Preamble by Steve Siciliano
I was beginning to wonder if West Michigan was going to have a summer this year but now that the warm weather is finally here, Barb and I have been beating the heat with some refreshing G&T’s. Siciliano’s liquor buyer John Barecki has been keeping the shelves stocked with a good variety of unique gins. The following are a few of our favorites.
FLOWER CITY GIN, $25.29/750ml
"Originated in 1865, F. Schlegel & Sons flower nursery was one of the many that defined the character of Rochester, NY. The Flower City, as Rochester came to be known, is deeply rooted in our culture here at Honeoye Falls Distillery. We created this gin using the finest ingredients in the tradition of our forefathers. Its familiar, juniper profile is complemented by a sweet floral character that will breathe fresh life into any cocktail you may enjoy. We honor our heritage with each bottle" (source).
ETSU GIN, $52.59/750ml
"The main botanicals (green bitter orange peel, coriander, licorice and angelica root) macerate for more than 24h in neutral cane spirit distilled thanks to a copper still with a swan neck to 83% vol. It is then diluted down to 43% vol with water sourced from the Taisetsu Mountains and filtered through charcoal for optimal purity. Nose: Floral & vegetal, notes of citrus fruits with yuzu persistent. Palate: Fresh and well-balanced, peppers with hints of green teas and berries. Finish: Sansho pepper ending on yuzu aromas" (source).
PEACEMAKER GIN, $36.89/750ml
"Inspired by the legend of the "tree of peace." this spirit pays homage to our origins. White pine and blue spruce planted by our founder over 20 years ago were harvested to create a gin that embodies the taste of the Great Lakes state. From the bounty of nature to the freshest water in the world, gin isn't just our way of life, it's our state of mind. Origin: White pine and blue spruce from Forsyth Farm in Bath, MI. Taste: This is Michigan in a bottle. Smell the fresh water and pine a top a windswept sand dune and feel the warmth and tradition of a white Christmas at the family farm" (source).
New and Returning Beer
Austin Brothers Pineapple Mango Smoothie IPA, $4.09/16oz - "Based off of a New England style IPA, we go one step further on this beer and brew it with lactose, and a balanced amount of mango and pineapple with a hint of vanilla to give it a creamy like character that plays into the juicy characters of the New England IPA" (source).
Austin Brothers Murky Murk, $3.79/16oz - "This full bodied, full hop profiled pours a Murky light golden hue. Juicy citrus characters come through on the nose w/ apricot, mango, papaya & grapefruit" (source).
Brewdog King of Eights, $2.19/12oz - "A New England IPA, with truck loads of aroma. Stone-fruit and ripe tropical fruit mix it up, closely tail-gated by a smooth, juicy, full-bodied palate and a soft bitter finish" (source).
Champion Trustafarian, $2.99/12oz - "Hopped up with tons of Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe and Mosaic, this one's tha dankness, mon! And at DIPA strength, this one's perfect for washing down all that holiday shopping stress" (source).
Dogfish Head Burton Baton, $4.59/12oz - "This oak-aged hybrid has been gaining popularity over the past few years and is now available year-round. For Burton Baton, we brew two "threads," or batches, of beer: an English-style old ale and an imperial IPA. After fermenting the beers separately in our stainless tanks, they're transferred and blended together in one of our large oak tanks. Burton Baton sits on the wood for about a month. When enjoying the Burton Baton, you'll find an awesome blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak. The wood also tends to mellow the 10% ABV of Burton, so tread cautiously" (source).
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja Black Currant Grape Must, $11.39/750ml - "We oak-aged our Foeder styled La Roja for 8.5 months before transferring back to stainless steel and adding 45 gallons of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon grape must and 100 gallons of Black Currant puree. After over 3 months on the fruit, we transferred, bottled, and packaged conditioned the concoction. Carrying aromas of dark berries, cocoa, and mature red grape vineyards, La Roja with Black Currants and Grape Must is a beautiful and complex fusion with notes of an earthy, tart red wine, deep black currant undertones, and some classic Roja characteristics of caramel, cocoa, hazelnut, and cedar" (source).
Monkey Fist State Street Easy, $2.79/16oz - "German Style Pils" (source).
New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve Maple Oak, $4.69/12oz - "Dragon’s Milk Reserve: Maple Oak is the first of the Reserve series to receive the double barrel treatment, aging in both Kentucky bourbon barrels and bourbon barrels that previously held Vermont maple syrup. Our signature stout was also brewed with pure maple syrup for the first time ever, to provide a delectably sweet complement to notes of roasted malt, vanilla, and oak" (source).
Odd Side Pineapple Dank Juice, $2.79/12oz - "New England IPA with Pineapple. Sweet, creamy mouthfeel, bright tropical flavors, with a soft crisp finish" (source).
Odd Side Hoppin Mad, $2.39/12oz - "Double N.E.I.P.A. with Rye Added" (source).
One Well Ripped Right, $4.39/16oz - "Ripped Right is a double dry hopped NEIPA with large additions of Citra and Mosaic hops. Hazy in appearance and with a smooth and full mouthfeel this drinks like a glass of hopped up juice. Charistic to the style to have only a moderate amount of bitterness Ripped Right packs a massive aroma backed but the most wonderful hop flavor only supplied by Citra and Mosaic hops blended together. Traditional IPA's are almost always dry hopped, Ripped Right is dry hopped at two different stages in the fermentation to develop the huge aroma it offers" (source).
One Well SimcoeRillo, $3.59/16oz - "American-style India Pale Ale brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops, hence the name SimcoeRillo. The combination of the two hops offers a beautiful, piney aroma with hints of tropical flavors that come through at the finish" (source).
Roak Wa Wa Zat, $3.39/16oz - "Buoyant aromas of citrus and berries consort with the bright, lighly tart and crisp flavor of Michigan cherries in this juicy, refreshing ale" (source).
Three Blondes Boom Boom Betty, $2.19/12oz - "Blonde Ale" (source).
Three Blondes Tree & Seas, $2.29/12oz - "Bursting with juicy citrus flavors" (source).
Three Blondes Wake & Lake, $2.19/12oz - "Light bodied and extremely drinkable, dry hopped with amarillo and cascade hops" (source).
Vander Mill Brut, $1.99/8oz - No commercial description.
Video of the Week | Burton Baton
Dogfish Head Burton Baton is available now at Siciliano's.
Cheers!