Official
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27 MAY
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Guide
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Beer Week
2016
Pull-Out Guide
AVL BEER WEEK
by Gina Smith
gsmith@mountainx.com
CHEERS TO AVL BEER WEEK
Photo by Tim Robison
COMING SOON! FOR MORE INFO CONTACT US AT INFO@HILLMANBEER.COM
Happy birthday, AVL Beer Week! This year, the project that began — of course — over a few beers shared among friends, celebrates its fifth year of furthering and supporting Western North Carolina’s craft brewing industry through a host of festivals, events and educational programs. ABW enjoyed success right out of the gate with its first iteration in 2012, and it has grown and matured over the years. Many new breweries have emerged to join the scene — including Wicked Weed, Burial and Hi-Wire, all of which have already rapidly expanded — and large Western breweries Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues have opted to open East Coast facilities in the area. In 2015, ABW officially became a function of the nonprofit Asheville Brewers Alliance, bringing a new element of support and organization to the effort. And with a full range of events — from sensory trainings to homebrew festivals to elegant beer dinners to yoga-and-beer sessions — 2016 AVL Beer Week has something for everyone. Here’s to the next five years! — Gina Smith, food editor
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2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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FEATURE ARTICLE
by Scott Douglas
jsdouglas22@gmail.com
HAPPY BEER-DAY: Originially an idea hatched over beers shared among friends, AVL Beer Week celebrates five years of evolution with this year’s iteration. Running May 27- June 4, it features a well-rounded roster of festivals, workshops, tastings and more. Photo on left by Tim Robison; photo on right from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail
BEERVIEWMIRROR Conceived in 2011 as a means to support and promote Asheville’s burgeoning craft brewing industry, AVL Beer Week has become a local tradition in its own right. Now entering its fifth year, the weeklong celebration has forged a legacy of fostering community engagement and business partnership with area breweries during a period of unprecedented growth and advancement in our city’s booming beer economy. The tireless efforts of a small and dedicated group of Asheville beer professionals have helped nurture this mountain town’s reputation as a brewing powerhouse on the national stage, and AVL Beer Week has played an instrumental role in that. AVL Beer Week began, as many great things do, over a few locally crafted beers among friends. Mary Eliza McRae, who was working as the craft beer manager at Budweiser of Asheville overseeing products from local breweries such as Asheville Brewing Co. and Natty Greene’s, met with a group of friends to brainstorm what would become the Asheville Beer Masters Tournament. Also present was Anne-Fitten Glenn, then the principal beer writer for Mountain Xpress. And when the
AVL BEER WEEK 2016 BUILDS ON A STRONG LEGACY good at planning events, and that’s how it all started. It was very organic.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Photo from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail
conversation turned from the tournament to Asheville’s third straight win in worldrenowned beer writer Charlie Papazian’s online Beer City USA poll, the group began to consider what could be done to further advance the city’s blossoming reputation as a national beer mecca. “There were several of us who had been working on this Beer Masters Tournament,
which was spearheaded by Mary Eliza McRae, and we were talking about other cool things that we could do to showcase beer,” remembers Glenn. “At the time, there were a number of beer weeks in different cities across the country, and we thought that as cool as Asheville’s beer scene was, we should have a beer week. So we gathered a group of people involved in the community who were MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
Still, there were significant challenges. “We had to build it from scratch,” explains Julie Atallah, co-owner of Bruisin’ Ales, who served on the first Beer Week committee. ”Asheville was one of the only smaller cities planning a beer week at the time, so while it was easy to look to San Diego, Portland and Philly as guidelines, we really had to put our heads down and figure out a way to make it work for Asheville. In hindsight, the hard work paid off, and soon after, other small-market beer weeks started.“ The success of that first committee was due, in large part, to the unique skill set each member brought to the table. ”There was a core concept that began with a couple of the original committee members. From there, a few more members were recruited, with some good old-fashioned peer pressure, for their expertise and abilities,“ remembers T.J. Gardner, formerly of Empire Distributors and currently Sierra Nevada Brewing’s area manager for 2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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FEATURE ARTICLE
by Scott Douglas
jsdouglas22@gmail.com
Eat your heart out, WNC
.com IN THE BEGINNING: “We had to build it from scratch,” says Bruisin’ Ales co-owner Julie Atallah of her work with the committee that created AVL Beer Week five years ago. At the time, Asheville was one of the only small cities in the U.S. planning a weeklong beer celebration. Photo by Anne-Fitten Glenn
Western North Carolina. ”We really ended up with a well-rounded group of area beer professionals. When we were looking for solutions to ideas or problems, usually someone on the committee had the knowhow to make those solutions happen, or knew someone who did. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all the original committee members. They all are still very much a vital part of the fabric of this great beer community.“ Glenn wrote one of the definitive books on the local beer scene, Asheville Beer: An Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing. She also worked as the East Coast marketing and public relations director for Oskar Blues Brewery before founding Brewgasm Media, a beer marketing consulting firm. McRae subsequently became the regional sales manager for Rogue Ales and Spirits before moving on to manage the craft division of Durham-based wholesaler Harris Beverages. Other core committee members from those early days included Asheville Brewing Co. President Mike Rangel, former Thirsty Monk general manager and current craft beer manager at Empire Distributors Caroline Forsman, Adam Reinke of the Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters homebrewing club, Barley’s 4
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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Taproom owner Jimi Rentz and former Pisgah Brewing and Craggie Brewing marketing director Simone Seitz.
AN ASHEVILLE SHOWCASE From the beginning, a key aspect of AVL Beer Week’s mission was facilitating a cooperative atmosphere among the drinking community, local breweries and other Asheville businesses. This goal has remained central to the planning and development of each year’s celebration. “It was really important that [AVL Beer Week] be driven by the local businesses that were participating — not just breweries but also taprooms and restaurants,” says Kendra Penland, director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. “The goal was to shine a light on the really cool stuff that was happening here in the craft brewing industry, but also to help invigorate the community and give an opportunity for other businesses to benefit by bringing more folks here. Businesses don’t even have to serve alcohol to participate or host an event. It’s been interesting for us to be able to partner and collaborate with other local businesses.” This year’s AVL Beer Week sponsors, for example, include Red House Architecture,
the Insurance Service of Asheville and MB Haynes Corporation, a general contracting company. Public engagement is also of paramount importance, the organizers say, as it’s the event’s ability to draw new and returning customers from both Asheville and beyond that ultimately benefits local businesses. “AVL Beer Week is a nationally recognized beer event. The more exposure we get from beer tourism, the more we will see folks returning to Western North Carolina,” notes Shelton Steele, an Asheville Brewers Alliance member who is the director of retail operations for Catawba Brewing Co. “Our bars, restaurants and breweries are some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that folks are returning year after year for AVL Beer Week. As the format has continued to evolve, the public has found more ways to participate. Creativity and innovation are hallmarks of the local food and beer scene, and AVL Beer Week showcases these attributes. There is something for everyone, ranging from sophisticated beer dinners to sensory learning experiences to ice-cream beer flights. In my opinion, Beer Week has fostered business collaborations that showcase the best of what Asheville has to offer.”
