New Beer Friday, Crushing It Edition (August 23)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

If you live in the environs of Beer City USA and are thinking about making wine from fresh grapes this fall, there are options available for home vintners looking to source locally grown fruit. Here is the contact information for Taylor Ridge Vineyards in Allegan and Morgan Vineyard in Coopersville, both good sources for fresh wine grapes:

• Taylor Ridge Vineyards

• 3843 105th Ave. Allegan, MI 49010

• Email: bctaylor@btc-bci.com

• Cell: 269-491-1512

• Home: 269-521-4047

• Morgan Vineyard

• 15775 40th Avenue, Coopersville, MI 49404

• Email: morgangrapes@gmail.com

• Phone: 616-648-3025

We will be offering the free on-site use of our fruit crushers and basket presses from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on four consecutive Sundays in the parking lot behind Siciliano's. Dates for the free use of the equipment are as follows:

• Sunday, September 15

• Sunday, September 22

• Sunday, September 29

• Sunday, October 6

New and Returning Beer

• 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermellon, $1.99/12oz - "This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—it’s summer in a can" (source).

• Arcadia Jaw Jacker, $1.99/12oz - "This spiced amber ale is our celebration of the arrival of Autumn. Brewed with cinnamon, all-spice, and nutmeg (a riff on Grandma Davies’ pumpkin pie recipe), and additions of Caramel and Crystal malt for balanced flavor, drinkability, and a brilliant orange-amber color, despite the absence of pumpkin in the recipe. A refreshingly spicy, season brew" (source).

• Arvon Jurassic Haze, $5.49/16oz - "New England style IPA with Vic Secret, Citra, and El Dorado hops! Flavors of overripe mango, tangerine, and lime, balanced by a mellow grapefruit pith bitterness and pillowy mouthfeel" (source).

• Arvon Kettle Two, $4.99/16oz - "This peach kettle sour is the second edition in our sour series! The color is a beautiful overripe-peach-flesh golden orange, and the nose is nonstop peach. As expected, overtones of peach flavor balanced with perfect amount of sour. Finishes refreshing and dry, with a lingering peach and ever so slight minerality, leaving the impression of sweetness" (source).

• Arvon White Shoal, $5.49/16oz - "Arvon Brewing Co.'s Lighthouse Series of New England IPAs are each distinctly hopped with a single varietal, displaying the unique character of the hops as a shining beacon. The explosive hop flavor and aroma of Mosaic Hops featured in White Shoal IPA is best experienced when this beer is kept cold and enjoyed fresh - drink now" (source).

• Bell's Special Double Creme Stout, $2.29/12oz - "Named for its velvety smooth, creamy texture, this incredibly rich stout is brewed with 10 different specialty roasted malts chosen that impart notes of rich mocha and espresso. Dark and sweet tones intermingle with a soft, roasty finish" (source).

• Big Lake Here She Gose, $3.19/16oz - No commercial description.

• Founders Underground Mountain Brown, $4.49/12oz - "Underground Mountain Brown is the harmonious drinking experience only achieved when our imperial brown ale, earthy Sumatra coffee and a year aging in caves below Grand Rapids come together. A team of malts complement the bold Sumatra coffee perfectly, while time spent immersed in oak creates layers of depth and complexity. A celebration of the barrel, the bean and everything in between" (source).

• Lagunitas Fluxed in Paradise, $2.29/12oz - "Joint brew with Shorts Brewing: Double dry hopped IPA w/ Sabro, Cashmere & southern passion & Kveik yeast" (source).

• O'Fallon Pumpkin, $2.19/12oz - "Brewed with Pumpkin and Spices (Cinnamon Sticks, Nutmeg and Cloves)" (source).

• O'Fallon Vanilla Pumpkin, $2.19/12oz - "We decided to add some locally produced cold-pressed Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla to our most popular seasonal– O’Fallon Pumpkin. The vanilla adds another layer of flavor to the “pumpkin pie” theme of this amber ale and balances well with the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. It tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it" (source).

• Pigeon Hill Oktoberfest, $1.99/12oz - "This lightly hopped beer has a semi-dry finish that nicely complements its light to medium body. A light caramel and malty sweetness provide a pleasing smooth flavor" (source).

• Prairie Karate Chimp, $3.29/12oz - "Sour ale with mango, tangerine, and apricot" (source).

• Prairie Pirate Bomb, $12.99/12oz - "Imperial Stout aged in Rum barrels with coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chillis added" (source).

• Prairie Pirate Noir, $12.99/12oz - "Pirate Noir is our Jamaican rum barrel aged imperial oatmeal stout. This beer takes our already delicious Prairie Noir and adds intense notes of vanilla, coconut, and rum to the beer" (source).

• Revolution Oktoberfest, $1.99/12oz - "Our Oktoberfest Bier is a German-style lager that was brewed in the summer and “cold stored” until late August to celebrate the coming of fall! Traditional German malts such as Pilsner, Vienna, Carared and Munich lend a beautiful burnt orange color and a pleasant toasty malt flavor and aroma to this lager. Initial Magnum hopping along with multiple additions of German Saphir and Select hops throughout the boil provide a crisp balanced bitterness and spicy/earthy aroma to round out this robust beer! For fermentation we use a Bavarian Lager yeast and then lower the temperature to 32 °F and store the beer cold for 4 weeks. This cold maturation time helps provide a smooth round mouthfeel and clean crisp finish" (source).

• Ridge Caramel Apple, $2.09/12oz - "Smooth and surprisingly light, with a bite of real apples. A traditional caramel apple, without the stick" (source).

• Shorts Mule Beer, $1.99/12oz - "La Mule is an Experimental American Blonde Ale brewed with lime and ginger. Designed to mimic the flavors of a Moscow Mule, La Mule is bright and pale orange in color. This brew is medium-bodied and well balanced with scents and flavors of of malt, ginger, and subtle lime" (source).

Video of the Week | Founders Brewing Co.

Masterfully crafted. Patiently perfected.

Cheers!