This week's list of new and returning products follows a few words about our big stand of bamboo
Preamble by Steve Siciliano
Barb and I see a small menagerie of wildlife in our backyard and lately I’ve been wondering if it has something to do with the bamboo. We have a pretty impressive stand of the evergreen perennials stretching along the entire length of our backyard. Deer bed down there for the night, we frequently see a red fox poking around the edge and every so often our two resident turkeys, we named them Fred and Wilma, amble out for a stroll. If pandas were native to west Michigan I’m sure a couple of them would be hanging out back there too.
We planted the bamboo about twenty years ago shortly after moving into the house, starting with three shoots that we transplanted from our former neighbors' yard. They in turn brought the bamboo up to Michigan from their former home in Virginia. I had doubts at first that the plants would take to the clayish soil but they survived. The following spring I saw a number of new shoots popping up and spreading out from the original plantings. New shoots have been popping up and spreading out every spring ever since.
Species of bamboo spread by either "clumping" or "running". Ours are the ones that run. The plants can spread out their rhizomes north, south and west but Barb has given me strict orders not to let them take over one more inch of the yard. When they begin popping up in the grass they get whacked over with a mower.
Since bamboo are some of the fastest growing plants on earth, some species can grow thirty-six inches in twenty-four hours, they supposedly had been used to exact a particular heinous form of torture in the Far East--victims were tightly tied over a shoot and over a period of days it would penetrate the body and eventually emerge out the other side.
Of course bamboo has benign uses too. It's high strength to weight ratio makes it an excellent building material. It's used to make furniture, textiles, musical instruments and fly fishing rods. I would love to own a split bamboo fly rod someday but I doubt that will ever happen because a good one can run a cool seven G's. There's no chance in hell that my wife/comptroller would ever sign off on that.
Featured Wines of the Week
Cardeto, Orvieto, 2018, Itlay, $10.89/750ml- A blend of 45% Trebbiano, 40% Grechetto, %15 Chardonnay This wine is Straw yellow in color, with aromas of white fleshed fruit and hawthorn flowers. (Source)
Tora Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2019, New Zealand, $15.59/750ml- The Tora Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, vibrant wine with great drinkability. The nose shows intense ripe tropical aromas with obvious Sauvignon Blanc varietal character. The highly concentrated palate enjoys a powerful intensity of up-front fruit followed by full long finish. (Source)
Les Trois Couronnes, Cotes du Rhone, France, $10.49/750ml- Les 3 Couronnes Côtes du Rhône: is a racy and round wine in the pure tradition, with aromas of black fruits, spices and liquorice. It offers a generous and fleshy mouth with rounded elegant tannins. The finish is persistent with notes of fruits and spices. (Source)
Buy three or more bottles of wine get 10 % off.
"It's our mission at Siciliano's to sell quality wine at affordable prices."
Featured Spirits of the Week
Plantation, Isle of Fiji, Rum, $27.49/750ml- From the pristine lagoons to the lush jungles, Plantation Isle of Fiji is an ode to the beauty ofthe Fiji Islands. This delicious rum is made using traditional techniques and local Fijian sugar cane. First aged in this tropical climate in bourbon casks, the rum is then sailed to the southwest of France for a second maturation in French oak casks. This double ageing method paired with Fijian know-how creates a rum with warm notes of exotic fruits and raisin. (Source)
Eastern Kille, Breakfast Rye Whiskey, Michigan, $39.99/750ml- Our Straight Rye is double pot distilled from a recipe of rye and barley grain then aged a minimum of two years in new, charred oak barrels. We then augment this spirit by finishing it an additional six months in barrels previously used to age maple syrup. This maple cask finish gives this rye its namesake smell of breakfast and imparts a subtle sweetness to this otherwise spicy spirit. (Source)
Wyoming Whiskey, Small batch bourbon, Wyoming, $42.09/750ml- COLOR: dark amber NOSE: floral, with a hint of vanilla bean and caramel pudding PALATE: floral with brown baking spices and browned butter, vanilla crème, caramel, and a hint of cinnamon MOUTHFEEL: light and smooth with vanilla bean and cinnamon spice filling the mouth cavity, hint of mint FINISH: medium length finish with toffee. Spice and vanilla fade. (Source)
New and Returning Products
2nd Shift Black is Beautiful, $4.99/16oz - Stout - Imperial / Double. The Black is Beautiful initiative is a collaborative effort amongst the brewing community and its customers, in an attempt to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. Our mission is to bridge the gap that's been around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color. We are asking for all breweries and brewers far and wide to raise a glass with us in unison and participate in this collaboration. (Source)
Barrel + Beam Rightful Cider, $7.59/375ml - Brut cider made with Michigan apples
Barrel + Beam Table Tart, $6.59/375ml - Grisette style farmhouse ale, brewed with Michigan sourced barley, wheat and spelt malt and French sourced Aramis and Strisselspalt hops. Finished in French oak with a wild yeast culture. (Source)
Barrel+ Beam Peach Wild, $8.69/375ml - Wild Saison finished on Peaches (Source)
