Archive for the ‘Beer Places’ Category

It’s almost Asheville Beer Week! At Bruisin’ Ales, we’ve planned a bunch of events at humble storefront and with some colleagues about town. A few details to work out, but we’re all in! We hope you’ll join us!

Sunday, May 26, 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
What: LaZoom Sunday Beer Run
Where: On the big, purple bus!
Tickets: $25.00/pp, Buy online

Hop on the big, purple bus! Asheville’s Feral Chihuahuas, Bruisin’ Ales and LaZoom team up to bring you a beer and comedy explosion tour not to be missed. Wrap your mind around the area’s beer history—as told by local funny guys, The Feral Chihuahuas. Includes beer on the bus and at least one brewery stop along the way! **This is event is close to selling out. 

Tuesday, May 28, 6:00 pm
What: Asheville Tourists & Bruisin’ Ales present “Belgian(style) Beer at the Ballpark”
Where: McCormick Field, Oskar Blues Party Pavilion
Tickets: $60/pp, now available at Bruisin’ Ales (828) 252-8999

Asheville Tourists and Bruisin’ Ales bring Belgian pub food and Belgian-style beer to the Tuesday, March 28 home game at McCormick Field. Nine innings–Nine breweries! Beers so far, below. More a’coming!

Liefmans: Goudenband, Cuvee Brut, Fruitesse
Het Anker Gouden Carolus: Hopsinjour, Easter Ale, Cuvée van de Keizer Blauw
Allagash Brewing: Blonde, James Bean (Curieux w/ coffee), Midnight Brett
Brewery Ommegang: Biere d’Hougoumont, Rare Vos, Gnommegang
The Bruery: Saison Rue, Mischief Golden, Tradewinds Tripel w/ Thai Basil
Boulevard Brewing: Tank 7, Nommo, Sixth Glass
Pisgah Brewing: White Ale, Solstice Tripel, Baptista
New Belgium Brewing: Biere de Garde, Peach Porch Lounger, Cascara Quad
Weyerbacher Brewing: Verboten, Quad, Tiny

Menu:
• Chicken Leg Quarters marinated in New Belgium Biere de Mars
• Fresh Greens with Raspberry and Rare Vos Vinaigrette
• Choucroute Garni Nommo: A traditional Belgian “stew” with bratwurst, kielbasa, sauerkraut, and potatoes sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and caraway, cooked with Boulevard Nomma Dubbel.
• Weyerbacher “Tiny” Brownies

All breweries are bringing THREE selections. Brewery reps will be on-hand and we’re excited to welcome the brewer of Boulevard Brewing to Asheville for the first time. Join us for a casual night in the brand new Oskar Blues Party Pavilion at McCormick Field while we cheer on The Tourists! $60/pp, includes game ticket, private seating area, all-you-can-eat buffet, and beer samples (while they last).

Tuesday, May 28, 12:00 pm
What: Retail Bottle Releases of ABA Hoppy Saison Collaboration Beer & Green Man Brewing Raugupatis
Where: Bruisin’ Ales

The ABA Hoppy Saison—made with North Carolina honey, and around 6.5% abv—is the first-ever collaborative brew to come from the Asheville Brewers Alliance. Twenty different breweries came together for this creation: Altamont Brewing Co., Asheville Brewing, BearWaters Brewing Co., Blue Mountain Pizza and Brew Pub, Burial Beer Co., Catawba Valley Brewing Company, French Broad Brewing Company, Green Man Brewery, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Highland Brewing Company, Lexington Avenue Brewery, Nantahala Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing, Pisgah Brewing Company, Riverbend Malt House, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Southern Appalachian Brewery, Thirsty Monk, Tipping Point Brewing, Wedge Brewing Company, Wicked Weed Brewing.

Green Man Brewing’s 750′s of Raugupatis, Baltic Porter Aged in Whiskey Barrels will also be released that day.

**Please note: Both beer releases are on-premise only for Asheville Beer Week attendees. No shipping. No pre-orders or hold-by-phone. Quantities per person will be announced as soon as we receive our allocation numbers. **

Wednesday, May 29, 6:00-8:00 pm
What: Meet-n-Greet & Book Signing with Brewmaster Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing
Where: Bruisin’ Ales

Join us for a tasting and meet-n-greet with Mitch Steele, Brewmaster of Stone Brewing Company, California. He’ll be signing his new book, IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale. Get a signed copy of the book (while supplies last) and a flight! Stone’s flagship IPAs: Stone IPA, Stone Ruination, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous, and Stone Cali-Belgique.