BEER MADNESS The first AVL Beer Week in 2012 was an 11-day bacchanal of all things beer. Displaying unrestrained enthusiasm for craft brewing, it was a resounding success. And while that passion hasn’t dissipated, change was inevitable. As Asheville collected more national attention and investment, Beer Week festivities grew in scope to encompass breweries from farther afield, and the logistics of managing events became more complicated. “ABW has really matured and begun settling into itself. The first year was a wild, wide-open sprint into as much beer madness as we could possibly squeeze into a week,” says Gardner. “We swelled the second and third years with literally hundreds of events — so many we couldn’t attend them all. That was itself an opportunity to learn and get better. Each year we have tried to carefully hear and digest the feedback from event hosts and Beer Week attendees. As we learned from this information, we have settled into a groove of what Asheville Beer Week is today: a well-rounded and dependable week of events to entice both the novice and entrenched craft beer drinker. Last year, AVL Beer Week became a function of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which
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is important because it also tells the story of the organization maturing and taking a bigger role in shaping, supporting and promoting the entire beer scene here in Western North Carolina.” The organizers, says Glenn, “realized we needed an actual nonprofit designation. It made sense to have AVL Beer Week under the Asheville Brewers Alliance, because applying for a 501(c) (3) takes a lot of time, money and paperwork. But we could fold Beer Week into the Brewers Alliance, which was already a partial beneficiary of any extra money that the festival might make, because the idea is to support beer year-round, not just during that one week.” “Before,” clarifies Penland, “it was a grassroots effort by some folks in the local brewing industry who thought there was a hole to fill, and they did that.” Now, the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which was already closely
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things like serving while drinking, or pouring beer from sixtels strapped to their backs at the Beer City Festival. Such acts of dubious legality would never be permitted today. And then there are those Beer Week memories that are better left out of print altogether. Regardless of what sort of memories you’d like to have of this year’s Beer Week, the important thing is to go out and make some. Have a beer at the grand opening of Highland’s rooftop patio, meet the women of WNC beer at the Thirsty Monk, see a concert at Pisgah Brewing or The Grey Eagle, or enjoy one of the many beer pairing brunches or dinners throughout the week. However you choose to participate, you’ll not only be in for a good time, you’ll be supporting the people and institutions that make Asheville such an extraordinary place to live.
“Our bars, restaurants and breweries are some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that folks are returning year after year for AVL Beer Week... In my opinion, Beer Week has fostered business collaborations that showcase the best of what Asheville has to offer.” — SHELTON STEELE — Director of retail operations for Catawba Brewing Co. associated with the festival’s planning and execution, is “here as a resource that can provide additional support and coordination.” This should help ensure the event’s longevity while also facilitating communication between businesses hosting events and the general public.
MAKING MEMORIES AVL Beer Week is not just about supporting local businesses: It’s about celebrating the people who make them possible. First and foremost, it is about building memories of good times in a great community. Some memories evoke the perseverance of the stalwarts who followed their bold vision to craft a festival befitting Asheville’s beer culture. Once, for example, Steele and the Catawba crew took chainsaws to a fallen oak tree a mere two hours before a farm-totable beer dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Other memories are strictly of unadulterated fun, such as when Atallah and other industry leaders starred alongside local comedy troupe The Feral Chihuahuas in a promotional video for the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau that was inspired by an AVL Beer Week event. There are also nostalgic reminiscences of the unfettered days when Asheville’s beer scene was still in its infancy, and prominent industry leaders could get away with 6
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AN EVOLVING EVENT When AVL Beer Week began in 2012, such notable Asheville breweries as Wicked Weed, Burial and Hi-Wire were still on the horizon. The same was true for Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium Brewing, the three Western breweries that would soon choose to make their East Coast homes in the Asheville area. Back then, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to predict the remarkable growth that has ensued in both the local brewing and tourism industries. It is therefore unlikely that anyone can accurately predict what the coming years will bring for Asheville’s craft brewing community. While some aspects of AVL Beer Week have remained consistent — such as the perennial participation of industry leaders like Asheville Brewing and Bruisin’ Ales, or foundational events like Just Brew It and the Beer City Festival — the only true constant in the industry is change, and AVL Beer Week will undoubtedly continue to reflect that. It can be safely assumed, however, that future changes will mirror the industry’s continuing development, which has proved to be a boon not only to beer lovers but to Asheville as a whole. X
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AVL BEER WEEK
by Edwin Arnaudin
edwinarnaudin@gmail.com
ON THE GO: Breweries have different ways of making their beers mobile. While Hi-Wire Brewing’s products, left, will be flowing at the upcoming Beer City Festival from taps installed on the company van, Oyster House Brewing Co. owner Billy Klingel will use a custom-made “traveling beer engine.”Photo on the left courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing; photo on the right by Cindy Kunst
HAVE BEER WILL TRAVEL
HI-WIRE AND OYSTER HOUSE PREPARE FOR BEER CITY FESTIVAL From the dual 30-barrel brewhouses of Hi-Wire Brewing to Oyster House Brewing Co.’s 5-barrel system, plenty of variety will be on display at the annual Beer City Festival downtown on Saturday, May 28. True to the range of liquid creativity set to pour at each booth, the ways in which each brewery prepares for the event and how their beers will be shared are just as unique.
TAPS FROM THE VAN Now that its Big Top facility is in full swing, and its original South Slope brewery has been converted to specialize in sour and wild beer, what will Hi-Wire bring to the festival? “Maybe some sort of quintuple-hopped imperial session pawpaw ale shot from a cannon through a fiery ring and into cognac barrels that were locked inside of the trunk of a clown car for 18 months as it traveled around the country visiting side show after side show,” says beer juggler Chris McLain. “Probably not, but I can say we will have a fun selection.” McLain makes his Beer City Fest plans a couple of weeks in advance. He decides how much to bring based on the festival’s predicted turnout, the availability of the beer itself and what he thinks people are going to want to drink, which, he says, is the most difficult aspect to determine. “I look to cover all bases with our selection of beers. I want to be able to pique everyone’s interest and not turn away someone who has been waiting in line to drink something light and refreshing only to find we are featuring stouts exclusively or something silly like that,” he says. For a brewery like Hi-Wire with a distribution footprint that extends throughout North Carolina and into South Carolina and Tennessee, McLain finds it important to share not only small-batch beers, but also something consumers may find with some sort of regularity. “It can be a bit of a bummer to sample that one really great 8
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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beer that you will never see again because it was only available at the festival,” he says. “We want to show people we can make great beer consistently.” Whatever winds up on the menu will be dispensed directly from taps off the side of a company van. (“It’s really popular in bad traffic and for tailgating,” McLain jokes.) The goal is to run out of product at the very end of the festival, but if supplies dwindle early, returning to the brewery for replenishments would mean taking the mobile pour station with them. Instead, the Hi-Wire crew looks to stay the course and revel in an event that supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC. “The beer is great, but it’s also about community,” McLain says. “I’m of the mindset that it takes a community to build a brewery and not the other way around, so when we can get together as a group of breweries and give something back, that’s just wonderful.”
THE TRAVELING BEER ENGINE When it comes to the special casks that he’ll take to the festival, Oyster House head brewer and owner Billy Klingel strategizes well in advance. As with Hi-Wire’s selections, festivalgoers will have to swing by the Oyster House tent to see what’s available, but what is clear is the apparatus that will be dispensing these ales: the traveling beer engine. “Originally it was just a box — I called it a ‘shroud’ because I would put it over my jockey box so you couldn’t see that it was a cooler. Then after having [the two cask hand pumps on the Oyster House bar], I fell in love with the beer engine,” Klingel says. Following this newfound interest, Klingel purchased an Angram counter-mount model that required drilling a hole in a foundational base as opposed to clamping it on the bar like the two in-house pumps. By that point, he’d already procured a new jockey box that looked good enough without a shroud, so he decided to combine the
two components. “The first go-round was a little rough because the torque, when you’re pulling on it, the whole box wants to move. So now we travel with two heavy bricks and weight it down,” Klingel says. “Everyone should have a traveling beer engine.” Of the four tap lines running through the jockey box that Klingel will also bring to the festival, one will be occupied by the brewery’s flagship Moonstone Oyster Stout. What will flow through its three neighbors, however, will largely depend on the volume of the walk-in cooler that Saturday morning and the needs of the West Asheville brewpub itself. “Come the time of Beer City Fest, and this place is rocking and rolling and we’re full outside and we’re full inside, a batch of Galaxy IPA might last for eight days. So, selfishly, you’ve got to think about this place before anything else,” Klingel says. Festival organizers want each participating brewery to bring upward of 4 half-barrels (which translates to two kegs of each of the four offerings), but in Klingel’s seven years of pouring at the event, he can only point to one time when a quarter-barrel of a single Oyster House beer wasn’t sufficient. With that history, he doubts he’ll run out of product and can instead enjoy seeing old friends and making new acquaintances at what’s by far his favorite local beer festival. X
MORE INFO WHAT
Beer City Festival
WHEN
1-6 p.m. Saturday, May 28
WHERE
Roger McGuire Green at Pack Square Park downtown
HOW MUCH $45 in advance, $50 at the gate. Designated driver passes are $25 and available only at the gate.
MORE INFORMATION
Tickets are available online at beercityfestival.com and downtown at Bruisin’ Ales and Barley’s Taproom
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AVL BEER WEEK
by Scott Douglas
jsdouglas22@gmail.com
A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE SENSORY TRAINING AIMS TO EDUCATE PALATES
TASTE AND LEARN: Certified cicerone Cliff Mori is gearing his Beer Flavors 101 workshop toward bartenders, servers and anyone else interested in gaining a better understanding of the nuances of beer tasting and evaluation. Photo by Cindy Kunst
The Asheville Brewers Alliance will host a sensory training class led by certified cicerone Cliff Mori upstairs at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria on Wednesday, May 31. This introductory guided tasting, titled Beer Flavors 101, will focus on the flavors
contributed to beer by yeast, malts and hops, and will feature local examples of styles showcasing the influence these ingredients bring to bear on a beer’s unique flavor profile. A joint venture between the Asheville Brewers Alliance and the Cicerone
BEER FLAVORS 101 WHAT
Pizzeria, 42 Biltmore Ave.
Beer sensory training class with certified cicerone Cliff Mori
HOW MUCH $35
WHEN
WHERE
10
MORE INFORMATION
1-3 p.m. Wednesday, May 31
Upstairs at Barley’s Taproom and
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
For tickets, search for “Beer Flavors 101” on eventbrite.com. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
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Certification Program conceived and orchestrated by ABA director Kendra Penland, Beer Flavors 101 is intended to not only educate the palates of local craft beer drinkers, but also to familiarize them with the standardized vocabulary of beer tasting. According to Mori, the aim is to provide a starting point for people of all levels of beer knowledge to evolve their approach to the tasting process. “I hope it will encourage participants to be more thoughtful when it comes to how they taste not only beer, but other food and drink as well. We tend to be a society of consumers that gives little thought to what we are consuming,” says Mori. “How many times have you asked someone what they thought of a particular food or drink and the response you received was, ’Good’? I’d like to help people get beyond ’good’ to really be able to talk about what they smell and taste and be able to convey those concepts to others in a way that makes sense.”
Mori is heavily involved in the tutelage of Asheville craft beer connoisseurs and brewing industry professionals. Through his company, BREW-ed, he provides onsite training in proper beer service for the staff of bars, restaurants and tasting rooms, as well as educational brewery tours for those seeking a more in-depth understanding of beer and the brewing process. He is also an independent contractor who has been employed for the last four years as a teacher, exam proctor and grader for the Cicerone Certification Program, a role that has taken him as far north as Vermont and as far west as Texas. Mori is currently leading a series of sensory training and off-flavor classes at Highland Brewing Co. as a part of Cicerone’s Beersavvy Bootcamp program. While Beer Flavors 101 was developed to contribute an educational component to this year’s AVL Beer Week festivities, the purpose of the event is to engage novices and experts alike without intimidating those new to tasting techniques and terminology. “We want folks — from craft beer aficionados to new fans — to learn about some of the fundamentals of craft beer in an informal, relaxed setting from a top-notch beer educator,” says Penland. “This event will be great for those interested in learning more about where beer flavors come from. The material will be geared toward the average craft enthusiast, but the tasting techniques we will be employing are useful to anyone with a need to critically taste and evaluate beer,” Mori says. “Servers and bartenders working in Asheville who would like to have a better understanding of beer flavor would definitely benefit as well.” Mori hopes that the class will enhance beer lovers’ AVL Beer Week experience. “I think this is a great early event for the week. Hopefully after attending this event, people will be able to give a little more thought to the amazing local beers they’ll be drinking all week,” he says. Details about Mori’s Beersavvy classes can be found at cicerone.org, and his brewery tours can be booked at brew-ed.com. X
AVL BEER WEEK
by Edwin Arnaudin
edwinarnaudin@gmail.com
AVL BEER WEEK FOR
TEETOTALERS NONDRINKING EVENTS DOT THE BEER-HEAVY SCHEDULE ASHEVILLE BEER WEEK MAY 28 - JUNE 4
SATURDAY TED LIGHT LIME AT BEER CITY FEST 1:00PM - 6:00PM | ROGER McGUIRE GREEN
SUNDAY BILTMORE GARAGE ROCK SOCIAL 2:30PM | 63 BROOK ST.
MONDAY BEER THEME TRIVIA NIGHT 7:30PM | 63 BROOK ST.
TUESDAY GAINING GROUND FARM DINNER 5:00PM | 305 SLUDER BRANCH RD., LEICESTER
WEDNESDAY BEER & CHOCOLATE PAIRING 7:00PM | 32 BANKS AVE.
THURSDAY AVL TOURISTS BALL GAME 7:05PM | McCORMICK FIELD
FRIDAY BEER RELEASE: LD’S BELGIAN GOLD ALE NOON | 32 BANKS AVE. THE GIFT OF BEER: Those who want to take a break from AVL Beer Week’s full schedule of drinking events can learn the art of brewing at Fifth Season Gardening Co. The 12-pack of IPA that participants take home at the end of the course can be saved for later or gifted to a friend. Pictured is owner Mike Weeks. Photo by Cindy Kunst
When even the ice cream is made with beer, it’s understandable if nondrinkers feel left out of the AVL Beer Week fun. A closer look at the schedule, however, reveals multiple events that don’t involve consuming alcohol — including the aforementioned beer dessert event at The Hop 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 3, where nonbeer flavors will also be served. One noteworthy educational opportunity takes place at the Thirsty Monk’s downtown bar 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, where women of the Western North Carolina beer industry and their work will be celebrated. Highland Brewing Co. head brewer Hollie Stephenson and quality control specialist Anna Sauls will be in attendance as well as Mia Pederson, founder of the Asheville chapter of Girls Pint Out, a national craft beer organization for women. Thirsty Monk beer buyer Joanna Postlethwaite has also invited participants from Pink Boots Brew Day and International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. She says it will be a casual celebration where attendees can hang out and chat with these local figures and that
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AVL BEER WEEK
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there will be a toast to women in the industry, during which either she or Stephenson will say a few words. “In an industry that is still mostly considered ‘a man’s world,’ women are overcoming the stigma and making their mark as brewers, cellarwomen, quality control managers, packaging leads, salespeople, marketing managers and much more,” Postlethwaite says. “There are so many examples of strong leading ladies in Western North Carolina’s craft beer industry, and their stories are inspiring, not only to our local community of friends, family and craft beer lovers, but also to other women across the country and the world who are working towards and succeeding in making a difference in the industry.” Those interested in emulating these influential women can sign up to brew their own IPA at Fifth Season Gardening Co. 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 28. The class will be led by brew manager Jeremy Bruder, an experienced brewer and former teacher. In it, up to 20 participants will each make a gallon of Brewcraft Gigantic IPA, a 7.3 percent ABV citrusy, hoppy style that incorporates Magnum, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal and Simcoe hops. After the beer has fermented for two weeks in the store’s climate-controlled environment, brewers will be invited back to bottle up their creations in a 12-pack to take home (and perhaps gift to a loved one). Fifth Season’s flagship class brews five times as much product and costs $130, but the special Beer Week course goes for $24.99 and includes a pint of local craft beer — for which nondrinkers may substitute a San Pelligrino, specialty coffee or other beverage or donate to a friend. “The idea for this class was to offer something that would be at a lower price point and a chance to see just how good of a beer you can make from a kit without the commitment to five gallons,” says Kristin Weeks, community and media relations for Fifth Season. And for a purely relaxing time, look no further than Highland’s rooftop patio grand opening 4-9 p.m. Friday, May 27. In addition to the industrial chic ambiance, the new spot offers expansive, 360-degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, from which marketing coordinator Molly McQuillan says Cold Mountain is visible on a clear day. Going forward, the rooftop patio will be open during normal operating hours and may also be reserved for private events, giving beer drinkers and teetotalers alike an enticing getaway throughout the year. X
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Dinosour Release 5-11 p.m., Asheville Brewing, South Slope, and Innovation Brewing, Sylva, free Dinosour, a sour blonde ale with rose petals, elderberry and hibiscus, is the result of a creative partnership between Asheville Brewing Co. and Innovation Brewing in Sylva. This beer will be released simultaneously at both breweries. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the brewing process and how this “collabeeration” came to be.
Coolcumber Release 5 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing, downtown Wicked Weed Brewing hosts its annual release of the popular spring seasonal Coolcumber.
SATURDAY, MAY 28 Barrel-Aged Threesome 12-6 p.m., Asheville Brewing Co., South Slope, free
Photo on left from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail; photo on right courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing
AVL BEER WEEK
EVENTS WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHERE ALL WEEK
FRIDAY, MAY 27
Beer Cocktails at Top of the Monk
Sanctuary Shakeup
Top of the Monk, downtown Top of the Monk will have a special menu of beer-infused cocktails designed for both beer and cocktail lovers alike.
12-11 p.m., Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E., Hendersonville Sanctuary Brewing Co. is releasing 10 one-of-a-kind, small-batch beers in its taproom, including Raspberry Hendo-Weisse, Blueberry/Orange
Fierce Thirst wit, Banana Panther banana chocolate porter, Blackberry Saison, Cookies ’n’ Cream Panther porter, Coffee Winterfell IPA, Chocolate/Orange Fierce Thirst wit, Peanut Butter/Raspberry Saison, Apple Pie Scottie’s Red Ale and more. The brewers will be on hand to discuss the beers, and Carolinabound will provide live music.
Highland Brewing Co.’s Rooftop Grand Opening and AVL Beer Week Kickoff Party 4-9 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Highway, free Highland Brewing Co.’s rooftop patio grand opening is kicking off AVL Beer Week. The brewery will also be serving its Highland Pilsner in cans for the first time at the brewery. There will be music in the meadow and food trucks on-site. MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
Asheville Brewing will release three very limited barrel-aged beers simultaneously at Beer City Festival and at its brewery on Coxe Avenue. The beers: toasted coconut bourbon barrel-aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout, Brandy BarrelAged Ninjabread Man Porter and cabernet sauvingnon barrel-Aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the barrel-aging process.
Balancer Summer Ale Release to Benefit Hadaya Toys 12-5 p.m., Green Man Brewery., South Slope Green Man Brewing will show the Champions League Final (Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid), and the event will serve as the first-time release of Balancer Summer Ale, a session, dry-hopped English pale ale. One dollar from each pint of this beer sold will go to Hadaya Toys, a local nonprofit started by two Asheville moms that brings soccer balls and other toys to children in refugee camps throughout the world. These deliveries bring joy and psychological relief to kids who have been affected by war. 2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
MOUNTAIN XPRESS
BEER EVENTS
by Dan Hesse
dhesse@mountainx.com
Brew your own IPA class
SUNDAY, MAY 29
1-3 p.m., Fifth Season Gardening Co.
Bourbon barrel-aged Skillet bottle release
Asheville Market, East Asheville, $24.99 Fifth Season Gardening Co. Asheville Market, home of North Carolina’s largest brew-on-premises facility, is offering a reduced-rate brewing class for AVL Beer Week. Expert instructors will guide participants through every step of the brewing process on state-of-the-art equipment. After the beer has fermented for two weeks in a climate-controlled environment, everyone can come back to bottle up a gallon (12-pack) to take home. The beer to be brewed during the workshop is Brewcraft Gigantic IPA. A fermenter will be given away to one lucky participant. Preregister at avl.mx/2kk.
Beer City Festival 1-6 p.m., Roger McGuire Green, downtown, $45 Beer City Festival brings the best local and regional breweries from Asheville and surrounding areas together for a
12-5 p.m., Burial Beer Co., South Slope, $16/750-milliliter bottle (limit three per person) This breakfast stout is crafted from a blend of nine barley malts, a healthy scoop of oats, milk and molasses sugars and our favorite blend of freshly roasted Counter Culture Coffee beans and aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for eight months.
