Brewgrass is next weekend
If you’ve not been reading your email or visiting the new site, we’ve been raffling Brewgrass Festival tickets off at every tasting this month. If you missed out on tickets, you’ve got one more chance next Thursday at the (gonna be kick-ass) Brewdog Tasting. $5/raffle ticket as a donation to FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Don’t miss you! We’re trying to help you AND help the Parkway! Spread the love.

Dear Brewgrass: Please update your website
Speaking of, the Brewgrass Festival website has not been updated in forever. (They’re also on Twitter @Brewgrass, but not really using it.) We’re a week away from the festival and it’s clear that the brewers list is not up to date. It’s mostly local/regional breweries listed; the rest are balanced out by only seven other craft breweries around the country (so far, anyway). This scares us, because: Beer spies have reported industry bickering about our homegrown beer fest with rumors that many breweries who are usually in attendance will not be coming this year. [UPDATE: EdgyMama reports that there are in fact 42 breweries coming to Brewgrass this year. Thanks, Beer Goddess!]

Asheville named #2 runner-up in Bon Appetit’s “America’s Foodiest Small Town”
Yup, we’re foodies alright! You can read about it here. Portland, Maine was the winner this year. What is it with Asheville competing with both Portlands? Beer on one coast and food on the other!

Pair up those end-of summer tomatoes with beer
Kasper on Tap has a great suggestion to make use of your tomato bounty. Obviously, Great Lakes Brewing is not available in NC, but we could make suggestions for replacements. Go on, have yourself a little beer dinner pairing at home! Fun!

More weirdness from Florida
The more I read, the more I think FARK is onto something about strange goings-on in that state. Check this out. A man stole a beer intentionally to get arrested, so he could go to jail for “three hots and a cot.” The reality of that is pretty sad. And, he demanded to finish that beer before being hauled off. Oy.