Siciliano's Market News, March 3, 2022 Edition

This week's list of new and returning products follows another re-post from our archives. Enjoy!

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Back in the mid 90s during the interval between my first and second marriages I lived in a house on Lincoln Street on the lower west side of Grand Rapids.

It was a bittersweet time for me. There was a dull but persistent ache caused by the events of the recent past but also a keen anticipation about the the future. It was period of reflection and self-discovery, a phase in my life that I now refer to as my Lincoln sojourn.

That rental house on Lincoln was in many ways similar to the 1925 Craftsman Style Bungalow that Barb and I live in today. There was a big front porch where it was pleasant to sit in the evenings with a cocktail while the sun was dipping behind the ancient high-branching maples that lined the street. Inside there were plaster walls, wooden floors and wide, decorative molding. There were French doors between the foyer and the living room and glass faced cupboards in the kitchen.

I furnished that old house with second-hand furniture and decorated it with tacky items that I found in local antique stores — garish pole lamps, brass candelabras, a neon clock for the kitchen, a collection of old cork screws, an old radio cabinet, minus the radio, that I used as a liquor cabinet, an antique buffet for the dining room. Halfway through my Lincoln sojourn I began dating Barb, and while I’m sure she was horrified by my cheesy décor, she was kind enough not to vocalize it. One day I told her about a painting I spotted in an antique shop on Leonard Street.

The painting is the close-up of a distinguished older man against a jet black background. The subject has an inscrutable, sidelong stare, his smile is as enigmatic as Mona Lisa’s and his visage is illuminated by the blaze of the match that he is using to light his pipe.

I can’t remember why I didn’t snatch up the painting on the spot but I do remember telling Barb about it. She bought it the next day and when I came home from work I found it propped up on the buffet. For the past fifteen years the painting has hung on a dining room wall.

I’ve often wondered whether the subject of the portrait was an actual person or a figment of the artist’s imagination. It’s a question that probably will never be answered.

A few years ago we had the painting cleaned and the wooden frame repaired and the mystery doubled. Behind the portrait of the distinguished elderly gentleman was another portrait, a pencil drawing of an equally distinguished and beautiful young lady.

Featured Wines of the Week

Riccitelli The Party 202 Malbec, $23.29 An innovative style of Malbec from up and coming producer Matias Riccitelli. In his micro winery, Matias experiments with an array of techniques for coaxing the best expression from Malbec grapes. This opulent red has a lively floral charecter and great purity to the raspberry and plum fruit: a wine of great elegance. Style: Plush, bright and fruity. Tast: Cherry, plum and liquorice. Food: Roasted red meats.

Planeta La Segreta Bianco, $20.69 Straw yellow color with a lively bouquet of green citrus fruit, lime, peach adn white melon. Minerality and fresh fruit flavors on teh palate with well balanced acidity. 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Fiano, 10% ViognierDoolhof

Cape Boar Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot $9.99 The wines of the Cape offer you succulent fruit and excellent flavour - the delicious gift of our generous climate. This French-style blend is bursting with the bold fruits of the classic varieties of the Old World. Slightly oaked to allow these rich to stand proud, it is excellent with meats, poultry, or simply on its own.

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

Gull Lake Article 15 Bourbon, $65.00/750ml, $33.00/375ml Blend of local corn, malted barley, wheat, rye, and peated barley malt to give a light smoky flavor, aged no less than 6 months in new toasted and charred American White Oak barrels from Croze Nest Cooperage in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Gull Lake Apple Brandy, $40.00/750ml Distilled from 100% Michigan Apple Cider from Riveridge Cider Co. in Grant, MI. Perfumy and floral

Gull Lake Horseradish Vodka, $35.00/750ml Our Vodka infused with fresh horseradish

New and Returning Products

Barrel + Beam Cranberry Mead, $6.59/16oz-Four simple ingredients, one crushable dry mead. Grand Bees honey, Michigan Cranberry Co. cranberries, Marquette Township well water and Michigan Sugar Co. beet sugar for natural carbonation.

Barrel + Beam Precocious, $8.69/375ml-Sour - Fruited

Barrel + Beam Tart, $2.79/12oz-A bier de coupage style blend of farmhouse style wheat beer and barrel soured wheatbeer. Naturally carbonated with Michigan beet sugar.

Barrel + Bean Petit, $2.79/12oz-A session strength, Michigan sourced, hoppy saison. Naturally carbonated with Michigan beet sugar.

Brew Detroit Pander Bear, $3.79/16oz-Our new Double West Coast-style IPA was dry-hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic, Michigan Chinook, and Cascade. The body is light-medium, with a slightly off-white head. The aroma is well balanced with tropical fruit and pine. On the palate, notes of mango, citrus, and passion fruit. Finishes with a slow fading bitterness.

