Archive for May, 2009

First of all, THANK YOU, to all who attended the events associated with Dogfish Head Weekend. Really fun times!

If you had the opportunity to meet Sam Calagione (aka, our new t-shirt model), you know what I’m talking about. He’s a class act, laid-back, funny, and clearly passionate about beer. We love that. Better yet: He LOVED Asheville. Although we had a little glitch with his flight cancelled from Charlotte to Asheville on Friday, we made it work and hope everyone was happy. The Thirsty Monk put on a killer “Brewer’s Choice” line-up of beers on Saturday, and per usual, Zambra outdid themselves again with a great brunch pairing. Here’s what we received in the inbox yesterday:

From: Sam A. Calagione
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 10:39 AM
To: Julie @ Bruisin’ Ales
Subject: thanks!

That was a great time and you guys are the hosts with the most. Tell everyone that helped with every event I said thanks so much for making it a memorable weekend. You have a great thing going there! Thanks for my gifts. Shoot me an address, so we can send ya a lil’ doggie bag.

Keep on truckin!
Sam

Sarah Clay joins us again this week for the Summer Scene Magic Hat sampler. We like the new Wacko for summertime and are looking forward to trying the Odd Notions Belgian Blonde!

#9
“A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there’s never been anything else quite like it.” [4.7% abv]

Lucky Kat
“Lucky Kat purrs as he pours with a grin on his mangy face and a grin in his searching eye. He sits on the fence he calls home, dividing up from down. Is he an imperial beast or a pale soul from the east? Only he knows and we know only this: if you reach out to pet him he’ll bite back with a big, hoppy kiss.” [5.8% abv]

Wacko
“Crisp like the morning, cool like the evening and quenching all day long. It’s the beer that dances to the beat of summer. Pop the top and set your summer loose. Wacko is the liquid song of summer. A delicious, beet-red summer beer with a big malty aroma, a subdued hop bite and a clean, slightly sweet finish.” [4.5% abv]

Odd Notions: Belgian Blonde
“Golden in color and light in body this low hop bitterness ale is refreshing to drink and finishes with a subtle spicy complexity from a very unique Belgian yeast strain.” [5.9% abv]

Dogfish Head rockstar, Sam Calagione, is in town all weekend long. We won’t be blogging, but follow us on Twitter @bruisinales.

Rough-and-tumble Amish? For reals?
They say life is stranger than fiction. Some teenage Amish boys were pulled over for possessing beer in their horse-drawn buggy. Golly gee, we hope they were celebrating American Craft Beer Week at least. Someone is going to be shunned, that’s for sure! Call Dwight Shrute.

“B” for Beer in Portland
How do we get Tom Robbins to Asheville, Portland’s sister beer city, to talk about his new book? Malaprops, I say! He’s from Blowing Rock for gosh sakes!

NC passes smoking ban
Gov. Perdue signed into law yesterday an official smoking ban in restaurants and bars. Every person seems to think this is such a big deal with North Carolina being Land of Tobacco, but honestly, we don’t think it matters much. At least not to us.

Palm Beach reviews… Weyerbacher Insanity?
Nice! “I paired it with a fat ass burger topped with a rough salsa made of roasted jalapenos. The sweetness cut through the fat of the burger and the heat of the salsa, while the smokey, oaken qualities brought out the beefiness of the meat. I’d drink it with hearty, spicy, or meaty foods, or just sip it slow like a fine scotch.” Agreed!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm from PA Dutch Country. I never thought there would be opportunity to put an Amish buggy on our blog. Never.]

Today, we’re just spreading the love on craft beer everywhere. Kibbles and bits just for you from around this Great Land O’ Beer. If anyone knows of more local events, let me know!

Celebrate American Craft Beer Week @ Cask Night on Thursday
Tomorrow night is a special cask of Duck-Rabbit Coffee Porter to The Thirsty Monk. I want that.

Craggie Brewing hosting beer tasting on Saturday
From 2-7pm, head on over to Craggie Brewing Co. for another tasting for American Craft Beer Week.

Passion oozes everywhere
Asheville got some good beer vibes from an unlikely place—Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi’s Sun Herald! They picked up a press release from the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau. (via @suehuskins)

Pisgah Brewing announces details of Inaugural Organic Pro-Am Competition
Fun, fun. Now Asheville has not one, but TWO, Pro-Am competitions for our awesome homebrewers. Takes place on July 11 at the brewery. The winning beer will be served at Brewgrass this year.

Happy anniversary, Heinzelmannchen Brewery!
Our awesome little farther west German brewery is celebrating five years of good brews. Congrats to Dieter & Sheryl!

Beers we can’t try but want to very much so
This week, many breweries are releasing special libations. For example: Avery/Horsey Hog, Hog Heaven Barleywine with Brettanomyces. Oh, yum.

Getting psyched for the Dogfish Head Weekend? So are we!
Watch a video of Sam cooking with beer: