Siciliano's Market News,17th Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition Edition (Feb 7)

Due to concerns about spreading the Covid-19 virus and in response to the CDC’s recent recommendation that gatherings of 50 or more people be cancelled or postponed, we have made the decision to cancel the 17thAnnual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition.

We will be refunding the entry fees that were paid via PayPal. If you paid with cash or check, you may pick up the refund at your convenience. If you have dropped off your entries you may now pick them up if you wish.

Steve Siciliano

By Steve Siciliano

From its humble beginnings seventeen years ago, the Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition has developed into one of Michigan’s most respected competitive homebrewing events.

We are pleased to announce that once again, this year’s Best of Show (BOS) brewer will have the opportunity to brew his or her winning recipe at a local brewery. The BOS winner will also receive a $500.00 gift card to Siciliano’s Market and, per tradition, will have his or her name engraved on the prestigious Siciliano’s Cup. See below for contest rules and regulations for the 17th Annual Siciliano’s Homebrew Competition. Good luck, everyone!

• Every homebrewer is allowed one (1) beer entry. All entries must be brewed by the registrant on a homebrewing system. Please do not submit entries under the names of significant others, insignificant others, siblings, offspring, distant relatives, estranged roommates, pets, fictional characters, imaginary friends or anyone else.

• Beers are submitted according to the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. Ciders and meads are excluded from this competition. If you are unsure of which is the correct style for your beer, contact us and we will help.

• Entries require two (2) plain, unlabeled/unmarked 12-ounce amber bottles. Please, no clear bottles or bottles of any other size.

• We are again using Reggiebeer as our competition website. Go here to enter your beer and print bottle labels.

• The entry fee is $7.00.

• The total number of contest entries will be capped at 200. Do not delay in submitting your entry. Once the cap is reached no additional entries will be accepted.

• Online registration for entries will be accepted from Monday, March 1 through Sunday, March 31 or until 200 entries are submitted, whichever occurs first.

• Entries must be received by Sunday, March 31. Entries will not be accepted after that date. If mailing an entry, please include paperwork and submission fee. Ship in a well-packed box to: Siciliano’s Market // 2840 Lake Michigan Dr. NW // Grand Rapids, MI 49504

All entries in the Siciliano’s Homebrew Competitions are judged by industry professionals and/or trained judges according to the standards of style, not in comparison to each another, with the exception of Best of Show. Entries that receive scores falling within designated point totals will be awarded bronze, silver or gold medals. A reminder too that we are looking for judges and stewards to help us evaluate all that homebrew. Judging will be held on Saturday, April 18 at 17 Seward Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Registration for judges and stewards is now open. Please visit this page for sign-up information.

News and Returning Beer

21st Amendment 1966, $2.79/12oz - " US-based speciality coffee company Peet’s Coffee has partnered with California-based beer producer 21st Amendment Brewery to launch 1966 Coffee IPA." (Source)

Batch Brewing Dicksmasher, $3.69/12oz - Stout - American Imperial / Double

Brewery Vivant Jam Jar, $5.29/16oz - "Our barrel aged house sour beer blended with a fresh farmhouse ale with an unapologetic amount of blueberries, plums, blackberries, and blueberries to create a jammy sensation." (Source)

Champion Malibu Nights, $4.09/16oz - "Double IPA brewed with tangerines and hibiscus. Dry hopped with citra and amarillo." (Source)

Champion The Pils Are Alive, $1.89/12oz - "This refreshing pilsner was heavily dry hopped with citra hops for a heady citrus nose." (Source)

Collective Arts Blueberry Sour with Cacao Nibs, $4.39/16oz - "Rich, chocolatey flavours typically belong to porters and stouts. We’re throwing you a curveball; a rich, chocolatey… sour. It may sound strange – until you try it. Our winter seasonal sour features sweet blueberries and decadent cocoa, balanced with just the right amount of tart acidity." (Source)

Elysian Contact haze, $2.19/12oz - "New England IPA brewed with Southern Passion, Sabro, El Dorado, Mosaic, Citra, and Sultana hops." (Source)

Evil Twin How Cool is This? In The catskills We Can Get That True Upstate Experience, $5.19/16oz - "DDH DIPA brewed with citra, simcoe, ekuanot. Notes of peach, melon, lime zest and pine sap. Medium bodied. Creamy mouthfeel. Subtle bitterness. Soft carbonation." (Source)

Fat Orange Cat Bruno the Baby Beer Cat, $4.39/16oz - "MOSAIC, GALAXY & DENALI hops. This hop combination creates intense but balanced berry, pineapple and citrus flavors with a smooth finish." (Source)

Founders Centenial, $2.39/19.2oz - New Packaging

Great Divide Chocolate Cherry Yeti, $12.79/19.2oz - Stout - Imperial / Double

Hoof Hearted Roads? Where We're Going We Don't Need Roads, $5.19/16oz - "This is heavy-duty, Doc. The only libation known to be more dangerous than stealing plutonium off Libyan nationalists, this brain-melting DIPA skirts all convention in the name of exploratory endeavors. 1.21 Gigawatts of Bingo Juice driven 88 mph to full dryness. Enigma and Citra act kindly in concert with that sweet, smooth-grove Cashmere." (Source)

Lost Coast 8 Ball, $1.89/12oz - "This stout displays a chocolate brown head with the aroma of roasted barley. You’ll find it delivers a rich, full flavor with creamy oatmeal smoothness, and subtle hop undertones. Enjoy this stout with your favorite hearty dish, or as a meal on its own." (Source)

Lost Coast Sharkinator, $1.89/12oz - "Sharkinator is our Great White (Belgian style) taken to the next level by dry hopping it with Cascade, Crystal, Chinook and Citra hops, providing a wonderful citrus aroma and refreshing hoppy flavor." (Source)

Mikkeller SD Chic Chic Chicary, $4.69/16oz - Porter with chicory root and coffee.

