This week's list of new and returning products follows a few words about a trip to New Jersey
Preamble by Steve Siciliano
Hanging out on the boardwalk at Asbury Park, a historical lighthouse and some tasty cuisine were among the highlights of a trip to New Jersey this past week to visit Barb's cousins Mike and Betty Anghelone.
Mike and Betty have a beautiful home in Belford, a seaside community located within Middletown Township in Monmouth County. They also have a beautiful backyard and that's where we spent a good deal of time during our three day visit, most of it at a covered bar chatting, sipping bourbon, smoking cigars and listening to an eclectic range of music on Mike's impressive sound system. The house sits on the banks of Compton Creek at the edge of a bird sanctuary and is a short drive from Raritan Bay.
New Jersey is known as "The Garden State" but despite its rural sounding moniker I thought that we'd be visiting an area dominated by concrete, steel and asphalt. Boy was I wrong! On our drives around the community we saw gorgeous homes and lush country landscapes. On one of those drives we visited the Navasink Twin Lights, a non-operational lighthouse constructed in 1828 on the Navasink Highlands overlooking Sandy Hook Bay, the entrance to New York City harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. On another sweltering afternoon we drove down to Asbury Park, a small city on the coast known for its beachfront boardwalk and live music venues which have hosted native New Jerseyans Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.
Mike and Betty were the consummate hosts. One evening Mike grilled some very tasty ribs and on another he whipped up an excellent shrimp and pasta dish. We also hit a couple of very good restaurants. Barb and I agreed that the Italian cuisine at Toscanella Cafe was some of the best we've had outside of Italy.
Featured Wines of the Week
Arca Nova White, $10.49/750ml- A much appreciated wine for its perfect balance and combination between the aromas of three of the most famous grape varieties of the region.Visual: Bright and clear with a light lemony colour. Aroma: Fruity and fresh. Clean and pleasant aromas add a rich and interesting bouquet. Green and pleasant aromas add a rich interesting bouquet. Green apples is the most evidence. Flavour: It presents itself with a soft minerality, very well balanced and médium structure.
Arca Nova Rose $10.49/750ml- Produced from the Espadeiro and Touriga Nacional variety, this wine defines a new concept in rosé. The red fruit and berries aromas, blended with the freshness and lightness only possible in a Vinho Verde, make this a very special rosé.Visual: Clear and bright framboise colour. Aroma: Fresh and young aromas. Strawberries and raspberries crushed into currant with generous lime drops. Flavour: Nice structure and a good balance between the alcohol and acidity. The light fizz enhances the wine freshness.
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
RumHaven Coconut Rum, $18.99/1000ml- Welcome to paradise. Kick back, relax & drink in the sunshine. RumHaven Caribbean Rum is made with coconut water, natural flavors and cane sugar to send your senses on a tropical vacation. Experience an unforgettable natural flavor that is as refreshing as an ocean view. Get a boarding pass for your taste buds and enjoy a little taste of Haven.
Virginia Distillery Co. Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky, $52.59/750ml- Coppery gold in color, this whisky offers aromas of honeyed fig, walnut, and apple. Barrel smoke mingles with sweetness from the fruit, developing into cocoa and melding into cinnamon and clove on the palate. The finish lingers with hints of caramelized sugar.
New and Returning Products
American Solera An Offering of Cherry, $5.49/16oz-Sour Ipa with cherries, vanilla, milk sugar using El Dorado & Mosaic hops.
Arbor Cucumber Lime Gose, $2.19/12oz-Our version starts by fermenting with lactobacillus bacteria, adding a tart and bright acidity to compliment additions of flaked sea salt and fruity floral coriander. A small addition of German Tettnang hops, plenty of fresh lime peel and cucumber are added to bolster the styles crisp, refreshing qualities. Altogether, a beer designed for a hot Michigan summer’s day.
Bells Sparkleberry, $3.99/16oz-Sparkleberry is an American interpretation of a Belgian Tripel brewed with raspberries.
Big Tree Diamond Hands, $5.69/16oz-IPA - Imperial / Double New England
Big Tree Waterbury, $4.89/16oz-IPA - American
Brew Detroit/Watermark Lime Laser, $3.59/16oz-A beauty of a collaboration between ourselves and Watermark Brewing Company out of Stevensville, MI. This hazy-ish sessionable IPA was dry-hopped with Citra, Idaho-7, and Michigan Cashmere. Conditioned on hand-peeled super fresh lime peels.