Saison Sunday 12-11 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing, downtown Wicked Weed will release 10 of its saisons in honor of AVL Beer Week. All of them will be on tap at the downtown location in the downstairs tasting room.
Biltmore Garage Rock Social 2-9 p.m., Catawba Brewing, Biltmore Village, free Catawba’s Biltmore Village location will host this event featuring beer, food and vinyl. There will also be live music from Asheville bands Doc Aquatic and Analog Moon starting at 4 p.m.
great day of beer and music. This year’s event features more than 32 breweries,
Spring-toberfest
plus local music acts. All of the breweries featured in Beer City Festival are members of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. The ABA focuses on the growth of local and surrounding Asheville breweries through active partnership and support. You can purchase tickets here. [avl.mx/2l7]
Menage a Freak Triple IPA release party 5-11 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing, downtown, free Come out to the downtown location to celebrate the annual release of Wicked Weed’s Menage a Freak Triple IPA in the downstairs tasting room. The event will also feature aerial artists, live music and more for a burlesque/circus themed event. Costumes are encouraged.
5-8:30 p.m., Sierra Nevada Brewing, Fletcher Sierra Nevada can’t wait until October to celebrate Oktoberfest, so it’s hosting Springtoberfest for AVL Beer Week. The event will feature traditional oompah music with a twist, German snacks and steins of festbier to sample.
Pickin’ Party with the Jeff Austin Band 8-11 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., East Asheville, $15 Wrap up Memorial Day weekend with a bluegrass pickin’ party in Highland Brewing’s new event center with the Jeff Austin Band. Best known for co-founding Yonder Mountain String Band, Jeff Austin has shared the stage with Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Earle Scruggs, Jon Fishman and Phil Lesh. MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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BEER EVENTS
Pisgah Mountain County Stout release
pants through an exploration of hops,
1-8 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain
istics of each ingredient. Parking is
highlight
the
character-
available in nearby parking decks and
MONDAY, MAY 30
AVL Girls Pint Out will celebrate some
Oskar Blues Trolley Crawl with Thirsty Monk
industry’s leading ladies. On tap will be
5:30-9:30 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown, free
golden strong ale brewed by women from
Come hop on the Oskar Blues trolley to tour all Thirsty Monk locations. The ride starts at the Downtown Monk and will hit up Open Brewing in Gerber Village, Biltmore Park and Woodfin along the way, returning downtown to finish. Be the first to try our OB/TM collaboration “Trolley Crawl” beer at each stop. The trolley will feature music, beer trivia, giveaways and more. Be sure to arrive at the Downtown Monk by 5:15pm to get on the trolley.
tion with Pink Boots Society. A portion
This peach sour saison —a collaboration between Ben’s Tune Up and Bhramari Brewhouse — will be released on Memorial Day to celebrate AVL Beer Week 2016. It’s a tart ale that includes all the rustic grains, including barley, wheat, corn, oats, rye, spelt and sorghum, and weathered a lengthy triple fermentation with pure peach juice. This summer sour is available at Ben’s Tune-up and Bhramari Brewhouse.
TUESDAY, MAY 31 Beer Flavors 101 1-3 p.m., upstairs at Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria, downtown, $35 Certified cicerone and local beer educator Cliff Mori of BREW-ed will lead particiMOUNTAIN XPRESS
that
Women of WNC Beer at Thirsty Monk Downtown
Locations’ regular hours, Ben’s Tune Up and Bhramari Brewhouse, downtown, free
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
beers
Pisgah Brewing releases its newest monster of a beer, Pisgah Mountain County Stout. This imperial stout, aged 11 months in Four Roses bourbon barrels, is full of dark-roasted malts, raw cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolates and a proprietary blend of dark-roasted organic coffee from Pisgah’s neighbor, Dynamite Roasting Co. This 11.8 percent ABV stout will be available in 22-ounce bottles starting at the Black Mountain taproom.
Natural Born Farmer Beer Release
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malt and yeast by tasting and discussing
on-street parking. Tickets are $35 and are available at avl.mx/2kb.
5-9 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown Thirsty Monk, Highland Brewing Co. and of the Western North Carolina craft beer the International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day beer, Unite Ale, a Belgian Asheville’s beer industry in collaboraof every pint sold benefits Our VOICE, a nonprofit organization serving victims and supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault in Buncombe County.
Evolution of English IPA (circa 1750-2000) Lecture and Tasting 6-7:30 p.m., Zebulon Artisan Ales, Weaverville, $20 An informal lecture on the evolution of IPA from the massive pale beer of the 1700s to the lowly golden bitter called IPA in the 1980s. This talk will show how world wars and taxes slowly eroded what would become the most popular beer style in the U.S. The talk includes five 8-ounce pours of IPAs through the years starting with a monster 11% ABV October Beer from the 1700s, the Brettanomyces, fermented IPA sent by ship to India and others as IPA progressed through 200 years of wars, legislation and public tastes. All beers were brewed as close to historical records as possible. Seating for the first 30 attendees is available, after which it is standing room only. For guaranteed seating RSVP to gabe@ zebulonbrewing.com or on the Zebulon Facebook page. [avl.mx/2l8]
BEER EVENTS
Photo from the 2015 AVL Beer Week Westside Fest courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail
Lo-Fi Brewing Co. tap takeover with Slick Rick the Ruler 8 p.m., The Grey Eagle, River Arts District, $22 in advance/$25 at the door Pisgah Brewing Co. co-founder Jason Caughman’s new Charleston brewery, Lo-Fi Brewing Co., will take over the taps at The Grey Eagle with a featured performance by legendary hip-hop storyteller Slick Rick the Ruler. For tickets, visit thegreyeagle.com/event/slick-rickthe-ruler.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 The Dweller Vertical Tasting 3-10 p.m., Green Man Brewery, South Slope Green Man Brewery cellared three years worth of The Dweller Imperial Stout, which will be available to taste side by side at this event at the Greenmansion. The evening will feature flights of 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages of this special release.
Thirsty Monk Pint Night 4-11 p.m., Thirsty Monk, all locations It’s a Thirsty Monk Pint Night at all locations. Grab a pour of any of Thirsty Monk’s in-house beer lineup and take the glass home with you.
Asheville Brewers’ Tasty Invasiwon 5-8 p.m., Tasty Beverage Co., South Slope Tasty Beverage Co. proudly features Asheville breweries on its shelves and on tap year-round, but for this night during AVL Beer Week, all the taps flow with favorites from local breweries.
Brewmaster’s tasting with Don Richardson of Quest Brewing 5-7 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, downtown, free Meet Quest Brewing Brewmaster Don Richardson for a tasting of Quest Brewing beers hand-selected by Richardson himself. Richardson has been in the beer industry for more than 20 years and has gained a MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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BEER EVENTS stellar reputation for the award-winning
will have several rare and one-off beers
beer recipes he brewed while at Boulder
all in one place curated by Thirsty Monk
Beer Co. in Colorado and Cottonwood
especially for AVL Beer Week 2016.
