By Steve Siciliano
Since returning a few weeks ago from our extended stay in the Sunshine State Barb and I have been busy working on our annual trifecta of spring homebrewing events. The following are the pertinent dates and other relevant information regarding these popular upcoming events.
The registration window for the 16th Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition is now open and will remain open until Sunday, April 14, or until the entry limit of 200 is reached, whatever occurs first. Entries must be received by the close of business on April 14. Please visit this page for rules and regulation and this page to register entries.
We are pleased to announce that the Best of Show winner (BOS) for this year’s competition will have the opportunity to brew the winning recipe at The Knickerbocker, New Holland Brewing Company’s Bridge Street location on the west side of Grand Rapids. The BOS winner will also receive a $500.00 gift card to Siciliano’s Market in addition to having his or her name engraved on the prestigious Siciliano’s Cup.
Judging for the 2019 competition is scheduled for Saturday, April 27. Go here if you are interested in participating as a judge or a steward.
In other competition news, the husband/wife team of Phil and Liz Pierce brewed their winning 2018 entry at the Mitten Brewery a few weeks ago and the barrel-aged imperial stout is slated to be released at the Mitten’s Grand Rapids location on Leonard Street on Friday, April 26.
We are also pleased to announce that Siciliano’s is again teaming up with Trail Point Brewing to sponsor an American Homebrewers Association’s Big Brew Day on Saturday, May 4, in a country wide observance of National Homebrew Day. Teams of dedicated hobbyists will be brewing batches of Beer City Wheat in the brewery's back parking lot. Samples of hand-crafted, homemade beer will be available to those of legal drinking age and, of course, Trail Point's solid lineup of commercial offerings will be available for purchase in the pub.
Finally, the annual Siciliano's Homebrew Party will be held this year on Saturday, May 18, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the enclosed shelter at Johnson Park. The event will be free of charge and participants do not need tickets to attend. The party will be family friendly (children are welcome) and will be an open house and picnic style format. Participants should bring their own food, plates and utensils and beverages to share. In addition to securing the venue, Siciliano's will be providing cups and bottled water.
The Best-of-Show winner of the Siciliano's Cup will be announced at the party at 4:00 pm.
New and Returning Beer
Abomination Midnight Snack, $5.49/16oz - "Brewed with Lactose, Oats, midnight wheat and aged on a ridiculous amount of locally sourced coffee and vanilla beans" (source).
Abomination Wandering into the Fog, $6.49/16oz - "Brewed with a heavy wheat and oat malt bill hopped and double dry hopped aggressively with 7+lbs per bbl of Mosaic, Pacific Jade, Citra, Summit and Enigma" (source).
Abomination White Stouts Can't Jump, $5.19/16oz - "Brewed with flaked oats, flaked wheat, golden promise and lactose. Fermented on an insane amount of vanilla beans, cacao nibs and locally roasted coffee beans" (source).
Bells Oberon, $1.89/12oz - "Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with our signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer. Made with only 4 ingredients, and without the use of any spices or fruit, Oberon is the color and scent of sunny afternoon" (source).
Big Lake Lake King, $3.19/16oz - American IPA.
Blackrocks Lager Rhythm, $2.19/12oz - "American lager dry hopped with mosaic and bitter cold hops. Expect bright tropical notes with a crisp finish" (source).
Boulevard Rye on Rye, $4.59/12oz - "Why Rye? This assertively flavorful grain is more often associated with whiskey than with ales. Even in that arena, it has largely been eclipsed by corn and barley, the sources of bourbon and scotch. But when we procured some seasoned barrels from our friends at Templeton Rye, we asked ourselves, “Why not?” Why not brew a rich, tawny rye ale, then mellow it in the warmth of charred oak rye whiskey casks? Two kinds of malted rye provide spicy sweetness, giving way to notes of vanilla, charred oak and the citrusy tang of Citra and Styrian Golding hops before easing into a dry, lingering finish" (source).
Creston Bokonon, $3.99/16oz - "A hazy, double dry hopped IPA with a range of flavors from citrus juicy flavors to pine" (source).
Creston GRale, $2.99/16oz - "Tropical hops, smooth body, righteous bitterness" (source).
Creston Sweet Street, $2.99/16oz - Pale Wheat Ale.
Dugges Fudge Stout, $6.29/16oz - "Fudge is one of two inaugural stouts brewed for us at Dugges under the Twelve Percent beer project in the USA. For this first trip over we did not mean to brew stouts. We were supposed to brew IPAs. But, since the government at the time was shut down, with no-one there to approve our labels and you don’t want IPAs to sit, we quickly had to come up with another idea. Basing the beers on a grand neo-classic Dugges recipe and then giving them American flavors was that idea" (source).
Golden Road Pineappple Cart, $1.99/12oz - "Third in a series inspired by the iconic fruit cart vendors of Los Angeles. A light Wheat Ale bursting with lots of fresh pineapple, strawberry, and blood orange flavors. That finishes crisp and refreshing" (source).
Great Divide Wood Works No. 4, $11.69/12oz - "Harking back to the style’s roots in Belgium’s Wallonia region, this Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon barrel-aged saison is the latest release in our Wood Werks series. The addition of spelt and rye further accentuate the earthy and spicy tendencies of this beer while the wine barrels lend hints of vinous character and a splash of color" (source).
Hoof Hearted Everybody Wants Some, $5.99/16oz - "And he's got me vuelto loco, amigos. Everybody Wants Some!! is a rotating single-hop DIPA. It's the only acceptable response to the call of DLR-era Van Halen + 80's cult classic movies. A giant teddy bear, bigger than you. Sounds great. No, it really does sound good. But look Beth, I gotta go. The Christmas tree is on fire" (source).
Lagunitas Brett Stout, $9.89/22oz - "Our Sonoma Farmhouse Series is a showcase of the sometimes-funky, sometimes-rustic, always-limited fine ales from the Lagunitas Brewer's playground. This particular Brett Stout was fermented with a slight funk of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and our house Ale Yeast. Then housed in Sonoma County red-wine barrels for up to four years. The result is 100% pure barrel-aged bliss... smooth, tart, and sultry, with a certain Sonoma-esque-ish-ness. Finely aged and finally ready to share" (source).
Lagunitas Lagur Lager, $1.79/12oz - No commercial description.
Nightmare Drawn & Quartered, $5.79/16oz - "Quadruple dry-hopped Imperial IPA
With Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Nelson & Citra" (source).
Pigeon Hill Brut-y Trap, $1.99/12oz - "A beer style that was created a few months ago and has been taking off like wildfire. A Brut IPA, which is like the champagne of beers is bone dry, super fragrant, and has no residual sugar. We brewed this with Citra & Mosaic hops- it drinks way too easily" (source).
Right Brain Blue Magic, $1.99/12oz - "A light, unobtrusive lavender nose and flavor. A slight hint of cinnamon comes from lavender stems. Our answer to shandy-style beer. This is designed to be a light, easy-drinking porch beer (or lawn mower beer!)" (source).
Rogue Batsquatch, $2.29/12oz - "For years, rumors have circled that deep in the woods on Mount St. Helens lives the fabled Batsquatch. While there are many tales of Batsquatch, they are all a bit hazy on the details, which makes the truth such a juicy mystery. So what better way to honor the elusive legend than with a hazy IPA? Perfect for camping and potentially making a new friend. This juicy, cloudy IPA features intense tropical flavors and aromas" (source).
Shiner Ruby Redbird, $1.79/12oz - "Shiner Ruby Redbird is brewed with genuine Texas Rio Red Grapefruit, the signature sweet citrus of the Rio Grande Valley, and ginger. This lager beer features grapefruit tartness and finishes with a ’lil kick of ginger. With Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit and Ginger, Shiner Ruby Redbird is a crisp and refreshing summer beer" (source).
Short's Sticky Boots, $2.59/12oz - "Sticky Boots is a triple dry-hopped Double IPA. Copper in color with a substantial white head carrying dank aromas of floral and citrus hops. Leading with strong tropical flavors and a juicy mouthfeel, this beer transitions into highlighting the floral hops. Well balanced and easy to drink, Sticky Boots finishes with huge juicy tropical flavors" (source).
Stillwater Shaken Not Stirred, $5.49/16oz - "A Nitro sour ale inspired by the classic whiskey sour brewed with cherry, orange peel, lemon, lactose and American oak" (source).
Stone Enjoy by 4/20, $3.19/12oz - "Consistently delivered faster than any bottled or canned 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).
Untitled Art/Barrel Theory Marrionberry Sour, $5.19/16oz - "Kettle sour with Marionberry and Raspberry brewed in collaboration Barrel Theory" (source).
Untitled Art/Crooked Stave Coconut Creme Pie, $5.19/16oz - "Coconut Cream Pie Blonde Stout- Brewed with our good friends at Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project. This tasty treat was made with coconut flakes, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans" (source).
Untitled Art/Drekker Raspberry Sour IPA, $5.49/16oz - "Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer" (source).
Untitled Art/Listerman Wisconsin Stout, $5.49/16oz - "Strong stout with maple and lactose" (source).
Untitled Art/Southern Grist Tangerine DIPA, $5.19/16oz - "Double IPA with tangerine" (source).
Oberon: A Celebration of Summer
Available now and all summer long at Siciliano's Market.
Cheers!