Spotlight: Unsung heroes of the Siciliano's staff

Dustin & Ren, back room masters

By Steve Siciliano

If you’re as old as I am, you will remember how things were before Michigan implemented a deposit law. Back then you could casually discard the container of whatever American lager you were drinking (this was, after all, 1978) without fretting about that wretched ten cent deposit. Those were the good old days. Out camping for the weekend? Leave a three-day pile of those worthless suckers behind in the woods. Out boating? Leave a watery trail of high floaters bobbing in your wake. On a road trip? Toss the carcasses of the dead glass and aluminum soldiers out the window.

I’m kidding of course. Those definitely were not the good old days. Not only was there no good craft brews back then, we seemed to have little regard for the environment. I don’t know if the deposit law was the main factor in making Michiganders more environmentally aware (you may be surprised to hear that besides Michigan, only ten other states have enacted deposit laws), but I have no doubt that it had a positive impact on cleaning up our state’s landscape. Michigan’s deposit law is a good thing, and this coming from a business owner who has to deal with returns on a daily basis.

Ren pontificates while Dustin laughs

We get a boatload of returns at Siciliano’s. I’m not complaining. We get a boatload of returns because we sell a boatload of beer. But the sheer number of empties we get does present some difficulties. There have been more than a few times when I've had to carve a path through the bottle room to get to the warehouse before our two backroom employees -- Ren & Dustin -- can whip it back into shape. Believe me, the other employees and I certainly appreciate them for doing that.

Our back room guys are not only responsible for sorting and putting away returns, they also do a good deal of the pricing, stocking, cleaning and organizing which allows the rest of us to concentrate more fully on helping our customers. Because these guys toil for the most part behind the scenes and their duties are anything but glamorous, I think it’s about time that we give them some recognition.

Dustin in his element: the bottle room

Our main “bottle boy”, Dustin Olsen, has been with us now for about two years. Dustin is a graduate of Grand Rapids public schools, has a mind like the proverbial steel trap, and a sense of humor that can best described as quirky. He has a keen interest in Ham radios and would probably talk to us for hours about transistors and resistors if we didn’t gently suggest that he get back to work. He delights in walking up to us, cracking a silly joke, then leaving us rolling our eyes in the wake of his big, booming laugh. Since he began working at the store he has developed an interest in the technical aspects of fermentation, has made some very passable beers and mead, and is now delving into the art of soda making. Dustin, 27, lives with his grandmother in Wyoming, MI.

Ren in his domain: the warehouse

Our other back room guy is Ren Hanselman. Ren, 53, is an inspiration to anyone familiar with his story. When he was sixteen he was in a severe automobile accident, suffered a fractured skull, and was in a coma for sixteen days. Despite the severe nature of his injury he graduated from high school, went on to community college, eventually graduated from Ferris with a degree in occupational safety, was accepted into the army, and was ultimately given an honorable medical discharge. Ren is a jack-of-all-trades. He helps Dustin with the returns, does the bulk of the pricing, bags ice, shovels snow in the winter, cuts grass in the summer, and breaks down our weekly shipment of beer- and wine-making supplies.

Needless to say, the contributions Dustin and Ren make are invaluable. We are indeed fortunate to have them on our staff.

Siciliano's DIY Kegerator Contest - Rules & Regulations

Longtime Siciliano's staffer and certified cicerone Kati Spayde takes the lead on our next and newest competition, this one involving homebrew dispensing systems.

Swig & Chug's set-up

By Kati Spayde

Not to revel in my own geekdom, but the other day I was reading This Old House magazine, an issue dedicated specifically to projects TOH readers had completed in the last year. Inside was a photo of the front of a kegerator. A man had found an antique furnace door, refinished it, drilled holes for his shanks and turned it into the front of his draft system.

Not only was this a gorgeous display of craftsmanship, it got me thinking: we have some pretty creative customers here at Siciliano's, many of whom have invested serious time and effort into their kegerators. It seems a shame to let their handy-work go unrecognized. Therefore...

The Siciliano's DYI (Did It Yourself) Kegerator Contest is born!