Brewery in North Carolina. Richardson’s
Participating breweries include Prairie
ties to Western North Carolina beer run
Artisan Ales, Evil Twin Brewing, Grimm
deep — he’s the “King Don” behind
Artisanal Ales, Allagash Brewing, Sierra
Catawba Brewing Co.’s King Don’s
Nevada, New Belgium Brewing, Boulevard
Pumpkin. Beers will include Golden Fleece Belgian Pale Ale, Smoking Mirror Porter, Ponce Cucumber Jalapeno Saison (World Beer Cup gold medal winner 2016); barrel-aged Elegast (Flemish-style sour aged for 18 months).
Not So Big BIG Beer Festival 2016 5:30-9:30 p.m., Thirsty Monk
Brewing, Thirsty Monk Brewery and others. The $10 ticket includes admission, souvenir tasting glass and one Thirsty Monk brewery beer to go. Tokens will be available for $3 each that can be redeemed for festival pours or various food options. Parking is available on site. Please try to carpool if possible. No overnight parking.
Kick the Keg Throwdown 6-9 p.m., Pour Taproom, West Asheville Pour Taproom will host kegs from Highland
America’s top craft breweries will feature
Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing and New Belgium
a selection of their rare and specialty
Brewing in a competition to see whose keg
beers in an intimate outdoor and covered
kicks first. The event will feature beer specials
setting. This small-scale beer festival
and giveaways.
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
7 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $5 Kick back and enjoy a cold one while cracking up with Bob and Doug McKenzie from Strange Brew. “This movie was shot in 3B – three beers – and it looks good, eh?” There will be popcorn and strange brews on tap, and The Taqueria will be open during the show. The movie will be shown on the patio, weather permitting.
THURSDAY, JUNE 2 Rage Yoga 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., The Millroom, downtown, $20
Warehouse, Biltmore Village, $10
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Movie Night - Strange Brew
MOUNTAIN XPRESS
The Asheville Brewers Alliance is hosting this daytime program featuring loud music, beer-drinking and Zen-attaining, also known as Rage Yoga. Join local yogi Heather Newman, from Grow Yoga, as she leads participants through a one-of-a-kind yoga experience. Bring your mat and pent-up frustrations; instruction, music and a beer will be provided (the ticket price includes beer). Parking is available in nearby paid
lots and on-street parking. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at avl.mx/2kc.
Rusty Buffalo beer release Brewery hours, Bhramari Brewhouse, South Slope Bhramari Brewhouse will release its Rusty Buffalo — a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrelaged oud bruin.
Barrel-Aged vertical tasting 3-10 p.m., Green Man Brewery, South Slope Flights of two vintages of Holly King Barrel Aged Holiday Ale and two vintages of Demon Dweller Imperial Stout will be available all evening.
Skillet Six Ways 4-5 p.m., Burial Beer Co., South Slope Burial Beer Co. has taken its popular Skillet coffee breakfast stout, split it six ways and aged it on different ingredients.
BEER EVENTS All six will be tapped and served with Vortex doughnut pairings.
Bruisin’ Ales Blind IPA Tasting
of proceeds from this event will go directly to the Blue Ridge Humane Society.
New Belgium Patio Party at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park
5-8 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, downtown, $6
SOJA with Allen Stone at Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage
4-10 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, South Asheville New Belgium’s new Citradelic IPA, Lips of Faith Hof Ten Dormaal collaboration, Hop Kitchen Series and more will be on tap. There will be a photo booth and specialty glassware to take home as well as a New Belgium bike giveaway (winner must be present).
Cask Night at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.. 4-8 p.m., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Fletcher Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will tap one of its cask ales and will serve until it’s gone.
Think you know your favorite local IPA? Come find out as Bruisin’ Ales hosts a blind tasting of 10 Asheville and Western North Carolina IPAs. Participants will have the chance to rate them leading up to the evening’s big reveal. Those who can also guess which IPA is which will get bonus points and the chance to win prizes at the end of night.
Craft Brews and Rescues 6-8 p.m., Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E., Hendersonville Sanctuary Brewing Co. will host an adoption party with Blue Ridge Humane Society while also releasing three new beers: Cookies and Ice Cream Porter, Blueberry Wit and Chocolate Orange Wit. There will also be actual cookies and ice cream, blueberry cobbler and other sweet pairings. Blue Ridge Humane will bring puppies and kittens, and there will be a photo booth with props, plus tunes from Ashley Heath. A portion
6:30-11 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, $29.50 SOJA is a Grammy-nominated, Washington D.C.-area band, that blends reggae, go-go, D.C. hardcore, Latin, rock and hip-hop. The group will perform on Pisgah’s outdoor stage for a night of conscious music. Tickets are available at pisgahbrewing.com/shows/soja.
Thirsty Thursday Baseball — Beer City Tourists vs. Greenville Drive 7:05-9:30 p.m., McCormick Field, downtown, $8 For one game only, the Asheville Tourists will become the Beer City Tourists — the Tourists will don special Beer City jerseys and caps. Regular beers are $1 and craft beers are $2. Thirsty Thursdays are an Asheville tradition that started at McCormick Field in 1983. The team currently controls the trademark “Thirsty Thursday.”
FRIDAY, JUNE 3
Boojum Brewing Beer Stein Holding Contest
Bold Rock Hard Cider Birthday Bash
7-11 p.m., Pour Taproom, West Asheville
June 3-5, noon-8 p.m., Bold Rock Hard Cider, Mills River, free
Pour Taproom will feature a Boojum Brewing tap takeover including beer specials and prizes.
Finish AVL Beer Week with a three-day Bold Rock Birthday Bash Weekend at the Mills River Tap Room & Cidery. Located
MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
MOUNTAIN XPRESS
BEER EVENTS just south of Asheville on 8 acres of scenic farmland, the taproom will play host to local musicians, food and cider pairings, tours, activities for children, raffles and educational demonstrations all weekend.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
Monk Beer Academy AVL Beer Week Edition
The King Coconut release party luau will feature outdoor games and pit-cooked pig in the Catawba Beach Courtyard.
4-5 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown, free (RSVP required)
Just Brew It
With the pursuit of “beerducation” in mind, Thirsty Monk announces the AVL Beer Week edition of its Monk Beer Academy series. Join certified cicerone and draft quality manager Jeremiah Tracy to learn about local lagers as he picks a few of their WNC favorites, and talk about each brewery’s inspirations. The class is complimentary, but participants will have to pay for tasting flights. RSVP at avl.mx/2k1.
AVL Brewed Arrogant Bastard Pit Stops at Highland Brewing 4-8 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., East Asheville Stone Brewing has taken its Arrogant Bastard on the road and made a stop at Highland Brewing Co., so locals can taste Arrogant Bastard brewed right here in Asheville. It will be served only at Highland Brewing Co.’s tasting room, and $2 from every pour of this collaboration benefit goes to Foster Care to Success.
BerLemon Weisse release 5-10 p.m., Asheville Brewing Co., South Slope Specially brewed for AVL Beer Week, Asheville Brewing Co.’s BerLemon Weisse is an American sour wheat made with freshsqueezed lemons in the classic Berliner weisse style. Brewers will be on hand to talk about the style.