Brew Dog Faux Fox N/A, $2.19/12oz

Brew Dog Hazy Jane Peach, $2.09/12oz-IPA - New England / Hazy

Brewery Vivant Spring Saison, $3.99/16oz-This fruited saison combines boysenberry, lemon, and lavender in an effort to create the perfect Spring saison.

Label art by Dayna Walton.

DuClaw Relaxed Fit, $2.39/12oz-IPA - American

Evil Twin Ryan and the Beastie, $3.59/16oz-In Denmark we have a lovely tradition for seasonal beer, and what you have here is certainly no exception. This is a never before seen collaboration between Ryan and the Beaster Bunny. A fluffy and precious Saison originally conceived of on the beautiful island of Fanø on the west coast of Denmark. It may sound like a true fairy tale, but don’t be fooled by it’s cute appearance.

Fat Orange Cat Baby Elvises, $5.99/12oz-BABY ELVISES is over-the-top, loaded with the King's favorite foods: Imperial Stout loaded with Peanut Butter, Bacon and Banana Sandwiches.

Founders KBS Hazelnut, $6.49/12oz-The perfectly balanced and decadent drinking experience of KBS meets the classic taste of hazelnut. Taking this bourbon barrel-aged stout to a new level, KBS Hazelnut allows the existing premium coffee and chocolate notes to soar to new heights when accented by the nutty sweetness of hazelnut.

Goller Lager, $5.49/16.9oz-Made in the style of the traditional Munich Lagers, this smooth beer has brilliant clarity and a full body. It pours with a thick and creamy, off-white head. Lager finds just the right balance between roasted maltiness and hoppy brightness.

Göller's lager marks the transition from the old German Braunbier to the modern Pilsner. The Lager is made with a gently caramelized Munich malts.

Goller Rauchbier, $5.89/16.9oz-This hugely awarded, dark ruby lager is a traditional Franconian smoked-beer. It has a high but pleasant bitterness. Smoked but not overpowering, with notes of dark carmel, roasted malts, and smoked bacon. Dark but translucent, this full bodied beer pours with a thick and creamy, off-white head.

Goller Weisse, $5.49/16.9oz-This perfect example of German Hefeweizen bears little resemblance to American wheat ales. Highly effervescent, unfiltered and cloudy, with a light straw color, the Steinhauer Weisse has minimal hop presence. Even so, a clean dryness balances out the strong fruitiness. This one will surprise you!

"Steinhauer" translates to "stonecutters." Göller named it after this important trade in their medieval village of Zeil am Main. These men drank wheat & barley ale because that's what was available to them at a time when lagers were rare. Göller's Weisse is actually their most traditional beer!

Hoof Hearted $120 Nachos, $6.59/16oz-IPA - Triple New England / Hazy

Hoof Hearted South of Eleven, $7.89/16oz-Pass the crumpets old boy and slather them in the finest tangerine marmalade. Sticky weed Jeeves!

Hop Butcher All Sides Are Green, $5.49/16oz-Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe & Riwaka-hopped Double India Pale Ale

Hop Butcher Blazed Green Relish, $5.49/16oz-Citra, Sabro & Strata-Hopped Double India Pale Ale

Japas Black Matsurika, $3.99/16oz-Lager - Dark

Lone Pine Oh-J, $4.39/16oz-A carefully selected arrangement of late-addition hops produce a pure citrus punch. 0% fruit. Fresh, never frozen. Not from concentrate.

Lone Pine Raspberry Sparkler, $3.59/16oz-American sour ale brewed with raspberries.

New Belgium Smash Super Hard Seltzer, $21.59/12pk

Odd Side BBA Oatmeal Cookie Stout, $7.09/12oz

Odd Side BBA Tiramisu Stout, $7.09/12oz-

Odd Side Deleterious Ghost Pepper, $7.09/12oz-Stout

Odd Side Deleterious Toasted Coconut, $7.09/12oz-Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels with toasted coconut.

Off Color Beer for Burgers, $3.29/16oz-Inspired by the classic fizzy lager and shot specials enjoyed at corner bars everywhere, a base Helles Bock starts out quite plain to maximize contributions from its time in bourbon barrels. The final beer is a blend of freshly used bourbon barrels, second use barrels, as well as fresh beer. During aging, Beer for Burgers picks up notes of coconut, vanilla, alcoholic heat, and roasted wood tannins. Like a beer and a shot special, this beer is ever changing. The barrel stock changes as well as the blend. The goal is not to make the same beer over and over again, rather to maximize the flavors coming out of the barrels as they are… and make sure it tastes like a beer and shot you’d get with your burger.

Off Color Tooth and Claw, $3.29/16oz-John likes bees. John's like of bees led him to hanging out with other people who like bees. Some of the other people who like bees work at The Field Museum. The Field Museum was opening a bistro and bar. John was opening a brewery. And that is pretty much the story of how Off Color and The Field Museum collaborated to make this crisp, clean pilsner with a dry-hopped bite far inferior to Sue's.