Thursday, May 30, 6:00-9:00 pm
What: The Market Place & Bruisin’ Ales present: Small Plates & Allagash Pairing
Where: The Market Place
Tickets: $40/pp w/ tax + gratuity. On sale at both The Market Place (828) 252-4162 and Bruisin’ Ales (828-252-8999) on Friday, May 10.

The Market Place and Bruisin’ Ales welcome Allagash present a casual, small plate tasting and beer pairing. Come mingle! Bring your reservation anytime between 6-8:30, at your leisure, and chill out in the bar area good eats, great beer and live Moog jazz and funky beats by Ben Hovey.

Tasting Plate:
Single lady oyster, Allagash white mignonette, toasted coriander, seaweed & cucumber salad. | Paired with Allagash White.

Looking Glass Creamery chocolate lab cheese, local lavender flower honey, sorghum glazed hazelnut & arugula salad. | Paired with Allagash Victoria.

Braised pork shank & mushroom ragu, local chevre & spring onion grits. | Paired with Allagash Dubbel.

Pecan tart, caramel sauce, bourbon macerated raspberry. | Paired with Allagash Bourbon-barrel Black.

On Thursday evening, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Anne Fitten Glenn, a.k.a Asheville beer blogger “Brewgasm,” will be at the humble storefront signing copies of her newly-published book, “Asheville Beer: An Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing.”

Buy the book ($17.00), get a beer!

If you’re reading this, you’re likely one of the many who already believe that the history of beer and brewing is a worthwhile pursuit. If not, perhaps this book will make you a believer.

I tackled this project for a couple of reasons. First, because interesting stories rarely start with, “I was drinking some water, and then…” Also, I’ve been writing about beer and the beer business for a number of years, and I feel that I’ve been writing Asheville’s beer history as it happens. Some of the facts and stories in this book were first published in my “Brews News” column for Asheville’s newsweekly and elsewhere, though I’ve rewritten them for these pages.

I wanted to delve more deeply into what beer means (and has meant) to Asheville and Western North Carolina (WNC) culturally, economically and socially. (Western North Carolina refers to the seventeen westernmost counties of North Carolina, of which Asheville is the largest city). Thus, this story begins with the founding of Asheville in 1798, when the site of the town was changed at the last minute due to the cunning of a tavern keeper and his home-brewed “mountain dew.” As the Blue Ridge Mountains are famous for the distillation of moonshine (we even have a legal white lightning distillery now), it was not much of a stretch for WNC to become a brewing mecca, although it did take almost two hundred years. …

(PS: If you’re not in the area, but interested in reading the book, you can buy it on Amazon.)

That’s right! As part of Asheville Beer Week, Bruisin’ Ales and Zambra tapas are pairing up for an a la carte evening of Beer Cocktails on Thursday, May 31, when the lounge opens at 4:00 p.m. Joshua Bailey will be your mixologist this evening. Better yet, we’ve brought in spirits from the distillers at popular breweries, Dogfish Head, New Holland Brewing, and Rogue Ales. No fixed price, just show up and hang with us at the bar! (If you plan to stay for dinner, reservations are recommended. (828) 232-1060.)

What is BeerMixology?

In its most basic definition, beer mixology is the art or skill of crafting and mixing cocktails that use beer as an ingredient. Some purists in the beer industry might argue that beer is, in itself, a perfectly crafted cocktail of barley, hops, yeast, water, and potentially other additives. Conversely, some mixology purists might argue that flavor profile of beer is not ideal and does not, in fact, have chemistry with spirits. Although neither views are wrong and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, our goal here at Beer Mixology is to explore the relationship between beer and spirits and share our findings and experiments with the world!

The Cocktail Menu taken from Beermixology.com (with a few original creations):

Modern Hemingway (original!): New Holland Knickerbocker Gin, luxardo, pink grapefruit juice, Pisgah Summer Ale and squeeze of lime.

The Hopapilla (original!): New Holland Hopquila, Frangelico, cinnamon/vanilla simple syrup, white cranberry, Pisgah Pale, slice of lime,  jalapeno.

