By Steve Siciliano
I am pleased to announce that on Thursday, January 23 Siciliano’s liquor buyer John Barecki will be giving a presentation on distilled spirits at the Walker branch of the Kent County Library located at 4293 Remembrance Road, Walker, MI 49534.
This Distilled Spirits 101 class will focus on six popular distilled spirits—vodka, gin/genever, tequila/mezcal, brandy, rum and whiskey—and will include the following points of discussion:
· A description of the stills that are used in the production of the spirits and how they work.
· How each spirit is produced and what defines them.
· How location, raw materials and wood aging affect the end product.
· Ways to best appreciate the flavors and nuances of the individual spirits.
The presentation is free of charge and will begin at 630 pm. Please note that while this presentation will not include samples or tastings, participants must be of legal drinking age to attend.
New and Returning Beer
Austin Brothers Mr. Plumpricot Sour, $4.09/16oz - "Fruited Kettle sour brewed with lactose sugar and a large amount of Plum and Apricot puree giving a tart bold fruit character." (Source)
Austin Brothers Question Murk, $3.79/16oz - " Question Murk is a New England Style IPA with five pounds per barrel of some super fun hops! What hops you ask? Why that's a great question (murk)!" (Source)
Boulevard Chocolate Ale, $4.69/12oz - " Medium bodied and effervescent, the aroma evokes dried fruits, earth and cocoa, with just a hint of spicy hops. Mouthwatering flavors of Valrhona chocolate from Dominican cacao nibs weave seamlessly between layers of honey, brown sugar, caramel and nutty malt, deftly harmonizing and rounding into a luscious, lingering finish." (Source)
Boulevard Steep Drop, $1.99/12oz - "Crafted to showcase custom-roasted beans from Kansas City's Second Best Coffee, this smooth, creamy nitro milk stout blooms with notes of honey, molasses, citrus and cocoa powder. A mild nuttiness is accentuated by caramel and chocolate malts, with a touch of flaked oats." (Source)
Destihl Dosvidanya Vanilla Rye, $13.99/16oz - " Like a Russian Matryoshka or 'nesting' doll, the secret of Dosvidanya Russian Imperial Stout lies locked deep within her mysterious & elaborate wooden layers. We said Dosvidanya, or 'goodbye', to the hidden soul of this oak rye whiskey barrel-aged beer for several months before now revealing its rich, robust and roasty maltiness. This stout brings a subtle sweetness from the vanilla, a dry finish and pleasant spiciness from the barrel and added rye. " (Source)
Goose Island Lost Palate, $1.69/12oz - "This release is dedicated to Jonny, a long time Goose Island employee. Jonny, and Brewer Quinn, came up with this recipe after Jonny’s recent victorious battle with cancer. Jonny lost the ability to taste many flavors, an unfortunate consequence of battling cancer. He almost completely lost his palate and mangos and cinnamon were two of the few things he was still able to taste. We’re happy to say that Jonny is now a cancer survivor! This beer pays tribute to the flavors that were never lost." (Source)
Lost Coast Revenent, $1.89/12oz - "Revenant IPA has full-bodied flavor from rich Pale malts generating a light amber hue. A blend of Simco and Citra hops to generate a unique and lively citrus aroma and flavor. This is a very refreshing IPA suitable for hopheads and everyone else, as well." (Source)
One Well Whined and Dined, $9.69/500ml - No commercial description.
Mikkeller SD The Ocho, $7.99/16oz - "SUPER COLLAB WITH: Superstition Meadery, AZ Wilderness Brewery, Almanac Beer Co, Pure Project Brewing, Seven Islands Brewery, Firestone Walker - Propagator, Gigantic Brewing. For this epic collab featuring ourselves and 7 different breweries with the addition of Mikkel himself, we spared no expense making a boundary pushing, innovative Double IPA. Complex notes of sweet but spicy mesquite honey are balanced by the addition of bitter grapefruit peel for a truly fascinating brew." (Source)
Mikkeller SD Inside Hopping Out, $4.69/16oz - "New-England Style IPA brewed with Wai-iti Hops Hazy orange in color, aromas of peach and apricot. Leads into a fairly sweet body that gives just the slightest spice. Flavors follow through from the aroma of stone fruits that blend with a little lemongrass to finish." (Source)
Mikkeller SD Distant Relatables, $5.99/16oz - "New-England Style India Pale Ale Brewed w/ Strata, Sabro, & Simcoe. Brewed in Collaboration with To Øl. Hugely aromatic, with intense tropical fruit, dankness, and pine resin climbing out of the glass. Notes of coconut & almond croissant finish, highlighting a soft and round mouthfeel." (Source)
Resilience Combover, $4.69/16oz - "Combover (India Pale Ale), 7% abv. Citrus, strawberry and spruce notes fill the palate as Vic Secret and Galaxy hops dominate in this American IPA." (Source)
Stone Neverending Haze, $2 .19/12oz- " There’s a lot ‘neverending’ about IPAs around Stone. Beginning with Stone IPA being one of the very first and most popular West Coast style IPAs on the planet, to our celebrated explorations of double IPAs, session IPAs, fruited IPAs and ultra-fresh triple IPAs, they’re an integral part of our legacy. Plus there’s the oft-said (but not actually true) comments from some that “All Stone does is IPAs.” Ha! Yes, we may love them passionately and perpetually be on a quest for IPA nirvana, but this particular one actually happened onto the scene to aid in your noble pursuit of neverending good times." (Source)