New Beer Friday, To Sell or Not to Sell Edition (October 26)

The old house on Collindale

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Should we stay or should we go? It’s a question my wife and I have been wrestling with since the beginning of summer. Like many folks our age, Barb and I are trying to decide whether to sell our house and move into an abode that requires less maintenance. Not having to worry about mowing the lawn, raking the leaves, cleaning the gutters and shoveling snow is starting to sound pretty good to us.

Three months ago we met with the realtor we’ll be listing with if we decide to pull the trigger. Vito Dolce from Five Star Realty gave us a list of things we should do to make the house more marketable. Paint the ceilings and walls he told us. Redo the kitchen. Get rid of the clutter.

We’ve been following Vito’s advice. Barb hired the folks from Shelly’s Kitchens to paint the kitchen cupboards and an electrician to enhance the lighting. For the past three weeks Jim from Grand River Painting has been patching cracks in the plaster and applying fresh paint to one-hundred-year-old ceilings and walls. Barb has been making weekly trips to the Goodwill Store. We’ve given away dressers, old lamps, bookshelves and an assortment of items that we haven’t used in years. We donated six big boxes of books to a used bookseller in Eastown.

A few nights ago we sat with Manhattans on the back deck watching the sparrows, blue jays and cardinals gorging at the bird feeder. They instinctively know that winter is coming. Plump squirrels scurried around on the freshly mowed lawn. Every so often one stopped scurrying to bury a walnut. A gaggle of honking geese flew high overhead. Light from the setting late October sun splashed against the turning leaves of the tall maples.

While we watched the birds and squirrels I reminisced about the day Barb came home and told me that “our house” was for sale. We had spotted the 1920s Craftsman Style Bungalow a few years earlier when we were driving down Collindale. It sat a ways back from the road and was tucked behind a wall of overgrown evergreen shrubs. From that day on we admired it from afar during the few seconds it took to drive by it. The first thing we noticed was the big front porch. On subsequent drive-bys we admired the tapered brick columns and triangular knee braces under the broad, overhanging eaves. We wondered what it was like inside. We made an appointment to see the house on the same day Barb saw the For Sale sign in the yard. We made an offer that night. While I was remembering that day my wife said something that I didn’t quite catch.

“What’s that?” I asked her.

“I said I think the house is looking pretty good.”

“It sure is,” I agreed.

“I’m not sure I’m going to want to sell this old place,” she said a few moments later.

I told her that I’m not sure that I do either.

Special Announcement: Fresh cider is back! On Saturday, November 3rd, from 10am to 1pm, the owners of Square Nail Farm in Allegan will be in our back parking with fresh cider for sale. Cider is a blend of Jonagold, Jonathan, Baldwin, Gala, Original Yellow Delicious, Ida Red, Empire and Smokehouse apples. Cost is $4.00 per gallon. Bring your own containers or purchase them for us.

