing beer presenting with fuchsia color and an aroma reminiscent of picking tart red raspberries growing next to an old, abandoned barn, with the raspberry-lemony aroma giving way to hints of brie and barnyard funkiness. The flavor is absent of any hops or bitterness and instead has initial impressions of subtle lemon and yogurt supported by tart, fresh raspberries and underlying lactic sourness. The beer's dry finish helps cut through some sweetness from the fruit" (source).
• Destihl Counter Clockweisse, $2.99/12oz - "This 'reverse engineered', Berliner-Style Weisse Bier is our interpretation of a traditional German-style sour wheat ale that is very pale light-bodied, low hopped, highly attenuated and pleasantly acidic and lemony-tart from our unique, spontaneous wild yeast and lactic fermentation" (source).
• Destihl Weissenheimer, $1.99/12oz - "The aroma and flavor of this classic hefeweizen (or weissbier/wheat beer with yeast) is decidedly fruity with clove, nutmeg-like and even vanilla-like phenolics. Banana-like esters are also present. This beer is made with over 50 percent malted wheat, and hop rates are quite low, with hop flavor and aroma being absent. Hefeweizen is well attenuated and very highly carbonated, yet its relatively high starting gravity and alcohol content make it a medium-full bodied beer. The color is very pale. Because yeast is present, the beer will have yeast flavor and a characteristically fuller mouthfeel and is appropriately very cloudy" (source).

Video of the Week | Pilot Malt House

A great video from our friends at Pilot Malt House. Enjoy!

Cheers