Old Nation Shandy, $3.19/16oz-Old Nation Shandy is a combination of our classic Helles Lager and lemonade from Guernsey Farms. Our companies teamed up to make a refreshing, simple and true to style summer lager.

Pigeon Hill Renny, $2.49/12oz-Renny is a renegade, breaking the mold for Double IPAs. Deceivingly light in both color and body, this West Coast style DIPA starts with pine and citrus in the nose. These elements then carry into the mouth with added notes of grapefruit and a pleasantly dry finish.

Rhinegeist Barrel Aged Cafe Ink, $15.19/500ml-Our indelible Imperial Stout infused with local coffee and aged in bourbon barrels from our neighbors at New Riff Distilling. Jet-black, imponderably rich and roasty-toasty, Barrel Aged Cafe Ink endures.

Rhinegeist Barrel Aged Ink, $14.09/500ml-Aged 12 months in bourbon barrels. This rich, full-bodied elixir deepens with each sip as roasted, dark fruits and chocolate rise up from its plump and supple depths.

Rhinegeist Cloud Harvest 07, $2.19/12oz-Copacabana marks the seventh entry into the Cloud Harvest series, a rotating roster of Unfiltered Juicy IPAs. Taking its name from a lively neighborhood located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana dances with juicy hop flavor. Sabro, Columbus, Strata, and Cascade hops impart heady notes of cannabis, pineapple and papaya.

Rhinegeist Raspy Cat, $1.99/12oz-Glowing with a ruby red haze and purring with notes of raspberry and cherry, Raspy Cat is a tasty trip through vibrant fields of flavor. A bright, refreshing, and slightly tart profile is underscored by light and toasty wheat malt — this is one colorful cat.

Rhinegeist Truth, $1.99/12oz-Intensely hopped, dry IPA with Centennial, Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe Hops. We hop this at a rate of 3lbs/bbl to rev up peach, mango and passion fruit notes.

Rhinegeist Zango Crush, $1.99/12oz-A Citrus celebration with tropical trimmings, Zango Crush is an uncommonly refreshing blend of mango & blood orange.

Short Throw Who Got Da Prop, $8.69/16oz-Our newest Imperial Stout, WGDP incorporates our silky, chocolately malt base with cocoa nibs, marshmallow, peanut butter, and coffee. Decadent and rich; you know the deal. ***contains peanuts***

Shorts Double Soft Parade, $2.79/12oz-The legend, the lore, the luscious! We brought back the Imperial Soft Parade from Joe Short’s famed Imperial Beer Series of 2007 to give y’all twice the fresh blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry magic for a massively bright and supremely balanced fruity punch to the tastebuds. Your Soft Parade confessions just got a little more grandiose.

Three Blonds Boom Boom Betty, $2.19/12oz-Named after our Grandma Betty - the original Blonde - this ale carries a slight malty sweetness and a light hop spice, leading to a nice balance.

Three Blonds DNA Test, $2.59/12oz-Hazy IPA with Amarillo and Michigan Chinook hops for a juicy citrus taste

Three Blonds Soulless, $2.39/12oz-Dark and mysterious, she lures you in with roasted and toasted barley. Then she entices you with hints of caramel and dark chocolate.

Three Blonds Trees and Seas, $2.39/12oz-The wilderness calls. This IPG exploits the balanced citrus and soft pine notes of Centennial hops to feed you exploratory spirit. Find your path and follow it.

Three Blonds Wake and Lake, $2.19/12oz-

Toppling Goliath Dragon Fandango, $6.79/16oz-This unique kettle sour, blended with Citra hop, dragon fruit, mango and passion fruit puree is fruity and tart with a dry finish.

Transient Cosmic Juice, $5.49/16oz-“Cosmic Juice” is the newest iteration amongst our “Juice” offerings, this time focusing on the yeast. We took the hopping (mostly) and grain (entirely) from our Juice is Loose and fermented it with a new strain of yeast straight from our Chicago friends at Omega. The yeast… Cosmic Punch. We pushed the aroma boundaries of this yeast by playing to its strengths with added mash hopping, our typical large double dry hopping rates, and a small added dose of some noble hops early in fermentation time push the biotransformative properties of this yeast to the moon and beyond.

Weyerbacher Quad, $4.69/12oz-Big and delicious, QUAD is an elegant dark ale. Rich with complexity and flavor, try savoring it with a fine dinner. You also might enjoy it as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to a dessert, but QUAD stands alone quite well. We recommend enjoying QUAD in a brandy snifter or wine glass so you can drink in the aroma of this fine ale.

Weyerbacher Tiny, $4.09/12oz-Tiny is a Belgian inspired Imperial Stout weighing in at 11.8% abv. You'll find big chocolate and roasted notes, balanced with the Belgian flavors from the Abbey yeast strain. This beer is very smooth and lacks the astringency you sometimes find in these big Imperial Stouts.

Wolverine Irish Hills, $1.99/12oz-Red lager

Descriptions courtesy of Untappd