Collective Arts Mai Tai Sour, $4.39/16oz-Inspired by the quintessential tropical cocktail, this beer is brewed with Curaçao orange peel, lime juice and real orgeat syrup. Fruity citrus notes, an almond and spice background, and a whole lot of fun.
Connecticut Valley Blueberry Burst, $4.39/16oz-Sour - Fruited
Connecticut Valley Bonker for Blackberries, $4.39/16oz-Next up in our sour series, Blackberry! Still refreshingly balanced, this 5.5% brew is kettle soured and fermented with over 1000 pounds of blackberries. The initial burst of blackberry flavor fades into a refreshing tartness before giving way to a soft rustic finish. Find out why we’re all bonkers for blackberries!
Connecticut Valley Spiked Smoothie Lemondae, $4.39/16oz-No offense to margaritas and G&Ts, but all other refreshing summer drinks are now playing for second place. Imagine the fresh-squeezed, ice-cold lemonade of those childhood front-yard stands....Just spiked for the grown-ups. Until it’s possible to can summer, this is what it tastes like.
Decadent Ales Almond Macadamai Swirl, $5.49/16oz-Triple India Pale Ale brewed with Almond and Macadamia nut.
Green Empire Citra IPA, $6.39/16oz-Citra Friendly is our 5.9% American Pale Ale. This Citra single-hopped delight is super crushable and gives off notes of tropical fruit, fresh citrus, and apricot with a sprinkle of bitterness.
Green Empire Side IPA, $6.19/16oz-Our 7% "flagship" IPA is brewed with several additions of fresh crop Columbus, Mosaic, and Citra. It presents a nice soft body & notes of grapefruit, fresh citrus, and finished with a perfectly balanced bitterness.
Green Empire Straight IPA, $6.39/16oz
Ground Breaker Dark Ale, $4.89/16oz-Our mild dark ale delivers caramel and light roasty flavors with hints of chocolate and dark fruits. Dark Ale is brewed with dark roasted rice malt, chestnuts, lentils and dark Belgian-style candi sugar. This dark and mild beer is fermented with English ale yeast. It is modestly bittered, with just enough hops to let its malt-forwardness shine.
Ground Breaker Inclusion, $4.89/16oz-Ground Breaker was founded on the conviction that anyone who wanted to participate in craft beer culture should. We opened our doors in 2011 with one beer; Pale Ale. Brewed to be bright, crisp, and pleasing to a wide audience of craft beer enthusiasts. The recipe has improved but the spirit remains the same. Raise your glass high and toast to craft beer inclusion.
Ground Breaker IPA No.5, $4.09/16oz-The Pacific Northwest is home to the highest quality hops grown in the world. We put them to work in our IPA No. 5, an aromatic and flavor-filled hop forward beer with generous late-kettle and dry hop additions. This modern IPA is bursting with citrus aroma with hints of tropical and stone fruit flavor.
Ground Breaker Mellow Meridian, $4.89/16oz-A very aromatic juicy pale ale filled with notes of fresh peach, grapefruit and citrus. With a mellow and soft bitterness, the delicateness of the Meridian, Summit and Santiam hops shine through. At a reasonable 4.% ABV, it's the perfect beer to kick back with or bring on your adventures.
Ground Breaker Olallie, $3.79/16oz-Blackberry rose-hip ale.
Hoof Hearted Drop the Fries, $6.29/16oz-
Frappe Double IPA with Cacao Nibs, Nilla, Milk Sugar and French Fries.
Old Nation Pret Wit, $2.99/16oz-Pret Wit has a strong backbone of wheat and oat malts, which give body and fullness to the light citrus notes of coriander and bitter orange peel. The faint citrus presence on the finish along with a slight acidity cleanses the palate and belies the relatively substantial body of the beer. Notes of chamomile and very slight herbal hops add color to the light, ephemeral nature of Pret Wit.
Pigeon Hill Haze You Guys, $1.99/12oz-An experimental SLIGHTLY hazy IPA with Idaho 7 and Centennial.
Rockford Citra Obsession, $2.19/12oz-Named for its play on words, Obsession has been our “session” rye pale ale brewed with a healthy dose of Rye Malt and a proprietary blend of hops each summer since 2013. Building on that concept in 2015 and recognizing the obsessive demand for unique hop varieties in the beer market, we have decided to use Obsession as a platform to brew a series of single-hopped beers. The new “Obsession Series” will always be brewed with the same base recipe, but with a different hop varietal. Citra hops: Strong citrus and tropical tones of grapefruit, melon, lime, gooseberry, passion fruit and lychee.
Stillwater Fruit Stuff, $4.09/12oz-All natural tropic fruit punch sparkling hard smoothie w/ mango, passion fruit, pineapple & passion fruit.
Ten Bends Cream Puff War, $5.49/16oz-Cream Puff War is brewed with honey malt and lactose, fermented with peach puree and double dry-hopped to create a deliciously unique, smooth and balanced ale. We set out to emulate the popular milkshake IPAs of our time and quickly veered off course to artfully merge sweet and hoppy.
Ten Bends Green Fountains, $4.69/16oz-The synergy of hop profiles in this hazy India Pale Ale imparts notes of tropical fruits, citrus, pine, and cannabis. It boasts a smooth body with light bready characteristics and a subtle sweetness that balances perfectly with its juicy hoppiness. The can's colorful branding with our signature hop symbols exploding out of the landscape reflects our perception of the experience one may have when partaking in its dank deliciousness.
Ten Bends Hovered Ridge, $4.89/16oz-We aspired to evolve our latest series of potions to formulate an IPA that floats above any we've imagined before. We aimed for the sky and landed comfortably in the clouds lingering above our beautiful mountain ridges. This pillowy pleasure drifts along with a hop profile composed of a Citra backbone coupled with two New Zealand hops for aroma plus a breeze of candied clementine, crushed gooseberries, and white grapes. We then bent the range by lofting this distinct brew to an enigmatic 8.7% ABV. Propel into the clouds for a Hovered Ridge Double IPA and float into a fluffy hazy bliss!
Ten Bends Northern Heights, $4.89/16oz-Northern Heights is brewed with wheat and oats, then double dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra hops. It is the result of an evolution of craft brewing that began in a shed in the northern woods of Vermont and has culminated in a definitive and well balanced ale that will take your perception of a Double IPA to new heights.
Terrapin Love is Love, $2.19/12oz-Brewed in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride, Love is Love is a traditional Bavarian Weissbier with characteristic banana and estery clove flavor and a pillowy, thick foam cap. 15% of proceeds from Love is Love will benefit the Human Rights Campaign and LGBTQ+ organizations across our distribution footprint!
Terrapin Peach Dreamsicle, $3.09/12oz-This imperial IPA is brewed with peach, vanilla and lactose sugar, making it reminiscent of your favorite childhood creamy, frozen fruit treat!
Transient Old Country, $3.29/16oz-This Pilsner is modeled after the dry-hopped Italian Pilsners we love so dearly, and could not be happier with how it turned out. Light and crisp, as a Pilsner should, with a touch of magic from our friends down the street at Hop Head Farms. This beer is so very much summer, you don’t even know it... yet.
Transient Prevenge, $3.79/16oz-Oat IPA
Untitled Art Dry Hopped Watermelon, $5.19/16oz-Brewed with real watermelon, key limes, sea salt and lightly dry hopped.
Untitled Art Orange Lavasplash, $4.69/16oz-We’re bringing the best HI-C flavor ever…Lavaburst! For our fourth installment in the Pixie Mix series, we had to nod to our favorite juice box in the cooler after sports practice.
Untitled Art Pinkberry, $4.69/16oz-The brainchild of an in-house competition to see who could blow the biggest bubble gum bubble. Exploding pink spheres and loud smacks harkened us back to the days of our youth chomping on wads of gum… and we wanted to replicate that nostalgia in beverage form!
Untitled Art Pixie Capri Cooler, $4.69/16oz-Remember Capri Sun? Well, those good ol' days are back now with Alcohol.
Untitled Art Pixie Grape, $4.69/16oz-Hard Seltzer
Untitled Art Trail Mix Stout, $4.09/12oz-Imperial Stout made with our very close friends, Humble Forager. As the weather is warming up it's a good chance to get back outside and get out and experience nature. And what is the all time prefered, universally agreed, hikers choice of snack? We give you Trail Mix Stout, it's got a little bit of everything: sweet, salty, fruity, nutty, chocolate. By blending raisins, toasted coconut flakes, apricot puree, peanut butter powder, milk sugar and chocolate together you'll get a flavor reminiscent of the famous snack with the added bonus of the booze. Pairs best with a campfire, trees...pretty much anything outdoors.