New and Returning Beer

• Atwater First Brown, $1.99/12oz - "First Brown ale features a brown color, arising from the use of pale, crystal (caramel), Victory (rich in nutty, toasty, and biscuit-like flavors) and cara brown traditional English malts. In brewing, we use 100% imported English hops (East Kent Goldings and Fuggles) It is sweeter on the palate, with a fuller body and a nutty character" (source).
• Ballast Point Victory at Sea, $1.99/12oz - "Our Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with vanilla and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate" (source).
• Bell's 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout, $4.19/12oz - "This version was brewed in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of our Cherry Stout, another specialty beer that was first brewed in 1988 as a nod to a local homebrew club in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It has grown to be one of the most anticipated beers we brew at the brewery every year" (source).
• Bell's Cherry Stout, $2.99/12oz - "Rather than doubling up on sweetness, this tart cherry varietal serves as a counterpoint to the warm, dark chocolate notes from the malt bill. Lightly hopped for balance, this stout is one of the cornerstones of our stout portfolio" (source).
• Bell's Whiskey Barrel Aged Cherry Stout, $6.99/12oz - "Aged for up to 12 months in whiskey barrels, our signature Cherry Stout evolves into something even more flavorful and complex. Notes of oak, vanilla and dark chocolate are intertwined with tart Michigan cherries in a stout that seduces the palate" (source).
• Brew Detroit Electro Brut, $3.59/16oz - "Aggressively dry hopped with mosaic, citra, mandarina & Amarillo hops. This brew is fiercely hop forward with a delicious balanced finish" (source).
• Central State Gus, $3.59/16oz - "Farmhouse India Pale Ale — Named in honor of Indiana-born astronaut Gus Grissom who lost his life in the pursuit of taking a man to the moon, this IPA is aggressively hopped with Australian Galaxy and American Mosaic hops" (source).
• Central State Hot Yoga, $4.39/16oz - "This Double IPA is fermented with a special Norwegian Farmhouse yeast strain called Kviek. Fermented in half the time and at temperatures in excess of 95 degrees that would cause normal yeast to produce off flavors, this DIPA features both flaked & malted wheat and a double dose of Citra, Loral, and Mosaic hops" (source).
• Central State Noyau, $3.79/16oz - "House beer with secondary fermentation on 250 lbs each of of peach and apricot puree" (source).
• Central State Snake Skin Boots, $3.99/16oz - "Hazy India Pale Ale with Simcoe Hops — Flashy? Maybe. Practical? Maybe. Tasty? Coiled up like a rattler ready to strike, this beer is loaded up with the finest Simcoe hops we could get our hands on" (source).
• Central State Turn the Page, $4.39/16oz - "Turn the page and begin the next chapter. Time and progress stop for no one. Aggressively hopped with Warrior, Simcoe, & Citra hops, including a double dose of Simcoe & Citra dry hops, this DIPA has a soft mouthfeel thanks to a healthy dose of wheat and lactose sugar" (source).
• Griffin Claw Idiom, $2.39/16oz - "Porter" (source).
• Griffin Claw You Figure it Out, $2.39/16oz - "We had to beg Dan to make this and it turned out awesome! Coconut & Vanilla stand strong in this easy drinking Milk Stout" (source).
