Preamble by Steve Siciliano
Tim and Irma Goodyke might not agree but Barb and I are sure glad they were guests at our cottage last weekend. The huge storm that stalled over northwest Michigan on Saturday knocked out the electricity and the torrential, all-day rain caused a deluge of problems. It was nice having a handy guy like Tim around to help deal with the issues and the excellent Mexican fare Irma prepared Saturday evening was the bright spot of an otherwise dismal day.
According to the National Weather Service an incredible ten inches of rain fell in the environs of Lake County. With no power to run the sump pump, the basement began flooding and the decision was made to go to Ludington to buy a generator. It was a harrowing drive because the heavy downpour made it difficult to see and there were times when we had to slow to a crawl through high muddy water while praying we weren’t going to fall in a truck engulfing sinkhole.
Shortly after firing up the generator we discovered that the water table had risen so high that a steady stream was pouring into the basement through a hole around a pipe halfway up the wall. The sump pump could barely keep up with the flow. After an hour it said screw it and quit working. Tim and I hopped back in the truck, raced as fast as we dared to a hardware store in Dublin and plucked the last heavy-duty pump off the shelf.
Despite the chaotic weekend the Goodykes insist that they would love to come back some time. Barb and I aren’t sure if they’re just being nice.
New and Returning Beer
Arbor Cucumber Lime, $2.19/12oz - "Cucumber Lime Gose is a beer designed for a hot summer’s day! It’s bright acidity complements additions of flaked sea salt, plenty of fresh lime peel and cucumber to bolster the naturally crisp, refreshing qualities of our German-style Gose. Enjoy poolside and let the day drift away" (source).
B. Nektar Rhube Strawberg, $11.39/500ml - "Come on, there are few food combinations as heavenly as strawberry and rhubarb. The iconic strawberry and rhubarb combination is, of course, the strawberry rhubarb pie, and we love ourselves some strawberry rhubarb pie, so why not a mead. So we did that. Rhubarb’s tart flavor goes perfectly with the sweetness of strawberries. Using Orange Blossom honey, strawberry juice and pressed rhubarb juice, the balance of juicy berries and tart earthy rhubarb will get your taste buds rockin'" (source).
Barrel + Beam Blackberry Brut, $8.99/375ml - "Blackberry concentrate added to our Queen City brut base beer (in lieu of Michigan chardonnay grape must). Juicy, jammy and just as effervescent as you’d expect! This barrel-aged beer is a brilliant purple hue with dense blackberry aroma. Fruity complexity and a bone dry finish" (source).
Barrel + Beam Lascaux, $7.79/375ml - No commercial description.
Barrel + Beam Precocious, $7.79/375ml - No commercial description.
Cigar City Humidor Series Cedar IPA, $2.99/12oz - "This unique IPA shares all the tropical and citrus flavors of our Jai Alai IPA but with an added dimension imparted by Spanish cedar, the same wood used to make cigar humidors. Wood from the Cedrela odorata tree is added post-fermentation to impart notes of sandalwood and cracked black pepper, adding depth of flavor and accentuating the IPA’s moderate bitterness" (source).
Creston Blueberry Sweet Street, $2.99/16oz - "An American wheat conditioned with Michigan blueberries gives this brew a beautiful color and a sweetness that’s not overpowering" (source).
Crook and Marker, Various Flavors, $2.69/12oz - "Great moments in life are even better when they're paired with great flavors. We're here to help. Crook & Marker beverages will uplift the good times with luscious, natural fruit flavors that are bursting from every can" (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).
Detroit Garage Project Pheasant, $4.49/16oz - No commercial description.
Illuminated Brew Works Astronaut Eye Scream, $5.19/16oz - "Tropical fruit with aromas of peach and grapefruit with a soft creamy sweet finish" (source).
Lansing Brewing Hammocks and Half Days, $1.99/12oz - "Hammocks & Half-Days is brewed with three different hop varietals - Azacca, Zythos and Mosaic to give it a citrus, tropical fruit, and resinous character. Idaho 7 in the dry hop creates bright aromas that make you think you're drinking beer in a tropical wonderland. We like hammocks. We like half-days. We like lager beer" (source).
Old Nation Greenstone, $4.09/16oz - "New England style American pale ale brewed with pale malts, oats, wheat, and rye, Magnum, Chinook, and Crystal hops, dry hopped with Chinook, Crystal, and Simcoe" (source).
Prairie No Way Frose, $3.29/12oz - "Brewed for The Jones Assembly's 1st anniversary" (source).
Prairie Phantasmagoria, $3.29/12oz - "Phantasmagoria is an IPA that is low in malt flavors, but high in hops. We brew this beer as a nood to the big hoppy beers of the west coast. We use loads of citrusy and piney hops at the end of the boil and in the fermenter to make this beer a hop experience" (source).
Press Hard Seltzer, Various Flavors, $1.89/12oz - No commercial description.
Tripelroot Mosaic Rye, $2.59/12oz - "American Rye IPA brewed with Mosaic hops" (source).
Untitled Art Rocket Popsicle, $4.89/16oz - "Popsicle Sour" (source).
Untitled Art/Cerebral Chocolate Macaroon Stout, $5.49/12oz - Stout, American Double/Imperial Stout.
Video of the Week | Dark Horse
Smells Like a Safety Meeting is available now at Siciliano's.
Cheers!