Grog Nog: Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum, cream, egg white, vanilla simple syrup, Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, lemon wedge, vanilla sugar, cinnamon

Very Berry Shortcake (A milkshake flavored cocktail!): Dogfish Head Blue Hen Vanilla Vodka, Coconut milk, Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic, fresh raspberry garnish

Kentucky Sunrise: Rogue Single-Malt Whiskey, mango, lemon juice, agave nectar, Stone IPA, Angostura bitters

[Let us know you're coming and RSVP to the FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/182761355175103/]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2012

The Inaugural Asheville Beer Week Kicks-off on May 24

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The biggest beer bash to hit Asheville, North Carolina, a.k.a. BeerCity, USA, begins this Thursday, May 24 through June 3 with an incredible number of beer events held all over town and the surrounding areas during the first Asheville Beer Week.

The festivities begin at Highland Brewing’s Tasting Room on Thursday, May 24 4:00-8:00 p.m. with a Benefit for The Ben Harris Family. On April 24, 2012, Ben Harris passed away due to a keg explosion at Redhook Brewing in Portsmouth, NH. This terrible news affected the brewing community nationwide. In Asheville, where beer is loved and brewed, we deeply mourn this tragedy. Ben’s wife, Alysha Miller, is a former Asheville resident and a cousin to Jamie DeJohn, Highland Brewing Company’s Assistant Tasting Room Manager. Ben and Alysha were newly married and Alysha is expecting a child in December. Asheville breweries will donate beer for purchase and beer gear for auction. Hank West & The Smokin’ Hots will be playing from 6-8pm. All proceeds will go to the Ben Harris and Alysha Miller Baby Fund. There is no cover, but donations in any amount will be gratefully accepted. This event, joining local breweries and showing care for all in our industry, is a great way to start Asheville Beer Week.

Asheville Beer Week not only supports the local breweries, restaurants, bars, and retailers, but also many community causes, including the Asheville Brewers Alliance, The Ben Harris and Alysha Miller Baby Fund (Redhook), Habitat for Humanity, Save The French Broad, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC, The WNC Nature Center, and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy to name a few. There are big, fancy dinners and free, fun pint nights—ensuring there is something for everyone.

Some Asheville Beer Week highlights:

May 25, 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Barley’s presents: Beer 101  (Open Class)
Learn about beer, history, etc and sample local brews w/ beer columnist, Anne Fitten Glenn. $10/pp

May 26, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Just Brew It! Homebrew Festival
Just Economics Annual Home Brew Festival and Competition. Sample 100+ different beers from 55+ homebrewers. Visit http://justeconomicswnc.org for information. $16/pp.

May 28, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Moe’s Original BBQ presents: Greg Engert Beer & Food Forum
Greg Engert, the Washington, D.C.-based beer director for The Neighborhood Restaurant Group, teams up with our very own Moe’s Original BBQ for a night of beer and food selections. $45/pp. Call Moe’s BBQ for reservation, (828) 505-8282.

May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Pisgah Brewing: Flight Night at The Market Place
Four hors d’oeuvres paired with four Pisgah beers. $16/pp. http://www.marketplace-restaurant.com/

May 30, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Asheville Brewing: “District 12″ Release Party
Ryan Burac from Asheville Brewing rolls out the “District 12 Ale” in honor of WNC’s beautiful showing as backdrop to the blockbuster The Hunger Games. Free, at the brewery.

May 30, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Bruisin’ Ales, Pack’s Tavern and AIR (Asheville Independent Restaurants) present: Beer Chef!
Beer Chef, in Pack’s Tavern Century Room, is a foodie and beer extravaganza—featuring Belgian and Belgian-style beers matched with the delectable creations of some of Asheville’s best chefs. This casual eight-course, eight-beer pairing event is a highlight of Asheville Beer Week. Special Guests: Brian Grossman (Sierra Nevada, Co-Manager & Director of Consumer Experience), Terence Sullivan (Sierra Nevada, Brewmaster & Head Field Educator), and Grady Hull (New Belgium, Assistant Brewmaster). $85/pp. Tickets available at http://beerchef.eventbrite.com.

May 31, 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Thirsty Monk presents: Brux with Brian Grossman of Sierra Nevada & Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River
Sierra Nevada Brewing and Russian River Brewing collaborated on a wild ale called Brux. Join us as we pop open some bottles and listen to Brian Grossman and Vinnie Cilurzo talk about their collaboration. This is your chance to try this beer a month before its official release. We will also be the only place in North Carolina pouring a keg of “Love at First Bike,” the beer that Brian and Vinnie brewed for Brian’s wedding! Free entry.

June 2, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Beer City Festival
The 3rd Annual Beer City Fest at Roger McGuire Green. Hosted by Asheville Brewers Alliance. Showcasing the best beers brewed in the Carolinas. Fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC and the Asheville Brewers Alliance. $40/pp. Tickets available at local breweries, Barley’s, and Bruisin’ Ales through Thursday, May 24, then at the gate.