• Lagunitas Sparkling Swan, $1.59/12oz - "This sparkling beer-wine hybrid is something to toast to... brewed with red wine grapes and super bubbly like champagne, but with a gentle kiss of hops and a light malt backbone like a beer. It's a purple people pleaser, perfect for any celebration" (source).
• New Belgium Oakspire, $2.59/12oz - "A limited-edition collaboration between New Belgium and Knob Creek, Oakspire is a unique bourbon barrel ale aged with bourbon-steeped oak spirals and char from inside the barrel. Smooth notes of toffee, vanilla and caramel wrap up with a pleasantly warm finish. Oakspire: Where innovation meets tradition" (source).
• New Holland Cabin Fever, $1.99/12oz - "Cabin Fever is a roasty brown ale and a hearty, comforting companion for long, mind-bending winters" (source).
• New Holland Sour Inc Sour Stout, $3.49/12oz - "As the name implies, Sour Inc. Cherry Stout is a 6.7 percent ABV sour stout brewed with cherries. The fourth and final addition to the Holland, Mich.-based brewery’s Sour Inc. Series, which is made up different styles of sour beers" (source).
• Odd Side Hoppin Mad, $2.79/12oz - "Rye Double NEIPA" (source).
• Ommegang Barrel Aged Adoration, $5.69/12oz - "The beer is brewed with coriander, mace, cardamom, grains of paradise and sweet orange peel, and if that’s not enough fun, this dark ale is then aged in Bourbon barrels" (source).
• Perrin Malted Milk Ball, $12.69/22oz - "A 12% Imperial Porter brewed with lactose and spiced with vanilla and cacao nibs then laid down and aged in Woodford Reserve Oak bourbon barrels for 9 months" (source).
• Rogue Counter Currant, $2.39/16oz - "On our farm in Independence, Oregon, we grow marionberries, pumpkins, honey and 10 varieties of hops. We also tend the Revolution Garden, where we grow experimental crops for our brewers in Newport. Inspired by the black currants from our garden, our brewers created this lovely tart fruit ale that pours deep purple in color. Join us in our fight against the status quo and go Counter Currant" (source).
• Short's Juicy Tree, $2.59/12oz - "Juicy Tree is an experimental India Pale Ale made with blue spruce tips, juniper berries, and cranberries. Big aromatics of piney evergreen and sweet berries tingle the senses. After some slightly tart and tangy flavors up front, a harmonious balance between pleasant fruit sweetness and bitter pine is reached. The finish is laced with a resiny stickiness that flows naturally into a lasting bitterness" (source).
• Upland Boysenberry, $27.19/750ml - "Boysenberry is a barrel-aged sour ale that combines our take on a traditional, Lambic-style base beer, with a fruit not typically found in traditional Lambics. We ferment our base beer, Basis, for six to eight months in oak tanks to produce tart flavors, fruity notes and a funky character. Then, we blend individual batches before aging on boysenberry fruit for an additional month to extract the perfect balance of fruit flavor. We bottle conditioned this beer, resulting in a fine carbonation and spritzy mouthfeel" (source).
• Upland Panorama, $27.19/750ml - "A slightly tart, dry and funky beer developed through the use of naturally occurring microorganisms from Monroe County. Four different regions of microorganism collection developed unique flavors for each of the beers in the Spontaneous Project Series" (source).