We want to hear about your draft systems. Send us pictures, tell us the stories behind them -- who/what inspired it, where did you find the parts, what obstacles were overcome. In short, we want to hear you brag about the beauties you've created. The staff at Siciliano's will select finalists from all the entries that come in, but then we're handing it back over to you to vote American Idol-style for the Best of Show winner.

Siciliano's DIY Kegerator Contest

Rules and Regulations

 

• All entries will be judged on creativity, craftsmanship and general awesomeness.
• One entry per person
• Unit cannot be a store-bought, as-is kegerator
• Entries may include built-in bar units, free-standing units, jocky-boxes and any other system you can dream up just as long as it pours beer
• Entries must include at least one photo and a written description not to exceed 500 words
• Email entries to Sicilianosmarket@gmail.com

 Prizes

• Grand Prize: $50 Siciliano's gift certificate
• First Runner Up: $20 Siciliano's gift certificate

All entries must be received by Wednesday, August 31st, at 1159pm. Finalist will be announced on Friday September 2nd. Judging for Best of show will begin September 2nd right here on The Buzz (http://sicilianosmkt.blogspot.com).

By entering the contest, participants grant Siciliano's permission to post photos and/or descriptions of their kegerators on this blog. Photos and/or descriptions will be used in no other way and for no other purpose than the one identified here. Contact Siciliano's with questions and/or requests for more information (616-453-9674). Ask for Kati.

Good luck, everyone!

New Beer Friday - June 24th Edition

This week Siciliano's added a few new labels to its constantly evolving inventory of craft beer and/or other interesting products. Besides four new/seasonal beers, just our second all-time order of bread-making supplies arrived in-store, and with it nine new products never before seen on Siciliano's shelves. Some of these new products might prove useful not only to bakers, but to the more adventurous homebrewers among you as well (the raw agave nectar for example).

Without question, though, the most interesting arrival this week is Doug "the Chug" Dorda's sweet new Michigan/hop tattoo. Talk about devotion! (Old Chug better hope we don't open a Siciliano's down South and transfer him.)

New beers this week

• Arcadia Whitsun, $1.79/12oz cans - Esquire named Whitsun one of the Best Beers of Spring, 2011. Now that it's available in cans, Siciliano's names it one of the Best Beers of Summer, seeing as how you can take it to the beach and all.
• Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, $1.89/12oz can, $2.19/12oz bottle - According to the folks at Anderson Valley, Summer Solstice "is not just your average summer seasonal. This unique copper colored ale is smooth, malty, and lightly sweet, with a delicate hint of spice for that oh-so-drinkable, extra velvety flavor."
• Palm Belgian Amber Ale, $1.69/12oz bottle - From the Palm website: "This smooth-drinking, amber-colored, top-fermentation beer has a sensible alcohol content [5.4%]." All depends on your definition of sensible, I guess.
• Lilja's Hell Hound Imperial Brown Ale, $1.69/12oz bottle - From Sand Creek Brewing Co. in Black River Falls, WI.

New bread/baking ingredients

• Unhulled, non-malted, organic whole barley, $0.99/lb
• Organic Chick peas/garbanzo beans (dried), $2.59/lb - hummus anyone?
• Organic whole yellow corn (dried), $1.09/lb - perfect for cornbread or grits.
• Blue poppy seeds, $2.89/lb
• Organic millet, $1.29/lb
• Organic Amaranth, $2.79/lb
• Organic Kamut, whole berry, $1.19/lb - an ancient relative of wheat, for use in bread or obscure beer recipes.
• Raw organic Agave nectar, $7.89/12oz-bottle - an interesting addition to any homebrew experiment.
• Buckwheat, $2.99/lb

 Quote the week

This week's quote comes from TV's Cliff Clavin...

“Well, you see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

Have a brilliant weekend, everyone!

Beer, booze...and books?

By Steve Siciliano

Let’s play a little trivia.