Mikkeller SD Fruit Face, $3.89/16oz - Sour - Berliner Weisse

Mikkeller SD Haze Cadet, $4.69/16oz - New England-style India Pale Ale

Mikkeller SD Traeblod, $8.69/16oz - Imperial stout brewed with maple syrup & coffee

New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve Rum Aged Chocolate Hazelnut, $4.89/12oz - "The first Reserve release of 2020 was aged for 3 months in rum barrels imported from Jamaica and finished on over 2,500 pounds of coconut, 1,000 pounds of toasted hazelnut, and 200 pounds of chocolate. The use of authentic ingredients enhances the flavors imparted by the barrel, including notes of rich molasses and sweet vanilla, without overpowering this delicious brew." (Source)

Oddside Paranoia, $2.79/12oz - "Complex Imperial IPA with citrus and tropical aromas leading to a juicy, hoppy, bitter finish." (Source)

Oddside Stinger, $2.79/12oz - Double IPA brewed with honey

Omnipollo Double Moa, $4.39/16oz - Ale brewed with lemon & lactose sugar

Perrin Carrot Cake, $2.49/12oz - "Pour out a slice of sweet and creamy Carrot Cake. Blended with real carrots, pineapple, and lactose with a wide variety of specialty malts for a rich cake flavor and malty backbone." (Source)

Roak Blow Your Face Out, $3.59/12oz - "Crafted to maximize the dank character of hops with piney, tropical and stone fruit aromas and flavors. At 100 IBU’s these hops are ready to explode right out of the bottle. So grab a glass, this Double IPA is going to Blow Your Face Out." (Source)

Roak Wee Who See, $3.19/16oz - "Beguiling undertones of dark berries and citrus subtly illuminate the bold, dark palate of coffee and chocolate in this sour ale." (Source)

Rockford Milli Vanilli, $2.39/12oz - Milk Porter with Vanilla

Rockford Sheehan, $2.19/12oz - "This is a very smooth and creamy, yet dry, roasty stout. It has the delicate aroma of fresh chocolate and fresh barley. The flavor is well balanced with the subtle fruity characteristics of an Irish Ale yeast fermentation and rich layers of chocolate, coffee, and dry roasted malts." (Source)

Short Throw Straight Bars, $4.69/16oz - "Straight Bars is our American IPA hopped with Citra, Galaxy, and El Dorado. Lovingly dry hopped with the same varietals. One sip and you'll know we ain't playin games. This ish is Straight Bars." (Source)

Short Throw The Product, $4.69/16oz - "This gem features 100% Mosaic hops for our triple dry-hopped Double India Pale Ale. All the aromas and flavors you'd expect from Mosaic hops, with a malt bill intended to have the hops shine for this incredibly, deceivingly drinkable DIPA." (Source)

Shorts Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, $2.79/12oz - "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is a Belgian-style Double IPA brewed with Australian Galaxy hops. The nose is an impressive dank blend of citrus aromas reminiscent of guava and lemons, very green and fresh with subtle Belgian yeast esters. An intense clean bitterness dominates the flavor profile with little malt character to compete with. A slight, fruity yeast sweetness is noticeable in the finish alongside a resounding bitterness." (Source)

Shorts Psychedelic Cat Grass, $2.09/12oz - "Psychedelic Cat Grass is a triple dry-hopped American India Pale Ale originally brewed for HopCat. Aromas of pineapple, mango, and grapefruit accompany the brews slightly hazy, pale orange color and lasting white head. A dry finish is preceded by balanced flavors of tropical fruit and bitter hops." (Source)

Speciation Dry Hopped Incipient, $9.39/16oz - "Our sour golden base, dry hopped with a rotating variety of hops. Mixed fermented with house cultures, and open fermented to express our cultures and to capture additional native microbes." (Source)

Speciation Peach Genetic Drift, $9.39/375ml - "Wild saison with 1.5 lbs peaches/gallon from Nyblad farms. Stainless aged. 2018 World beer cup SILVER medal winner for Brett Beer!" (Source) Speciation Recombination, $13.99/375ml - "Wine Barrel Aged with Aronia, Lime, Orange, and Pomegranate." (Source)

Stone Viking Space Probe, $3.19/12oz - "In the spirit of all the exploratory missions deployed across the galaxy — be they spacecraft, Viking or other — we’re constantly probing the world of beer back here on Earth. That quest has brought us to this latest creation, which comes from our brewing team at Stone Brewing – Napa. With a subtle haze reminiscent of some far-off nebula, and further complemented with the juicy flavors of Ella and Citra hops, this beer is most definitely out of this world. Crafted to be enjoyed on Earth, but if intelligent life does exist out there, we’re pretty sure they’ll like it too." (Source)

Video of the Week/Speciation Artisan Ales

Cheers!