Sam Adams Beer Pong Battleship Event 6-11 p.m., Pour Taproom, West Asheville Pour Taproom hosts a Sam Adams takeover that will also feature beer pong battleship. Prizes will be awarded to winners.
King Coconut Luau 12-8 p.m., Catawba Brewing, South Slope, free
2-5 p.m., Wedge Brewing Co., RAD, $50 Just Brew It is a homebrew tasting and competition where some of the area’s finest homebrewers will offer samples of their creations and compete for prizes. Just Brew It is open to members of Just Economics. To become a member, go to justeconomicswnc.org
Picnic Series Kickoff Party
Every Week is Beer Week!
When you brew your own! Bring this ad in by 05/31/16 for 20% off your entire purchase! We do beer, wine, cider, and mead.
2-8 p.m., Sweeten Creek Brewing, South Asheville, free Join Sweeten Creek Brewing for a familyand dog-friendly celebration on its spacious creekside lawn. This will be the first of many Saturday picnics throughout the summer featuring free live music from area bands with picnic-style food specials and the regular sandwich shop menu items for sale on the lawn.
Daily s! al Speci
Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass 7-11 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, $25 Join Pisgah Brewing Co. for a one-of-a-kind event as it presents Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass featuring Keller Williams with The Infamous Stringdusters. This multifaceted event will feature a solo set from Keller Williams followed by a set from The Infamous Stringdusters, then a set of Grateful Grass featuring all artists.
Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass 8 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $10 advance/$12 day of Come grab a cold one to commemorate the end of Asheville Beer Week. The Blue Dragons will be playing sweet tunes and it will be a chance to raise a glass to everyone that made this week big wit beer. X
NOW OPE N 11AM - 10PM Sunday - Thursday 11 AM - 11PM Friday - Saturday 1636 Hendersonville Road, Ste 195 Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 232-7223 www.ruffinositaliangrill.com MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
21
BEER EVENTS
by Dan Hesse
dhesse@mountainx.com
AVL BEER WEEK FOOD EVENTS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CHEFS AND BREWERS PAIR UP BITES AND BEERS SUNDAY, MAY 29
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1
Sierra Nevada Sunday Brunch at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park
Brewers Bar-B-Q 5-11 p.m., Altamont Brewing Co., West Asheville, Prices vary This laid-back event will feature whole hog barbecue and new beer releases from Altamont and other industry folks with music by Gary Segal starting at 5:30 p.m.
Noon-4 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, 2 Town Square Blvd., prices vary Spend Sunday sampling small brunch plates paired with Sierra Nevada beers on the patio at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park. There will be an entire menu of brunchthemed small plates with suggested Sierra Nevada beer pairings.
Bees, Beasts and Beer 6-10 p.m., Bhramari Brewhouse, South Slope, $65 Chefs Josh Dillard and Jake Whitman created the menu for this dinner celebrating AVL Beer Week. All courses will be paired with Bhramari beers created and brewed by Gary Sernack. Courses include pig brain scrapple, bison tartare and more. Tickets are available at bhramaribrewhouse.com.
Innovation Beer and Cupcake Pairing 12 p.m., Innovation Brewing, 413 W. Main St., Sylva
Beer and chocolate
Innovation Brewing is pairing four of its beers with cupcakes from Lulu’s On Main, made especially for the event.
7-8:30 p.m., Catawba Brewing Co., South Slope, $20
TUESDAY, MAY 31
Explore four beers, each paired to both a locally made chocolate bar and a truffle. Compare notes with table mates for an interactive taste and aroma round table discussion. Seating is limited. Tickets are available at catawbabrewing.com/events.
Gaining Ground Farm Dinner 5-9:30 p.m., Yesterday Spaces, Leicester, $89/$99 after May 24 Join Catawba Brewing Co., chef Liam Luttrell-Rowland of the Green Opportunities Kitchen Ready program and chef John Fleer of Rhubarb restaurant for a freshly harvested farm dinner at Gaining Ground Farm, where many of Rhubarb’s vegetables are grown. Five food courses will be paired with Catawba’s craft brews and beer cocktails. Dinner includes tours of Yesterday Spaces and Gaining Ground Farm. Proceeds benefit the GO Kitchen Ready culinary training program, a free course that prepares low-income adults for employment in the food service industry. 22
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
PARTY IN A POT: At some AVL Beer Week food events, the beer goes right into the food. Photo from a 2015 AVL Beer Week dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm beer courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail
Pig on A Wire: A Homebrewed BBQ Sauce Competition 6 p.m., Luella’s Bar-B-Que, 501 Merrimon Avenue Come out to Luella’s for a an evening of BBQ and brews from Hi-Wire. There will be a “home-brew” BBQ sauce contest. The catch is contestants must incorporate a Hi-Wire beer into their sauce. There is a limited amount of space and entries are on a first-come, firstserved basis. To enter please send an email MOUNTAIN XPRESS
with your name and the name of your sauce to events@hiwirebrewing.com.
Wicked Weed-Sierra Nevada Tap Extravaganza 6-11 p.m., Jack of the Wood, Downtown, Prices vary Jack of the Wood will be pouring Sierra Nevada’s entire Beer Camp Across America lineup in addition to rare kegs from Wicked Weed. All beers will be accompanied by a small-bite pairing.
THURSDAY, JUNE 2 Swine and Swill: Whiskey, Cue and Brew 6-9 p.m., Buxton Hall Barbecue, South Slope, $50 Buxton Hall Barbecue, Oskar Blues Brewery and Defiant Whisky will host a five-course beer dinner created by Elliot Moss and team with menu items that use Oskar Blues Brewery products and Defiant wooden spirals in the cooking process. Oskar Blues will release a special beer that was aged on Defiant wooden spirals and inspired by Buxton Hall that will subsequently
run on tap at Buxton Hall. Also to be featured that evening: original beer and whiskey cocktails from the Buxton Hall bar team, giveaways and a raffle.
FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Wicked Weed, Jester King and Blackberry Farm Farmhouse Ale event 3-7 p.m., Wicked Weed Funkatorium, South Slope, prices vary The Funkatorium will feature farmhouse ales from Wicked Weed, Jester King and Blackberry Farm breweries alongside a rustic tapas menu that is perfect for pairing. Everything will be offered à la carte for a choose-your-own-adventure type of event.
Sunny Point Café and New Belgium Brewing Celebrate Spring beer dinner
Beer and food pairing with West First Wood-Fired 6-11 p.m., Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E., Hendersonville Join Sanctuary Brewing Co. for its first food pairing event. Five food items prepared by Hendersonville’s West First Wood-Fired restaurant will be paired with Sanctuary beers — vegan food options will be available. Letters To Abigail will be performing in the taproom.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Four-course beer breakfast 10-3 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $25 Start the weekend off with a laid-back beer breakfast. Four courses from The Grey Eagle’s Taqueria will each be paired with a locally made beer. Tickets available at the door; no advance purchase necessary.