Before Siciliano’s Market began selling beer and wine-making supplies, before there was the walk-in humidor, the extensive inventory of craft beer, the wide assortment of coffee and bulk tea, the nice selection of premium wine, the collection of pipes and pipe tobacco, the cheese-making supplies and, finally and most recently, the flour mill and the bread making supplies, which of the following items could one find upon stopping in the store?

• Spaghetti-o's
• Lottery tickets
• Dirty magazines
• Used books
• All of the above

Give yourself a gold star if you said all of the above. When I bought the store nineteen years ago the first three items were inherited, all part of the mix. We sold a lot of dirty magazines and lottery tickets back then but, I have to admit, I can’t recall ever selling a single can of spaghetti-o's. The sad truth is that other than the raunchy magazines, the lottery tickets, and a rather paltry amount of mass-marketed beer and hard liquor, we didn’t sell much of anything. Those were the lean years, the dark ages of Siciliano’s. In an effort to get more people coming through the doors, I thought it would be a good idea to use the vast amounts of open space (yes, believe it or not, back then we had lots of open space) to sell used books. There were more than a few people who thought I was crazy and they were probably right. Working twelve-hour days and being constantly worried about paying the bills can make you a bit daffy. But my admittedly bizarre attempt to establish a used book store within the structure of a “party store” wasn’t sired solely by desperation. I had always thought that it would be wonderful to own a bookstore.

In view of the direction that the store has grown, there’s little doubt that it’s fortunate that the used book thing didn’t work. But in recent days while watching customers browse through the dozens of titles displayed on our new, beautiful, custom-made book racks, the thought suddenly occurred to me that because our recent expansion has allowed us to build and properly display a rather respectable and sizable book inventory, I guess that means in addition to everything else that the store is—a homebrew shop, a craft beer store, a tobacco shop, a wine shop, a specialty foods store—it can now also be called a bookstore.

Ever since we began selling beer and wine making supplies, we have always carried and sold a good amount of books related to those wonderful hobbies. (I’m not going to suggest that we have made John Palmer rich, but I am quite certain that we have contributed nicely to his children’s’ college education.) Over the past few years, however, we have been steadily adding titles that focus on the growing interest in “how to” subjects. The problem was that because we had to squeeze these books into our already cramped space, they were scattered throughout the store. It wasn’t intentional, but we were treating our book inventory as an afterthought, rarely if ever giving it the attention it deserved.

That has changed since the expansion. All the books are now in one location, and a prime location it is, up towards the front of the store. There, on the aforementioned racks, one can find the books on beer making and wine making in addition to those on cheese making, bread making, cider making, mead making, ice-cream making, yogurt making, sausage making and even soap making. Believe it or not we have a book on how to make dog treats. We have cookbooks, books on curing and smoking meats, books on canning, books on gardening, books on whiskey and books on bee keeping. We even have a New Age novel written by an unknown local author.

It feels wonderful to have a bookstore and I have a feeling that our inventory of books will continue to grow. I think we have enough room for one more of those beautiful, custom-made racks.

Steve Siciliano is "an unknown local author". His first novel Putting Butterfly Wings on the Thinker is now available at Siciliano's Market in Grand Rapids, MI.

The Return of Harry Winston

After an extended absence, Steve's close friend and confidant Harry Winston is back, this time with an enigmatic, Bourbon-fueled post. We've come to expect nothing less from old Harry. He's quite the character. Enjoy!

Been laying low lately. I have this little place, a hut really, on a lake up north and it’s there where I go whenever I need to be alone. No telephones, no television, no radios. No electricity, no running water. I never bring anything to read and there’s nobody to talk to but the squirrels and birds, chipmunks and loons, hawks, beavers and the occasional eagle. One day I drifted for hours in my old wooden boat watching a high drifting eagle. The eagle and I had a nice long-distance conversation. I go there whenever I need to not think. The Crazy Hippie made a sign that I put above the door that says “No Thinking Allowed”. But I’m back now. I’m back, I’m thinking again, and I’m thinking I’m going to be okay. The other day when I stopped in Siciliano’s, the Perch joked that he’d been checking the obits to see if I was dead. Well, I’m not dead but I should be. I came close, I came real close.

I’m not going to get into details. Maybe someday I will. Jimmy told me that I should put it all down, that I should write a book. He’s a big fan of Chandler and Hammett, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade. He loves watching old Bogart movies. Jimmy thinks it would make a good story and it probably would. The story of a hard-boiled private eye who wasn’t as tough as he thought he was, who had a weakness he didn’t know he had, who got mixed up with a very smart, very evil woman.

Tonight I’m getting drunk. I have a wound that has to be closed and to close it I’m going to need a little anesthesia. I’m finishing my fourth Knob Creek on the rocks and I’ve just motioned to Jimmy for another. When he brought the last one over he wouldn’t put it down until I gave up my keys which means tonight I’ll be sleeping in his office on an ugly couch that he bought at some antique store on Bridge Street between his third and fourth marriage. When I told him once how ugly that couch is he laughed and said the only reason he keeps it is because his fourth wife hated it. Here he comes now with the Bourbon. That a boy Jimmy. Put it on the table then go back to your Bogart movie. But keep keeping an eye on me. And keep that sawed-off pool cue ready in case there are any sharks out there who smell blood and want to even a score.

I’ve known Jimmy a long time, seen him drunk plenty of times, but not once because of a woman. He’s got the right attitude when it comes to women. Hell, when you get right down to it I guess he’s got the right attitude about everything. “Shit happens,” he always says. “Shit happens, Harry,” he said that day fifteen years ago. Not “I’m sorry, Harry”, or “Hang in there, Harry,” or “You’re better off without her, Harry”. I guess that’s what I get for having a god damn Taoist as a friend. Don’t commiserate with someone’s pain just tell them that shit happens and to go with the goddamn flow. He pissed me off so much I stopped coming around the bar for six months. All I wanted was a little sympathy but I got nothing but “shit happens.” All four of his wives left him and not one time did it bother him. He told me the first one left because he worked too much, the second because he smoked too much, the third because he snores. Yeah, whatever, Jimmy. He gave me some other bullshit reason why the fourth one left but right now I can’t remember it. Maybe it was because of the couch. Maybe it was because he’s a Taoist. Maybe that’s why they all left him. Maybe they got sick of him telling them to go with the flow. Tonight I’m getting drunk because of a woman. Actually I’m getting drunk because of two women. The one who wounded me fifteen years ago and the other who recognized that the wound created a chink in my armor, that it became my Achilles heel, my kryptonite, or whatever other goddamn thing you want to call it.

Samantha Lowe was smart and she was evil. I say "was" because she’s dead. She’s dead and Charles Brewster is headed for prison. I should be the one who’s dead. The only reason I’m not is just pure luck. Samantha Lowe wanted me dead and she came real close to getting her wish. I’ve said before that you have to be smart in my business but I never saw it coming, never saw how they set me up. I’m getting drunk because it’s time to finally examine a fifteen year-old wound and stitch it up and if it takes a little anesthesia to do it well so be it. For fifteen years I’ve been afraid to look. Maybe you know how it is. Maybe you had once been cut and you knew it was such a bad cut that you were afraid to look. Well it’s time now that I look.

There, I did it. Doing it was Jimmy’s idea. He told me that when you discover a weakness you have to examine it before you can eliminate it. Well I examined it and I’m quite sure that I eliminated it. I guess time will tell. The next time he looks over at me I’m going to give him the A-OK, the old thumbs up. Thanks for the tip, my friend. I’m going to finish this drink and then I’m off to bed. Or off to the couch. That big, over-stuffed, lovely old couch.

Grey collar : The American craft beer drinker's ethos

By Doug "the Chug" Dorda

Made of (beer) cheese

The other night, while sitting on my porch and staring at the moon, I poured myself a Liberty Ale and allowed my mind to wander. Amidst the orchestral notes of crickets and wind, I felt that primal sense of peace familiar to anyone who has taken the time to simply sit and think. In that moment of blissful simplicity, I could not help but smile as I raised my glass and the boquet of northwestern hops filled my senses. The aromatic assault triggered memories of days gone by, my journey to beer, and summers filled with nothing but possibility.

It's curious that such a simple thing -- a pint of ale -- can incite reminiscence of an entire lifetime's accomplishments. As I sipped it, I began to think in more general terms, or rather what it is that people do to make a living. Musing over the stereotypes of blue- and white-collar designations, I struggled to understand whether or not the distinction applies to the realm of craft beer. Sure, there will always be people with more money than others, and of course there will always be those who work harder than others. However, I began to notice a commonality in the two classes – each being perfectly capable of enjoying the “finer” things in life. Often times I've found myself lost in conversation over a pint at Founders, still coated in grain dust after a shift at Siciliano's, while my companion has only just left an office cubicle. We don't discuss our social status, or net worth, but simply revel in the appreciation of a finely crafted ale.

While I sipped my Liberty Ale I realized something. We that choose to drink craft beer -- the ecclectic many, the renaissance people, the purveyors of craft and expression -- we are people who have committed ourselves to seeking out and admiring what others have worked so hard for us to enjoy. With each bottle poured and pint savored, we make a silent oath to ourselves and to others: we will find decadence every day, even in something so simple as a well crafted beer. The color of one's collar is not important in this world, as we are all equal and free in our pursuit of whatever it is that brings us joy. The society created is a true melting pot of cultures, creeds, and all other forms of classification that are almost otherwise ignored the moment a conversation about beer perks up.

As I finished my pint I could not help but feel truly grateful to be involved with this “grey collar” society. The passionate and heartfelt people who comprise it are some of the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. My pint emptied, I smiled, for in this world there is no shortage of possibility. I look forward to having more enthralling conversations, and seeing all of you fellow beer enthusiasts out and about.

The Chug

Known in various circles as Dancing Doug, Doug the Chug, Yeti, and Pretty Boy Doug, Siciliano's staffer Doug Dorda is a man not easily defined by only one name. He lives, writes, brews, and drinks in Grand Rapids, MI.

New Beer Friday - June 17th Edition

What's the old saying - you can't step in the same river twice? Seems true enough. Just as true would be to say that you can't shop the same Siciliano's Market twice, not with all the new stuff that comes in every week, new craft beer in particular.

Here's the list of this week's new arrivals, some hitting the shelves for the very first time, some for the first time this year. Whichever the case, we hope you enjoy!

This week's new beer

• Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster, $3.29/12oz - Bittered with Simcoe, flavored with Fuggle, at 9.1% ABV this is, according to the GLBC webstite, "an unfiltered imperial India pale ale with hug hop flavor." (Editor's note: At the time of this writing, we also have a limited supply of sixtels available, $92.00 per 1/6 barrel. Get yours while supplies last!)
• Steenbrugge Abbey beer, 4 varieties, $8.29/750ml - "In 1084, Arnold of Tiegem founded St. Peter’s Abbey in thriving West Flanders. Legend tells that Arnold, during working hours, would brew beer with which he then used to heal ailing builders. Therefore, not only was his beer much sought after; he himself was declared Patron Saint of Belgian brewers. Luckily, the secret of Steenbrugge Abbey beer’s full-bodied flavor was kept and has since been handed down through generations of brewing masters" (source). Varieties available:
• Blond
• Dubbel bruin
• Tripel
• Wit
• Brewery Ommegang Mixed 8-pack, $21.49 - Don't have time to peruse Siciliano's vast beer selection? With this pre-mixed 8-pack, Ommegang does the choosing for you. Package includes two 12oz bottles of each of the following beers:
• Belgian Pale Ale
• Abbey Ale Dubbel
• Hennepin Farmhouse Saison
• Three Philosphers
• Southern Tier Mocha Stout, $9.29/22oz - an imperial stout brewed with chocolate and coffee (11.2% ABV).
• Magic Hat Wacko Pale Ale, $1.59/12oz - According to the Magic Hat website, this beer is "the liquid song of summer", not to be confused with "the semi-porous vibrato of mid to late June", which is something altogether different.

Quote of the week

"I fear the man who drinks water and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night." -Greek proverb