New Beer Friday, Hop Rhizome Edition (January 31)

Photo courtesy of hop magnate, Tim Chilcote

By Steve Siciliano

Planting season in Michigan is still a few months away but if you're planning on growing hops this year it’s time to think about ordering rhizomes.

We will be taking rhizome pre-orders now through the end of business on Friday, February 28th. Those wishing to place orders may do so via email (steve@sicilianosmkt.com), by phone (616-453-9674) or in person here at Siciliano's. When ordering by email please ensure that you indicate the desired quantity of the specified variety. Price per each rootstock is $5.00 and payment will not be due until the time of pickup.

We anticipate that the rhizomes will be shipped from our Yakima Valley supplier during the first week of April. Those who placed orders will be personally notified when the shipment arrives. The following is our supplier’s list of the rhizome varieties available this year.

RHIZOME VARIETIES

*We have eliminated U.S. Fuggle and U.S. Hallertau only because the Tettnang is much more popular. All three varieties are a triploid.

• Cascade: 4.5-7.0% alpha. Grows well in all climates. Susceptible to aphid.
• Centennial: 9.5 -11.5% alpha. Grows well in all climates. Susceptible to downy mildew.
• Chinook: 11.0-13.0% alpha. Grows well in dry, hot climates. Does not grow well in moist climates. Subject to spider mite. Great ornamental hop.
• Columbus: 14.5-15.5% alpha. Grows well in dry hot climates. Vigorous but susceptible to mildew diseases.
• Glacier: 5.0-6.0% alpha. Grows well in all climates.
• Golding: 4.0-5.0% alpha. Grows well in mild, moist climates. Does okay in hot climates.
• Mt. Hood: 4-5% alpha. Hybrid of a Hallertau. Grows well in all climates.
• Northern Brewer: 8.0-10.0% alpha. Adequate in temperate climates but has difficulty growing when under heat stress. Susceptible to downy mildew.
• Nugget: 12.0-14.0% alpha. Grows well in all climates.
• Sterling: 6-8% alpha. Hybrid of Saaz. Grows wells in all climates.
• *Tettnang: 4.0-5.0% alpha. Grows well in a moderate climate. Suffers a little in hot climates.
• Willamette: 4.0-6.0% alpha. Grows well in all climates.

NEW MEXICO RHIZOMES

• Amallia: Has an earthy smell. Great for a brown style beer or darker style ales. Estimated alpha is 5.5-9% with a beta of 4.2-8.3%
• Neo1: Has a super lemon aspect and is citrus. Lots of a lighter style aroma and bitterness. Estimated alpha is 7-9% with a beta of 3-3.3%
• Note: Both of these New Mexico hops are vibrant growers and like full sun.

Click here for some good information on rhizome planting and hop growing. See below for good information on a few of the beers you'll probably end up drinking this weekend.

NEW & RETURNING BEERS AT SICILIANO'S

• Stone Matt's Burning Rosids Imperial Cherrywood Smoked Saison, $6.99/22oz - "Life is extraordinarily precious, joyous...and fragile. At Stone, we recently were reminded of this when we lost our dear friend and coworker, Matt Courtright. We felt that there was no better way to share with the world what an extraordinary person he was than by brewing this beer he created. Rather than a somber momento, please think of this as a celebration of Matt. We do. We can’t contemplate it any other way. Matt was by no means a shrinking violet. Quite the contrary. He was exuberant, courageous, outwardly positive, and the type of stalwart friend everybody who knew him was happy to have in their corner. Matt’s smile and voluminous laugh were infectious mainstays around the brewery. He was larger than life in every way...and he was without a doubt an incredible brewer" (source).
• Kona Longboard Lager, $1.69/12oz - "Longboard Island Lager is a smooth refreshing lager fermented and aged for weeks at cold temperatures to yield its exceptionally smooth flavor. A delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma complements the malty body of this beer" (source).
• Kona Big Wave, 1.69/12oz - "Our brewers wanted to make a beer that went down easy after a day out on the water. Big Wave Golden Ale is just the ticket. Big Wave is a lighter bodied golden ale with a tropical hop aroma and flavor – a smooth, easy drinking refreshing ale. The use of caramel malt contributes to the golden hue of this beer and our special blend of hops provides bright quenching finish" (source).
• Rogue Farms 7 hops IPA, $7.39/22oz (limit 1/geek) - "This is John Maier’s secret recipe that blends all seven hops grown in the hopyard of Rogue Farms. It is a true taste of the terroir of the Wigrich Appellation, the oldest hops growing region in Oregon" (source).
• B. Nektar Kill All the Golfers, $8.19/500ml - "We’ve taken the traditional Arnold Palmer and meadified it. "Dry hopped" black tea with honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Maybe we should can this one so we can bring it to the golf course" (source).
• Anderson Valley Spring Hornin' Spring IPA, $2.19/12oz - An American-style India Pale Ale.
• Black Rocks 51k IPAm $1.79/12oz - "A true to form India Pale Ale, a crisp hoppy ale" (source).
• Black Rocks Grand Rabbits, $1.79/12oz - "A refreshing, dry hopped cream ale. Ideal for the porch, beach, canoe or campfire. Made with pure Lake Superior H2O" (source).
• Saugutuk Neapolitan Stout, $2.19/12oz - "Dark roasty notes balanced with creamy flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla" (source).

PICTURE O' THE WEEK | STRAIGHT CHILLIN' AT B. VIVANT

We found this picture of brewers Chris and Alex on Vivant's Facebook page.
Pic of the week? Ha! More like picture of the year.

Cheers!