Video of the Week | New Belgium Oakspire

Now available at Siciliano's.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Resistance is Futile Edition (Oct 19)

Bocian, Controller of Pests

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

My wife has a serious case of arachnophobia. I can empathize because I have a few fears of my own. But sometimes if I’m feeling a bit impish I’ll kid her about it. This past summer a little black arachnid with beady eyes was skittering around on our back deck and Barb was convinced that the tiny critter was stalking her. Instead of trying to abate her irrational fears I told her it was sizing her up for a meal.

I was smart enough not to joke about the wolf spiders that she would freak out about whenever she spied one loping around in the basement. I went to bat for them and tried explaining that they were more afraid of her than she was of them and that they were good to have around because they ate the nasty house flies. But my appeals were unsuccessful and I had to hire a professional — Chad Bocian from Stealth Pest Control — to eliminate the large, hairy, eight-eyed beasts. I’ve learned that when Barb makes her mind up about something it’s usually futile to resist.

The trees around our cottage are another example. I could live with the trees the same as I could live with the spiders but Barb claimed they obscured our view of the lake (which they did) and that all the acorns that they dropped every fall were a nuisance (which they were). She orchestrated the removal of twenty-seven of the offending oaks. I have to admit that our view of the lake has improved greatly and that it’s nice not having to worry about acorns beaning us when we’re sitting on the deck.

A few weeks ago a nasty storm blew through Lake County. There has been an ongoing debate in the bars around Irons whether it was a tornado or straight-line winds that did the damage but it appears that Big Bass Lake was ground zero. A tree fell on a neighbor’s garage, Matson Road looked like it was carpet bombed and a number of big oaks were uprooted in back of our pole barn. I could only imagine what kind of damage might have been done to our cottage if Barb hadn’t insisted on taking down all those trees. I’ve also learned that when my wife thinks something should be done she’s usually right.