Bell's Oktoberfest, $2.09/12oz - Crafted as a flavorful session beer and perfect for autumn, Octoberfest spends a full six weeks fermenting. With herbal hop aromas, this balanced amber lager focuses on lightly toasted malt that lends body without too much sweetness. Perfect for a week-long wedding celebration in Germany or the start of the Michigan autumn. (Source)
Big Lake Hazy Hiker, $4.39/16oz - Hazy Double IPA brewed with lactose and dry hopped with Sabro and Rakau Hops. (Source)
Bitburger Festbier, $1.99/12oz - A German style Festbier – tasty, full-bodied and delicately malty-mild. Created by our brewmasters to enjoy the traditional German beer festival atmosphere. A very special malt composition, including Pilsner Malt, Münchner Malt and light Caramel Malt, accounts for its fine color and smooth body. Additionally, the beer is refined with Bitburger’s proprietary and unique hop blend called ‘Siegelhopfen’ (seal hops), which is sourced from a farm just a few minutes from the brewery. This drinkable 6.2% ABV full-bodied beer is the perfect marriage of hops and malt with a slightly sweet backbone, while finishing dry. (Source)
Collective Arts Blood Orange Sour, $4.69/16oz - The latest edition of our Sour Series aims to brighten our mood and welcome in the warmer weather. Succulent, sweet blood oranges are paired with deliciously tart hibiscus petals, yielding a stunningly brilliant bright red liquid with a fresh, juicy flavour and aroma. Perfect for relaxing and basking in sunny days! (Source)
Erdinger Oktoberfest, $1.99/12oz - As hearty as a Bavarian beer festival: our ERDINGER Oktoberfest. This masterpiece of the brewer’s art is ideal for parties! ERDINGER Oktoberfest expertly combines smooth malt aromas with a pronounced hop bitterness. This well-balanced flavor is complemented by gently sparkling carbonic acid to give it the typical liveliness of a genuine wheat beer. Smooth, strong and irresistible – brewing tradition at its finest. (Source)
Fairstate Double Universe, $4.99/16oz - The double-ized version of Fair State’s flagship IPA, Mirror Universe. (Source)
Fairstate Heckin Chonker, $11.19/16oz - A big, luxurious brew. Blended bourbon barrel-aged pastry stout with vanilla. (Source)
Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest, $1.99/12oz - Full-bodied and flavorful, copper/amber in color with a rich creamy head that laces nicely down the glass. Robust, hearty flavor. A beer for all seasons. (Source)
New Holland Dragon's Milk Solera, $4.59/12oz - Aged in a series of American oak foeders using a blending technique known as solera, nuanced flavors of caramel, toffee & fig create an experience made to be savored. This legendary ale will continue to evolve with each pull from the foeders, becoming more complex over time. (Source)
New Holland Hazy River, $2.09/12oz - A true testament to our brewers’ expertise and their passion for innovation, Hazy River is smooth and juicy with a beautiful hazy-golden appearance. (Source)
O'Fallon Dad's Oatmeal Cookie, $2.19/12oz - Dad’s Scotch Oatmeal cookies are a St. Louis tradition. We have taken the key ingredients in Dad’s Scotch Oatmeal cookies and incorporated them into an Oatmeal Cream Stout. This stout is velvety smooth with a creamy mouthfeel. Hints of chocolate, cinnamon, caramel, oat, raisin, and vanilla combine to create this liquid cookie. (Source)
O'Fallon MargarIPA, $2.99/16oz - MargarIPA is a margarita style IPA. This celebrity marriage of elixirs creates the perfect balance of a juicy tropical style IPA with a freshly crafted rim salted margarita. The tropical notes from the Citra and El Dorado hops compliment the fresh lime and blue agave addition. A touch of pink Himalayan salt finishes this margarita inspired IPA. (Source)
Oddside Lemon Elderberry Hard Seltzer, $1.89/12oz
Saugatuck Blood Orange, $2.49/16oz - Imagine squeezing a juicy blood orange directly into a freshly poured pint. That’s what you have right here in this beer. An enjoyable, bright, and flavor packed Blonde Ale brewed with blood oranges. (Source)
Shacksbury Lo-Ball, Citrus Cider, $1.79/8oz - Lo-Ball is a fun loving right-hander known for his highball vibes and citrusy sluggability. At 4.8% and only 70 calories, Lo-Ball currently leads the American League in drinkability. Whether he's brought in as an opener or closer, Lo-Ball's versatility is strictly major league. Oh, and don't tell the commissioner, but this guy has been juicing since 2013. (Source)
Shacksbury Vermonter Gin Barrel Aged Cider, $2.79/12oz - The Vermonter is a dry, gin botanical cider made by slowly fermenting local New England apples and adding juniper berries. The resulting cider is homegrown but refined, with a taste of alpine meadows, spring wildflowers, and the Green Mountains themselves. (Source)
Speciation Incipient w/Prickly Pear, $9.39/16oz - The closest thing we have to a flagship is Incipient - an open fermented, foeder aged solera sour wheat ale with a rotating fruit each month. This month’s version contains prickly pear. (Source)
Speciation Prey Drive, $13.99/375ml - Open Fermented Imperial Sour Ale w/ Passion fruit, hibiscus, lime, vanilla, allspice - A tiki inspired concoction, perfect for the end of summer. (Source)
Speciation Skyhook, $3.49/16oz - Natural Hard Seltzer w/ Pineapple & Hibiscus - Made with Michigan Beet sugar, whole pineapple and 5 lbs of Mexican Hibiscus, this is a serious seltzer. If you wish our previous seltzers had more fruit, then this is for you. Pours neon pink, and pairs with floating on water. (Source)
Surly Oktoberfest, $1.69/12oz - Oktoberfest lagers are the ultimate party beer. Up front, they’re rich, sweet, and malty, but they finish dry and clean with an ever-so-slight touch of hops. Prost! (Source)
Trail Point Changing Paradigms, $3.89/16oz - IPA - New England
Two Guys Lindsey's Wit, $3.19/16oz - "Brewer Lindsey's first beer she put together. She brewed a Belgian Wit, so what else to call it but Lindsey's Wit. This 4.4% is exactly what these summer days call for."