Crawfish boil and Hi-Wire lager and gose can release
6-10 p.m., Sunny Point Café, West Asheville, $50
12-4 p.m., Hi-Wire Brewery, 2 Huntsman Place, $10 suggested donation
Celebrate spring and kick off garden season as Sunny Point Café hosts New Belgium Brewing for a four-course beer dinner. The evening will start out in Sunny Point’s on-site garden for the first beer pairing with appetizers, then move inside the café seating for the salad, entrée and dessert courses with accompanying beers. Seatings are at 6 and 8 p.m. For reservations, call Sunny Point Café at 252-0055.
Hi-Wire Brewing will host a crawfish boil and can release at its Big Top taproom in collaboration with Louisiana native “Jim Beaux.” The event will feature the inaugural can run of Hi-Wire’s lager and gose. The event is open to the community with a $10 suggested donation for food.
Asheville Beer and Ice Cream Flight Night
6-9 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, Downtown, $20
6-9 p.m., The Hop Ice Creamery, 721 Haywood Road, $3-$10 The Hop Ice Cream and several Asheville breweries will collaborate to create an exciting menu of both dairy-based and vegan beer ice cream. There will be eight flavors on the menu, plus one beer Hopsicle. All flavors will be available by the scoop, by the pint or as an ice cream flight of four flavors. Pints of salted caramel ice cream will be available upon request.
GREEN PANEL MAN • CATAWBA FROG LEVEL REPLACEMENT WITH APPLIED FIRST SURFACE• VINYL AND SECOND SURFACE DIFFUSER • HIGHLAND PISGAH• SIERRA NEVADA • HI-WIRE • OSKAR BLUES FRENCH BROAD • ASHEVILLE BREWING CO. • BELLS BOLD ROCK • GRANITE FALLS • NEW BELGIUM • GREE MAN • CATAWBA • FROG LEVEL • HIGHLAND • PISGA • SIERRA NEVADA • HI-WIRE • OSKAR BLUES • FRENC BROAD • ASHEVILLE BREWING CO. • BELLS • BOLD ROC EXACT SIZING TO BE DETERMINED THRU SURVEY OF EXISTING SIGNAGE
PANEL SURFACE
Flights and Bites at Bruisin’ Ales
EXISTING 4*(/"(&
MATTE BLACK
PROPOSED SIGNAGE NOT TO SCALE FRIDAYS ASHEVILLE
Hosted in the Bruisin’ Ales storefront, this casual event will feature four food courses with beer pairings. Grilled fingerling potatoes, asparagus, pickled red onion and Spanish ham will be partnered with Blackberry Farms Summer Saison 2016; Sunburst Farms hickorysmoked trout crostini with beet and herb cream cheese will be paired with De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva 2012; a duck confit-stuffed wonton with hoisin, coconut and green onion will be served with Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien 2014; and candied, spiced pecans, walnuts and aged gouda will complement Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout 2016. Space is limited. Tickets are available at avl.mx/2kd. X
3/ MIKE DUDLEY
FRIDAYS_ASHEVILLE
DAP
24 Taps •17 Local Taps!
HOP HEAD MONDAYS $3 CRAFTS ALL DAY Experience Local Beer at Fridays Asheville 115 Hendersonville Rd., Biltmore Village (at the Double Tree Hotel)
www.tgifasheville.com MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
•
828.277.4080
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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VENUES
AVL BEER WEEK
2016 EVENT VENUES
ON THE FARM: AVL Beer Week venues run the gamut from breweries to restaurants to farms. Last year, downtown eatery Rhubarb collaborated with Catawba Brewing Co. to host a dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm using meat and produce raised on-site This year, Rhubarb and Catawba will host a meal at Gaining Ground Farm in Leicester. Photo courtesy of Catawba Brewing Co.
ALTAMONT BREWING CO.
BRUISIN’ ALES
HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
MCCORMICK FIELD
1042 Haywood Road, 575-2400, altamontbrewingcompany.com
66 Broadway St., 252-8999, bruisin-ales.com
12 Old Charlotte Highway, 299-3370, highlandbrewing.com
30 Buchanan Place, 259-5800, asheville.tourists.milb.com
ASHEVILLE PIZZA AND BREWING CO.
40 Collier Ave., 475-2739, burialbeer.com
HI-WIRE BREWING
PISGAH BREWING CO.
77 Coxe Ave., 255-4077, ashevillebrewing.com 675 Merrimon Ave. 254-1281
BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA 42 Biltmore Ave., 255-0504
BEN’S TUNE UP 195 Hilliard Ave., 424-7580
BHRAMARI BREWHOUSE 101 Lexington Ave., 214-7981
BURIAL BEER CO. BUXTON HALL BARBECUE
2 Huntsmen Place, 738-2448, hiwirebrewing.com
HOPS & VINES
CATAWBA BREWING CO., ASHEVILLE TASTING ROOMS
797 Haywood Road #100, 252-5275, hopsandvines.net
63 Brook St., 424-7290, catawbabrewing.com
INNOVATION BREWING
Pack Square, downtown Asheville
32 Banks Ave., 552-3934
414 W. Main St., Sylva, 586-9678, innovation-brewing.com
SANCTUARY BREWING CO.
FIFTH SEASON GARDENING 45 Banks Ave., 253-4112
JACK OF THE WOOD 95 Patton Ave., 252-5445, jackofthewood.com
GREEN MAN BREWERY
72 School House Rd., Mills River 595-9940
27 Buxton Ave., 252-5502,
LUELLA’S BAR-B-QUE
greenmanbrewery.com
501 Merrimon Ave., 505-7427
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
POUR TAPROOM
32 Banks Ave., 232-7216
BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER
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150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain, 669-0190, pisgahbrewing.com
MOUNTAIN XPRESS
800 Haywood Road, Unit B, 505-0352, pourtaproom.com
ROGER MCGUIRE GREEN
147 First Ave. East, Hendersonville, 595-9956
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, 681-5300, sierranevada.com
MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
MOUNTAIN XPRESS
VENUES
Photo by Tim Robison
SUNNY POINT CAFÉ
TOP OF THE MONK
626 Haywood Road, 252-0055, sunnypointcafe.com
92 Patton Ave., 254-5470
SWEETEN CREEK BREWING 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd., 575-2785
TASTY BEVERAGE CO. 162 Coxe Ave., 232-7120, tastybeverageco.com
THE GREY EAGLE
URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. 210 Haywood Road, 774-5151, urbanorchardcider.com
WEDGE BREWING CO. 125B Roberts St., 505-2792, wedgebrewing.com
185 Clingman Ave., 232-5800
WICKED WEED BREWING
THE HOP ICE CREAMERY
91 Biltmore Ave., 575-9599, wickedweedbrewing.com
721 Haywood Rd., 252-5155
THE MILLROOM 66 Asheland Ave., 225-2585
THIRSTY MONK Biltmore Park —2 Town Square Blvd., 687-3873, monkpub.com Downtown —92 Patton Ave., 254-5470 Reynolds Village — 20 Gala Drive, 505-4564 Warehouse — 92 Thompson St.
WICKED WEED FUNKATORIUM 147 Coxe Ave., 575-9599
YESTERDAY SPACES 305 Sluder Brance Rd., Leicester, 777-6948
ZEBULON ARTISAN ALES 8 Merchants Alley, Weaverville MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK
2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE
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