New and Returning Beer

• Arcadia Apollyan, $1.99/12oz - "Tremble before Apollyon, The Destroyer, for herein is a beer that requires careful handling. Produced using a technique that amplifies the intense apple/pear fruitiness of Arcadia’s house English-style yeast, the result is a straw-colored golden strong ale that hides its strength carefully. Obscured by intense honey notes, hints of cotton candy, fresh-baked bread, and a wickedly dry, crisp body, we took to calling it Apollyon in homage to the Belgian tradition of naming beers after “devilish” figures. Unlike the king of locusts, the only truly dangerous part of Apollyon is how enjoyable and refreshing it is" (source).
• Arvon Point Betsie, $9.99/22oz - "Arvon Brewing Co.’s Lighthouse Series of New England style IPAs are each distinctly hopped with a single varietal, displaying the unique character of the hops as a shining beacon. The explosive hop flavor and aroma of Vic Secret featured in Point Betsie is best experienced when this beer is enjoyed fresh" (source).
• Bell's Arabicadabra, $2.29/12oz - "Arabicadabra is brewed with a cold coffee extract made at the brewery using a combination of fair trade, organic Nicaraguan coffee beans and Sumatra coffee beans. Lactose is also used for creaminess (those with dairy allergies or sensitivities should take note). It was inspired by Milchkaffe, another specialty Bell's beer" (source).
• City Built Melisandre, $3.59/16oz - "Red IPA • Mackinaw Hops • Caramel Malt • The Beer is Red and Full of Hops" (source).
• Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo, $3.29/12oz - "A spruce-infused pale ale, Pennsylvania Tuxedo pays homage to the flannel-suited hunters and gatherers who dwell deep in the backcountry of north-central PA" (source).
• Left Hand Pixan Pepper Porter, $2.39/12oz - "Dried cherry and plum flavors with subtle smoke, roasty malt sweetness and the warmth of chilis" (source).
• Lost Abbey Farmhouse Lager, $2.69/12oz - "Farmhouse Lager is a lighter version of our long-time brew, Avant Garde. It is our first foray into the 12oz bottle/six-pack world, as we have been mostly known for large format (750ml bottles). Still beginning with an initial malt sweetness and a subtle hop presence, this lager finishes smooth and crisp. Perfect for an evening out on your porch or with some fresh baked bread pulled straight from the oven" (source).
• North Pier Old Shuck, $2.99/16oz - "This deep dark brew is an ode to Old Shuck, the ghostly demon dog that roamed the countryside in 16th century England. Big coffee aromas pairs perfectly with a late addition of earthy English hops, making this the perfect roasty ale to drink all year round" (source).
• Rochester Mills Warrior Goddess, $2.59/16oz - "Ale brewed with Pink Grapefruit, Lemons and a splash of Pomegranate, this light-bodied, American-style shandy beer has bright citrus aromas and flavors of fresh fruit with a sweet, yet subtly tart finish" (source).
• Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll, $4.39/12oz - "In this brew, lightly toasted malts with subtly spicy hops blend into cinnamon flavors and creamy lactose sugar. Their coalescence is so uncannily close to fresh baked cinnamon rolls that it was impossible to name this beer anything other than Cinnamon Roll Imperial Ale! Pairs perfectly with Eggs Benedict at brunch, after dinner, or next to the fire for an unforgettable nightcap" (source).
• Southern Tier Old Man Winter, $1.89/12oz - "Our winter offering is here to quell your shivers and get you through the coldest of nights. A rich marriage of hops and barley to cast light upon the evening and melt your mind out of the snowdrifts. Old Man Winter’s earthy hue and thickness lace around the glass, inviting you to linger in its warmth and share the spirits of the season with your friends and family. A deceptively strong brew, it’s best to sit and ponder with this old man, sip by sip" (source).
• Terrapin Gamma Ray, $3.99/16oz - "Gamma Ray is a wheat beer brewed with a massive amount of honey from Savannah Bee Company. This super powered blast from the past will make you believe time travel is possible" (source).
• Terrapin Moo-Hoo, $2.19/12oz - "Dark brown to black in color. Aromas of dark chocolate. Dark roasted malt flavor with hints of caramel and chocolate, rounded out by a sweet, creamy finish" (source).

Video of the Week | Pennsylvania Tuxedo

Now available at Siciliano's.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, One-Winged Gargoyle Edition (Oct 12)

Procured by dubious means

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

I got quite a start the other morning when I glanced in the mirror and saw the reflection of my late father. With each passing year I’m looking more like the elder version of Sam — the thinning hair, the high forehead, the drooping nose, the elongated ears, the tufts of hair growing out of that nose and those ears that would look a tad unsightly if my barber didn’t trim them back every three weeks.

While I’m beginning to look like Sam in his late sixties, my siblings frequently remind me that I take after my mother. I’m okay with that but it’s not entirely true. I may have Nita’s overall demeanor but she’s generally regarded as a saint and I can state with a high degree of certainty that saintliness is a virtue no one has or ever will be inclined to bestow on me.

The truth is I’m more like the old man that I’m given credit for. I don’t have his boisterous personality but I too like a good party and I make sure that visitors to our house and cottage have plenty to eat and drink. I love food and wine as much as he did and I’d like to think that I’m a pretty good cook.

The old man could also be a bit “mischievous.” When they were youngsters he and his brothers pilfered watermelons off produce trucks and one time they came home with a branch laden with sweet cherries that they sawed off a neighbor’s tree.  And I’m quite sure the "Dead End" sign he had nailed to a tree along the two-track leading to his property up north wasn't found laying on the side of the road.

There have been times when I was a bit mischievous too. I also swiped fruit from neighbors’ trees when I was a kid and when I was in college a coed talked me into helping her pinch a street sign that bore her Italian surname. And then there was the one-winged gargoyle affair.

I won’t delve too deep into the details but the one-winged cement gargoyle that has been perched in Siciliano's for the past twenty years was ill-gotten. I confess that a couple of pints of beer on the night of the caper relaxed my inhibitions. The beer was Two Hearted which should give the astute reader a clue as to where the incident took place. If measured on the Scoville Scale my remorse the next morning registered somewhere between a Scotch Bonnet and a Ghost Pepper. I sent the establishment an apologetic note and a fifty dollar bill, a price I deemed fair for a cement gargoyle that was missing a wing.

A couple of weeks ago I took the gargoyle down from its perch and placed it on the curling corner of an area rug next to a display case. A few minutes later a customer knocked it over and cracked off the other wing.

New and Returning Beer

• Decadent Ales Pacific Punch, $6.29/16oz - "DIPA featuring a blend of south pacific hops. Notes of citrus, freshly squeezed lemon, lime fresh peaches and apricot compliment the fruit-cup hop profile" (source).
• Decadent Ales Pog Nog, $6.29/16oz - "Brewed with pineapple, guava, & orange peel. Hopped with Citra & Mosaic" (source).
• Evil Twin/Blank Brewing The Check Please, $4.59/12oz - "A double dry-hopped black IPA" (source).
• Evil Twin Even More Pecan Pie Jesus, $4.59/16oz - "Imperial Stout brewed with Molasses and with Pecan Extract added" (source).
• Evil Twin F Is for Fruit Salad, $4.99/16oz - "Gose-style ale brewed with salt and blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, peach, and blood orange added" (source).
• Evil Twin Island Bliss, $5.49/16oz - "Malt beverage with natural flavors" (source).
• Fat Orange Cat All Cats are Grey in the Dark, $4.99/16oz - "A light colored stout with a hint of coffee and strong notes of both chocolate and vanilla" (source).
• Fat Orange Cat Living in Our Own Private Idaho, $6.29/16oz - "The Azzaca combination brings out an intense orange/grapefruit flavor with a classic Idaho 7 finish" (source).
• Stillwater People Power, $5.49/16oz - "Nitro Multigrain Pale Ale in support of the ACLU" (source).
• Stillwater Please Take a Number, $5.69/16oz - "New England style double india pale ale" (source).
• Rochester Mills Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake Stout, $2.59/16oz - "This stout is brewed with lactose (milk sugar) to impart a fuller body and sweeter palate. Flavored with toasted marshmallows" (source).
• Short's Pangalactic Gargle Blaster, $2.59/12oz - "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is a Belgian-style Double IPA brewed with Australian Galaxy hops. The nose is an impressive dank blend of citrus aromas reminiscent of guava and lemons, very green and fresh with subtle Belgian yeast esters. An intense clean bitterness dominates the flavor profile with little malt character to compete with. A slight, fruity yeast sweetness is noticeable in the finish alongside a resounding bitterness" (source).
• Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout, $1.89/12oz - "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).
• Odd Side Caged Wisdom, $2.39/12oz - "A dry, hoppy, crisp and light Brut IPA" (source).
• Blackrocks Nordskye, $2.19/12oz - "Session IPA" (source).
• Griffin Claw Haze Force, $3.69/12oz - No commercial description.
• Lansing Brewery Velvet Villain, $1.99/12oz - "Formally known as Black Velvet... Imperial black ale meets oatmeal porter. Silky smooth chocolate dominates the palate throughout this beer. Have it for breakfast or have it for dessert, it doesn’t matter. This beer drinks very easy for an 8.2% ABV beer" (source).
• Lansing Brewery Peninsula Pils, $1.99/12oz - "Forget the watered down domestic pilsner beers. Peninsula Pils is a true to style pilsner with a distinct hop presence.This pilsner has two different hop varietals, Hallertau Blanc and Saaz. Together these hops give Peninsula Pils an herbal and delicate fruit note. We also dry hopped this sessional beer with Hallertau Blanc for your aromatic enjoyment. A perfect thirst quencher after a jog on the river trail" (source).
• Revolution Coffee Eugene, $3.09/12oz - "Our Eugene Porter was sent to a bright tank and aged for an additional week with whole bean coffee from Dark Matter Coffee. The cold-aging allows us to extract the aromatic oils from the coffee without extracting any additional bitterness that it may impart if we were to have added it to the near boiling wort in the kettle" (source).
• Revolution Citra-Hero, $2.39/12oz - "Citra-Hero is an elegant American IPA designed to showcase the Citra Hop variety. This IPA is exploding with citrusy flavors and aromas" (source).
• Saugatuck Oak Wizard, $1.89/12oz - "An Oak Aged Imperial Brown Ale with tons of oaky, woody flavors. The base brown malt profile provides a huge caramel, coffee and chocolate body with minimal hop bitterness matched perfectly with the complex flavor profile of the oak chips" (source).