For a full calendar, please visit the Events Page.

The Official Asheville Beer Week website is http://ashevillebeerweek.com. Mobile apps are now available in both the Android and iPhone markets. Follow us on Twitter (@AVLBeerWeek), Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, and Untappd. There is also have an Untappd Badge to earn just for Asheville Beer Week. Use the official hashtags #AVLBeer and #AVLBeerWeek to share your events and get info.

[BlogAsheville] With the inaugural Asheville Beer Week kicking off on Thursday, May 24, it’s time to renew our spirit and dedication to our city’s favorite beverage, beer.

Sure, we tied with the awesome town of Grand Rapids, MI for BeerCity, USA this year. The nay-sayers of the economic boon our industry brings will say “who cares?” and the neo-prohibitionists say we’re ruining the city by forcing everyone to drink “the alcohol,” but no. We shall not stand for that. We are a hard-working, vibrant, integral cross-section of this community that knows no borders and has no limits. We are a small bunch. We are strong. We work hard for each other. We work hard for others. We are not jerks. We are trying to make a living. And we like beer. And, moreover, we like that you like beer.

Here’s a Step-by-Step way to bring it home during Asheville Beer Week. If all you can think about is beer right now, skip straight to Step One. Otherwise, humor me.

FIVE: Support Southeast Regional Breweries

We get it. Sometimes you’re tired of that regular local beer you always get with the burrito, side of sour cream. Been there. (And I hate sour cream.) Well, expand your local map area and drink something from within the region of the Southeast. There are many great beers by non-NC breweries that are often available from our greater region: Sweetwater (GA), Terrapin (GA), Atlanta Brewing/Red Brick (GA), RJ Rockers (SC), Thomas Creek (SC), Abita (LA). Surely, I am missing many. Even a brew in our general economic region is boost to the industry. And shouldn’t we let the world know we’re not a bunch of light-beer-swillin’ rednecks? It’s great to branch out, but still: the closer to home, the better.

FOUR: Support North Carolina Breweries

Zoom in, go smaller. NC is awash in breweries and start-ups. We’re not even going to pretend to know everything about each one. We don’t. We’re on a mountain and no one tells us anything. But you can go to the North Carolina Brewers Guild Guide and then ask your favorite restaurant, bar, store (or refrigerator) in Asheville to stock your favorite North Carolina beer. If you don’t see something, ASK FOR IT. (Ask a manager. Also, sorry, managers.) There is no shame in it. In fact, you get extra cool points from the beer gods for doing so. This has been proven somewhere. I read it on the internet.

THREE: Support Asheville Beer Week (May 24-June 3, 2012)

This is the biggest beer bash ever to be held in Asheville, North Carolina, a.k.a. BeerCity, USA. A small, yet mighty group of people is working overtime to put on a stellar “week” for you (Okay, it’s 12 days, or something, but no one said we could count. We can’t.) with an insane number of beer events all over town.

During Asheville Beer Week, not only are you supporting the local breweries, restaurants, bars, and retailers, you are also doing your usual gig for many, many, many good causes. During Asheville Beer Week, the beer community is helping out many groups and individuals, including the Asheville Brewers Alliance, The Family of Ben Harris (Redhook Brewery), Habitat for Humanity, Save The French Broad, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC, The WNC Nature Center, and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy to name a few. There are big, fancy dinners and free, fun pint nights. Three fests ranging from free to $16/pp to $40/pp. We’ve got you covered.

You can visit the Official Asheville Beer Week site at http://ashevillebeerweek.com. We’ve also got apps in Android and iPhone markets. You can play with us on Twitter (@AVLBeerWeek), Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, and Untappd. We even have an Untappd Badge you can earn to show you Asheville Beer Week pride! Use the official hashtags #avlbeer and #avlbeerweek to share your events and get info.

(Oh, and here’s a link for a contest for two free tickets to Beer City Fest from 104.9.)

TWO: Support Asheville Breweries

When you drink a local beer, you don’t just support the brewery. You support the employees in the office to the folks scraping the mash tun; you support their families, their kids. You support the businesses that carry their products, which means you support small businesses. You support EVERYONE. We’ve heard Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery say many times that the very first beer you enjoy every night should always be a local beer. This is not a lie.

ONE: Drink a Local Beer

You’re doing it! Congratulations. Cheers!

(Photo: MountainXPress/Anne Fitten Glenn)