This week's list of new and returning products follows a few words about the first spring trip to the cottage
Preamble by Steve Siciliano
The lake is still solidly frozen and the weather has been late March miserable but Barb and I have been thoroughly enjoying some getaway time up at the cottage this week.
There’s always a bit of apprehension when we reopen the lake house in the spring but the furnace fired up immediately, there were no problems with the water pipes or the well and thankfully we didn’t have to deal with any hibernating bats hanging from the basement rafters.
After finishing my reopening chores in the cottage, I ambled out to the garage and got a nice fire going in the wood stove. Enjoying a tumbler of good bourbon and a nice cigar while watching the dancing flames of a roaring fire is one of life’s simple pleasures.
Yesterday I took advantage of a two-hour break in the rain to rake up some wet leaves in the yard, transporting and dumping them in the woods behind the pole barn. I hate raking wet leaves in the spring but the oaks (most of which are in Yeomans' yard) stubbornly held on to most of their leaves last fall. The old Bolens didn’t want to wake up after its long winter slumber but a couple of shots of starting fluid did the trick.
This morning we awoke to two inches of wet snow. I told Barb she should make a snowman, a suggestion she answered with an eye roll accompanied by a silent, icy stare.
Featured Wines of the Week
Bonny Doon Picpoul 2021, $16.89/750ml "Picpoul" translates to "lip stinger." It is a high acid, savory, white, rustic grape variety, especially well-suited for seafood. The 2021 Bonny Doon Vineyard Picpoul stands out as one of the "coolest" American white wines and one that is off the beaten track. This wine shines with aromas and flavors of dried savory spices, earth, and tart fruit. Enjoy it with a bowl of steamed mussels and clams in a light garlic broth.
Bonny Doon Le Cigare Orange 2021, $16.89/750ml Aromas of fresh apricot, citrus and bergamot. Bright, fresh palate with peach, apricot and citrus peel. Textured and vibrant.
Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc 2020, $16.89/750ml While the blend features Grenache Blanc in the majority, it is really the Vermentino character that shines through in this wine - pineapple, lime, mango and pine tree, herbal underbrush and wet stones. There is a lively (but appropriate) acidity on the palate and the addition of Clairette Blanche to the blend adds sustained length to the palate - a basso continuo, if you will. Alcohol well in hand and quite delicate in weight - just a delicious, refreshing gulp of wine.
Perfect with seafood and more delicate fish, ideally grilled a la plancha (perhaps with rosemary).
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
Detroit City Four Grain Straight Bourbon, $52.59/750ml Four Grain Bourbon is made from four different Michigan grains with a mash bill of 57% corn, 19% rye, 12% red winter wheat, and 12% malted barley. This bold, smooth sipping bourbon has a sweet autumn nose of green apple, caramel, and wheat. The corn and big barley bill come together to produce a silky body with notes of browned butter, walnuts and fig. It finishes with our signature rye spice with notes of pistachio, burnt orange peel, and cinnamon. It’s aged for a minimum of two years in new white American oak barrels and bottled at 100 proof.
Truly Floral Spirits Blue Gin, $47.39/750ml Truly Floral Blue Gin is our first gin we developed and marketed. The spirit’s name is inspired by the flavorful hue the botanicals hold - extracts of violet, lavender, juniper, elderflower, geranium, orange blossom, jasmine, and honey. The bouquet and notes from this gin can be used to transform at classic cocktail - or to create a completely unique drink.
New and Returning Products
Arvon Incendiary, $3.49/16oz-Black Pilsner brewed and inspired by David Murphy
Boulevard Berry Noir, $1.99/12oz-Pouring a deep purple with electric magenta foam, this brand-new, juicy ale features notes of blueberries and blackberries with a crisp tartness reminiscent of lemonade.
Cigar City Jai Alai Variety Pack, $20.99/12pk
City Built Hola, Mi Nombre Es, $8.69/16oz-Double Fruited Lactose Sour • Key Lime • Passion Fruit Puree • Cara Cara Orange • Pomegranate
Darkhorse Smells Like A Safety Meeeting, $2.19/12oz-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.
Eastern Market Opening Day, $3.49/16oz-Batter up, Detroit! A cold fermented India Pale Ale, inspired by a good ol’ opening day tailgate. Brewed with Citra hops and pilsner wheat, it’s incredibly crisp and refreshing with a subtle bitter backbone. This beer is sure to hit a home run.
Eastern Market Primavera Pils, $3.49/16oz
Eastern Market Umbrella Weather, $3.49/16oz-Make it rain with this spring sipper. A classic wheat beer punched up with orange peel, Umbrella Weather is a refreshing glass of springtime. Grab your umbrella, ella, eh, eh, cuz after one sip you’ll be singing in the rain.
Founders Belgian Twist, $4.59/12oz-A Belgian Tripel…with a twist: this beautiful beverage is brewed with a substantial amount of Blue Agave nectar; heightening and highlighting the existing fruity notes and rounding out the sweet body of this golden straw-colored Tripel.
Great Lakes TropiCoastal, $2.19/12oz-Make a splash landing into paradise and discover a golden oasis of tropical fruit notes. It’s a hoppy hideaway you’ll want to escape to again and again.
Griffen Claw El Ligero, $2.49/12oz-Crisp Mexican Lager brewed with lime that's just so fresh and so clean clean.
Hopewell 6, $4.09/16oz
Jolly Pumpkin Clementina, $3.99/16oz-Rich yellow gold color. Highly effervescent. Citrus and bready wheat aroma. Tart and refreshing with notes of citrus, and in particular, clementine in the finish.
Jolly Pumpkin So Far, So Good, $3.99/16oz-Tart and Refreshing with strawberry, citrus and a hint of salt
Luddington Bay Summer Fling, $2.19/12oz-Straw yellow colored hybrid half of Ison brewed from the German yeast in American money creating banana and clothes labels with a slightly dry biscuit finish
New Belgium Le Terroir green, $19.59/750ml-Innovative, yet rooted in tradition, this special collaboration release is a blend of our Sabro dry-hopped sour ale, Le Terroir, with a one-of-a-kind lambic beer from our good friends of Belgian brewing fame, Oud Beersel. After maturation in oak wine barrels, and before being shipped to Colorado, unripe green walnuts picked fresh from their orchard are added to the lambic.
North Peak Ledgend, $1.99/12oz-Traverse City is known as the National Cherry Capital hosting a week-long cherry festival during the July harvest. Legend supports the Michigan cherry industry and is available all summer. Straw yellow with a faint red hue and a bright cherry aroma, Legend is crisp & refreshing with a light body. The cherries add a delicious tart fruit element that’s balanced by sweet malts & a hint of citrus from the lime. The perfect thirst quencher for Michigan summers!
Perrin Black Nitro, $2.09/12oz-Nitro Black has a smooth and creamier mouthfeel than traditional Black Ale. With a light body and full flavors of roasted coffee and light chocolate.
Perrin Dream Seeker, $2.09/12oz-A full beer full of intense raspberry aroma and flavor with a dry, crisp finish. Balanced by sweet, refreshing tartness.
Perrin Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, $2.29/12oz-
Perrin Slingshot Sour, $2.49/12oz-Slingshot this heavily dry hopped sour onto your tastebuds. Packed with tropical hops, this Sour IPA will Slingshot you into some Springtime vibes.
Perrin Willow Wheat, $2.09/12oz-Utilizing a classic blend of American hops along with new world varietals, this Wheat Ale delivers a unique bouquet of aromas and flavors.
Revolution Freedom of Lemonade, $1.99/12oz
Right Brain Social Prohibition, $2.59/12oz
Sam Adams Porch Rocker, $1.99/12oz-Perfect for any summer day, Samuel Adams® Porch Rocker was inspired by traditional Bavarian Radlers that mix beer with German-style lemonade. For our bright and citrusy Radler, we blended a Helles beer with lemon for a fresh-squeezed lemon taste, effervescent sweetness, and slightly tart, refreshing finish. A light malt character and hint of hops balance out this summer brew.
Shorts Pure Michigan, $2.79/12oz-We partnered up with Pure Michigan again to celebrate the long-awaited transition from a dark, cold winter to a bright, hopefully warm spring with Pure Michigan IPL, a lager that we hopped to heck. We hope drinking this beer makes you think of fresh buds on trees, snow melt, tulips popping up from the just thawed earth, and the joy of knowing a Pure Michigan summer is just around the corner.
Sierra Nevada Summer Break, $1.99/12oz-Drop into summertime, stocked with a Session Hazy IPA brewed for long days of play. Go anywhere with hoppy notes of mango and passion fruit, backed by smooth malt flavor.
Smooj Orange Delight, $4.89/12oz-(fka orange dream) heavily fruited hard smoothie, creamsicle inspired and loaded with all natural cara cara orange, tangerine, coconut, and vanilla bean. technically a seltzer... but with a thick, smoothie-like, texture
*gluten free, dairy free.
Smooj Tropical Trip, $4.89/12oz-heavily fruited hard seltzer, loaded with legit passionfruit, mango, guava, pineapple & coconut. technically a seltzer... but with a thick, smoothie-like, texture. Also, contains tangerine & banana.
*gluten free, dairy free
Southern Tier Nice Slice, $1.89/12oz-Natural watermelon flavors balance with wheat and subtle caramel malt to land a perfect summery session ale.
Southern Tier Thick Mint, $4.29/12oz-Inspired by the legendary cookie, Thick Mint joins our world-class rated Blackwater Series of dessert beers alongside Creme Brûlée, Choklat Oranj, Salted Caramel & Choklat in 2017. This imperial stout is a mouthful of perfectly
balanced mint & chocolate. Roasty malts coalesce with notes of Belgian dark chocolate, sweet mint & just a touch of sweet caramel. So decadently delicious, you’ll wish you’d bought another box... er, bottle.
Stormcloud Sunrunner, $2.09/12oz-A Kveik Ale that pours a sunshine orange and is bursting with notes of candied orange peel, orange pith and dried apricot
Transient Orange to Orange, $4.89/16oz-Double dry hopped India pale ale
Urban Artifact Pinwheel, $2.49/12oz-An orange fruit tart. Brewed with the zest of one whole orange per can!
Urban Artifact Teak, $2.59/12oz-Tropical American Fruit Tart brewed with 800lb of Pink Guava, 800lb of Pineapple, and 400lb or Key Lime per 30bbl batch.
Urban Artifact Wickerwork, $4.49/12oz-Loganberry Rare Midwest Fruit Tart. The loganberry (Rubus × loganobaccus) is a hybrid of the North American blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and the European raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
Descriptions courtesy of Untappd