Archive for June, 2008

Weekend nuggets

Posted Jun 27, 2008 in Miscellany

New Stuff
There are a handful of newbies this week. Just a handful. But a new saison from the classic Dupont Brewery, which (for the most part) revitalized the style? Nice. Holy Mackerel is a new addition to the store–a nifty edition of single-batch brews. This one is an American Strong Ale. And the Coney Island series is turning out to be a huge success for Schmaltz Brewing. Some buy it for the kitsch, some for the beer.

DUPONT Avril Saison
GORDASH Holy Mackerel Mack in Black
SCHMALTZ BREWING Coney Island Sword Swallower
SCHMALTZ BREWING Coney Island Albino Python

You got game
There are still tickets available for the Beer & Baseball event tonight. You can get them at the store or at the door before the game. Event starts at 5:30pm. Go beer! Go Tourists!

Cooler busted
As if the computer issue wasn’t enough, our craft cooler blew-up this week. We lost 12 cases of beer total, which is a real tragedy. Thankfully, we found someone who’ll take the stuff even damaged, so at least it’s not a total waste. So, sorry for the poor selection of cold ones this weekend.

Patience is a virtue
Finally, please be patient during our computer woes. We’ll update the beer list as soon as we can.

Mid-week Round-up

Posted Jun 25, 2008 in Miscellany

It’s a frantic week around Bruisin’ Ales. Pretty excited about kicking-off Terrapin’s RoggenRauchBier and the pre-game event at McCormick Field.  On the other hand, we can’t stand working from a laptop, so here’s the low-down for this week before our eyes start bleeding.

NYTimes says beer cellars are cool
For some reason, we never thought we’d see an article about beer cellaring in the mainstream media. The NYTimes is there and it’s actually a really good read. We chuckled at Dr. Bill’s Thomas Hardy vintage tasting, starting with 1968 through 2004. Was anyone still standing? Check out that beer cave, too. Pretty sweet.

A new take an The Merger
That is how we are going to address this thing now: The Merger. One guys wants to get to the heart of things: how will it affect merchandising and sponsorships in sports. Pretty interesting. Oh, and Johannesberg Business Day thinks we Americans are getting too “nationalistic” about the whole ordeal.

Pabst is on to something…
With all the success of resurrecting their own brand among young urban hipsters, Pabst is now taking on the return of Schlitz, the shiny gold aluminum gem of many a 70′s beer raid. We expect the return of delicious TAB any day now.

Beer & Baseball: Celebration of NC Craft Beer

Posted Jun 24, 2008 in Beer, Beer Pairings, Beer Places, Breweries, Coming Soon, Coolness, Events, Sports

ptc.jpg

Get your tickets now for the upcoming weekend!

Friday, June 27 5:30pm
McCormick Field
$25/pp

Pop the Cap: A Celebration of NC Craft Beer
Bruisin’ Ales and Sean Wilson, President of Pop The Cap, co-host this pre-game Asheville Tourists’ event at McCormick Field celebrating North Carolina’s craft brews from the coast to the mountains. You  might remember we had a lot of fun with him last year. A selection of beer samples from around the state (and around the corner) will be sampled, with each brewery bringing something to the table.

*Hors d’ouvres and game admission included.*

1.       Highland Brewing Company—Cattail Peak Wheat (debut!)
2.       French Broad Brewing Company—Wee-Heavy-er
3.       Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company—Shiva IPA
4.       Green Man Ales—Stout
5.       The Wedge—Porter
6.       Pisgah Brewing Company—Pisgah Pale
7.       Catawba Valley Brewing Company—Brown Bear
8.       Duck-Rabbit Brewing Company—Milk Stout
9.       Big Boss Brewing—Hell’s Bell
10.    Foothills Brewing Company—People’s Porter (World Beer Cup Winner!)
11.    Azalea Coast Brewing Company—India Pale Ale

To save and buy the three-event pre-game package, click here for more info.

Thursday Tasting: Terrapin Side Project 2

Posted in Beer, Breweries, Coming Soon, Events, Limited Release, New this week

John Wetzel from Terrapin Brewing Co. will be in town on Thursday, June 26 5-7p.m., to debut the second in Terrapin’s Side Projects, RoggenRauchBier. Due to the baseball event on Friday evening, this will be an abbreviated tasting with just this one beer being samples. Here’s the press release via BeerAdvocate.com:

Athens, GA (June 2008) – Terrapin Beer Co. of Athens, GA announces the much anticipated release of the RoggenRauchBier, the newest Volume in the limited production Terrapin “Side Project” series of beers.
The RoggenRauchBier, Volume Two in Terrapin’s “Side Project” series, is inspired by two classic German Beer styles. The first is the Roggenbier, made with an abundance of Rye Malt, and the second is the Rauchbier which is brewed with smoked malt. Terrapin’s brewmaster, Brian “Spike” Buckowski, decided to experiment with a combination of the two traditional German beers. “This is the first time I have experimented with smoked malt. I really didn’t know what to expect.” Said Buckowski, “I just tried to balance the smokiness from the smoked malt and the spiciness of the rye malt with the sweetness of the other specialty malts in the beer.”
The five hundred case production of RoggenRauchBier will be distributed throughout most of the seven states that are currently carrying Terrapin’s beers. Judging by the first “Side Project” release consumers will have to act fast if they want to try Volume Two. The “outrageously hoppy!” Volume One of the “Side Project” series, Hop Shortage Ale, was quickly snapped up by consumers and in many places sold out the same day it hit the shelves. Retailers can expect a similar response for the newest edition to showcase Buckowski’s brewing improvisation, so grab them while you can!

Each Volume of the Terrapin “Side Project” series of beers is a limited, one time batch sold only in 22oz bottles. A new Volume is schedule to be released every 2-3 months. To Terrapin’s brewers it offers an opportunity to experiment with new ingredients and unique style while utilizing their creativity.

Terrapin Beer co. opened the doors this year to their 45,000 square foot brewery in Athens, GA at 265 Newton Bridge Road. They offer tours of the new facility Thursdays and Saturdays from 5:30 – 7:30 with live music and tastings. The tours are an excellent opportunity to taste Terrapin’s full line of award winning brews and see the brewing process first hand. For more information visit the web site www.terrapinbeer.com

Another brewery!

Posted Jun 21, 2008 in Beer, Breweries, Coming Soon, Coolness, Goings on, People

Since we’re so behind on e-mails with the death of the computer, we almost missed this little tidbit of news via MALTmail. Asheville is getting yet another brewery and it’s not the forever rumored LAB. This one is called Craggie Brewing Company and is operated by Bill Drew, who worked for Highland Brewing Co. for eight years. No word as to when the beers will be available, but there will be a tasting room at the brewery on Hilliard Avenue. We’ll post more as we learn more!

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