Video of the Week | Lansing Brewing Co.

Now available at Siciliano's.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday, Raw Cider for Sale Edition (October 5)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

September is apple harvesting time here in West Michigan and that means there will soon be plenty of fresh juice available for beer and winemaking hobbyists looking to whip up a batch or two of hard cider.

On Saturday, October 6, Klein Cider Mill will be selling fresh-squeezed juice in our back parking lot between the hours of 10am and 1pm. The price for Klein’s award-winning cider is $3.75 per gallon and you must supply your own containers. Of course, as always, we will have containers available for purchase along with yeast, pectic enzyme and anything else you might need for making hard cider.

Go here for a good article on the process of making hard cider.

New and Returning Beer

• Arcadia Morning Nightcap, $2.19/12oz - "The beer lover’s consummate coffee beer, a perfect marriage of rich coffee and creamy porter. Brewed with BIGGBY® COFFEE’s Papua New Guinea blend, a roast created by Paramount Roasters especially for this collaboration. Emotes rich notes of dark chocolate, fruit, and tons of refreshingly intense coffee flavor. Oat malt lends a powerfully silky body and hints of nuttiness. Reminiscent of a refreshing cold-brew, but with a pleasant buzz. Pairs perfectly with your choice of smoking jacket, bathrobe or favorite slippers. Because when the day drags on and the night’s too long, it’s time to pickup a Nightcap" (source).
• Batch Brewing Festbier, $2.79/12oz - No description available.
• Brewery Vivant Plien de Vie Stone Fruit Sour, $10.89/375ml - "Foeder Aged Weissbier with all-Michigan grown peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries" (source).
• Cigar City Cubano Style Espresso Brown, $2.59/12oz - "This English-style Brown Ale is brewed with a heaping of Cuban-style espresso beans from Tampa’s Buddy Brew Coffee.  Lactose and cacao are added as well, creating a bold ale that brings to mind a fine cup of Cuban coffee" (source).
• Dark Horse Smells Like a Safety Meeting, $1.99/12oz - "S.L.A.S.M. is our most Aromatic IPA. This India Pale Ale is very reminiscent of the hop’s cousin in the Mulberry family. Lots of hop aroma with just the right amount of bitterness as we like to keep balance around here. Between the secret blend of the most DANK hops we can get our hands on and a "more than healthy" dose of double dry hopping, this beer can be announced to the nose from across the room that someone is definitely having a Safety Meeting" (source).
• Grimm Guava Mango Pop, $15.99/22oz - "This tropical sour beer is a creamsicle in a glass. Mangoes, guavas, vanilla, and milk sugar are backed with a grapefruit-like acidity" (source).
• NIP Batch 29, $2.99/12oz - "Cherry Lime-Aid" (source).
• North Coast Barrel Aged Old Rasputin, $25.19/500ml - "Every year we age a special batch of our much-loved Russian Imperial Stout in Bourbon barrels. The depth, intensity, and complexity of the flavor profile of this special release, like its predecessors, make it a worthy tribute to Old Rasputin" (source).
• Odd Side Cap De Night, $6.29/12oz - "Full bodied imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels. Bold flavors of roasted barley give way to subtle notes of vanilla, cinnamon, bourbon, and oak with a rich cocoa finish. A perfect end to any evening" (source).
• Ommegang Mother of Dragons, $12.99/750ml - "A beer for Daenerys - is a richly complex blend of smoked porter and Belgian kriek" (source).
• Short's Mule Beer, $1.89/12oz - "Mule Beer is an Ale brewed with lime and ginger. Hazy copper in color with an off-white head, Mule Beer pours with aromas of pungent ginger and tangy lime. Pronounced flavors of ginger and lime are accompanied by a biscuit like maltiness and a creamy body. This light-bodied, Moscow Mule inspired brew finishes with a spicy ginger kick" (source).
• Stone Enjoy by 10.31.18, $3.19/12oz - "Consistently delivered faster than any bottled IPA on the planet, Stone Enjoy By IPA facilitated a paradigm shift in respect for and enjoyment of hoppy beers by ensuring craft beer fans the ultimate level of freshness. We brew this intense double IPA with more than 10 different hops, employing hop-bursting and dry-hopping techniques to amp up the peach and tropical fruit notes and overall hop factor. Brewed specifically NOT to last, this devastatingly fresh, golden beauty should be enjoyed within 37 days" (source).
• Stone Xocoveza, $3.19/12oz - "There’s nothing like making a beer so beloved that people feel compelled to campaign for its return. So, in the spirit of the holiday season, we are very pleased to give our fans the number one item on their wish lists. As illustrated by the avalanche of social media requests, that is Stone Xocoveza, an insanely delicious take on Mexican hot chocolate brewed with cocoa, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. First brewed in 2014 with San Diego homebrewer Chris Banker after his recipe won our annual homebrew competition, this imperial stout is layered with smooth roastiness, semisweet chocolate and a touch of spice. Thanks entirely to you, this creamy, mocha stout has gone from initially being a one-time offering to a yearly tradition. Happy holidays from all of us to all of you…and feel free to continue enjoying it long into the spring and summer, as this gem will age beautifully and is definitely not exclusive to the winter season" (source).
• To Øl Dangerously Close to Stupid Amounts of Bananas, $7.69/16oz - "Smells like banana, tastes like… sweet malty banana. This is a mellow, malty DIPA with a smooth amber body and medium carbonation. Almost taffyesque in taste, you want to hate it but you can’t" (source).
• To Øl Dangerously Close to Stupid Lychee, $7.69/16oz - "The more subtle of the trilogy, DCTS Lychee is clean, crisp and malty. Expect ample bitterness without it being overpowering, and subtle end notes of lychee. A clean and clear, west coast style DIPA" (source).
• To Øl Ms. Black, $9.79/16oz - "Imperial stout with liquorice & dates Ms. Black is our attempt to make an evil and beastly black imperial stout and we would call it a success. Featuring triple the amount of liquorice we have ever brewed with – Ms. Black is a full, dark, sweet and bitter imperial stout with bitter dark malt notes" (source).

Video of the Week | Dark Horse

Smells Like a Safety Meeting, now available at Siciliano's.

Cheers!