Sprecher Brewery from Wisconsin coming tomorrow
Yup, a classic from the original brewing city, Milwaukee, is hitting the shelves tomorrow. Welcome, Sprecher Brewing! We’re making our list and checking it twice today, including some of the Brewmasters Premium Reserve Series. Can I get a woot?

Tweet for beer at Bele Chere
The Mountain XPress is offering beer for tweets this weekend to help them cover Bele Chere. Basic rules are: Have five or more posts with the #belechere tag and/or upload pictures or videos and if they use either, show up at 3pm on Sunday at Asheville Brewing on Coxe and they will buy you a beer.

Foothills got label approval for more bottles
Beernews.org reports that Foothills Brewery got label approval for Hoppyum IPA, Torch Pilsner and Peoples Porter. While the post makes this seem imminent, beer spies tell us that bottles are at least a few months down the line. Look for them on our shelves later this year. *cross fingers*

The End of History
In the on-going-school-boys-on-the-playground-pissing-contest that is for “the world’s strongest beer,” Brewdog’s forthcoming The End of The World was leaked to the masses yesterday. The End of The World is the latest (possibly dumbest) incarnation by Scotland’s Brewdog. There are only 12 bottles being made at the cost of $800-$1,100 per bottle …with the actual bottle stuffed into road kill converted to a bottle vessel by a taxidermist. Wait, what? Yup, not joking. You can’t make this crap up. The best news, in my humble opinion, is that Brewdog states this is the last in their high ABV experiments, and thank god, already. We like the brewery, we love their marketing, but we’re 100% over the hype. Hopefully, they’ll return to brewing beer now instead of scouring the Scottish Highlands for dead squirrels.

Everyone’s an entrepreneur
A homeless man broke into a Northern California bar and reopened it, posing as the new owner. A+ for ingenuity, but ultimately, still a failing grade.

Our friends at The Happy Hour Guys made for the Short Pour Fest at GABF this year. Cheers!

The Asheville Brewers Alliance now has a website! This is now your go-to place for all things beer-related in Asheville. Full calendar included that links from Asheville Brew.

[NOTE: Press release from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Enter to win a trip to Asheville & Brewgrass Festival.]

WIN CRAFT BEER VACATION GIVEAWAY

~ Asheville celebrates craft beer title with beer-cation travel giveaway ~

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (May 27, 2010) – More than 19,000 votes and hundreds of heated comments and blog posts marked a neck-n-neck tie-breaker for the title of “BeerCity USA 2010” in an online poll celebrating American Craft Beer Week.  In the end, passion for the small, but mighty, brewing culture of Asheville, North Carolina surpassed brewing giant Portland, Oregon. Last year, the East Coast vs. West Coast battle ended in a tie between the two cities.

Quote

“Beers experienced from breweries in both cities, I can attest to, are worth the journey to these American beer Meccas.  In fact beer enjoyed in most American cities is worth the journey.  Beer drinkers are on notice: You can leave home now–better beer awaits,” said Examiner.com poll host and founder of the Association of Brewers Charlie Papazian.

Win a Craft Beer Vacation

In celebration of the city’s first outright title of BeerCity USA, Asheville has launched a beer-cation giveaway. Win a free night’s stay at the Asheville Renaissance and pair of coveted tickets to Asheville’s biggest annual beer festival, Brewgrass. Tickets are currently sold out for the popular event with a line-up of national and regional bluegrass acts. Enter to win the craft beer travel getaway at ExploreAsheville.com.

About Asheville: Brewtopian Society

Known for its scenic beauty, music culture and robust art scene, Asheville’s reputation as a haven for brewing and culinary arts is growing. With a population of just over 70,000, Asheville is giving bigger cities a beer-run for their money with nine diverse craft breweries–more per capita than any city in the nation.

On any given day, about 50 local beers can be enjoyed on draft and in bottles. Asheville is home to a world-renowned specialty beer store (Bruisin’ Ales, rated #3 retailer worldwide by RateBeer), five annual beer festivals, a regular “Beer Guy” column in the local paper, and a growing array of local beer-flavored food products. (Highland Black Mocha Stout ice cream, anyone?) Asheville Brews Cruise offers an insider’s look at Asheville’s rapidly evolving microbrewery scene complete with designated driver.

Beer Links

• BeerCity USA – Examiner.com poll results
• AmericanCraftBeerWeek.org
• BrewtopianSociety.com – guide to Asheville’s craft breweries via FoodtopianSociety.com

Follow @AshevilleTravel on Twitter.

[UPDATE: The poll is getting tight and Portland has a small lead. Tell your family, friends, even enemies to vote ASHEVILLE!]

The poll is OPEN for Charlie Papazian’s “BeerCity, USA” 2010. Help us keep Asheville on top! Spread the word near and far about all the beer culture we have in a little mountain city.

Last year Asheville tied with Portland, OR—a city with many more breweries and many more people. But I think Asheville’s beer passion speaks for itself. We’re not resting on our laurels!

GO VOTE!

Happy American Craft Beer Week, everybody!

It’s our favorite week of the year: American Craft Beer Week! Yup, an entire week devoted to our favorite beverage of all time. Join us on Thursday night for the Terrapin Beer Co. dinner co-hosted by Bruisin’ Ales and Zambra with guest Brewmaster, Spike Buckowski. We’ll be celebrating on Friday, too, with an in-store event for beer floats—Craggie Brewing’s Antebellum Ale + The Hop’s Antebellum Ale ice cream.

Check the Mountain XPress round-up of Asheville events (thus far).

Thanks for featuring Beer City, USA!

Had a great time last night at 12 Bones! If you joined us, we thank you. If you didn’t, we’ll see you at the next one!

Please join us for our first beer dinner of 2010 at 12 Bones Smokehouse!

Wednesday, April 21, 6:30 pm
Cost: $60/pp, including tax + gratuity

Sponsors: 12 Bones Smokehouse & Bruisin’ Ales
Location: 12 Bones Smokehouse River Arts District

Please call 12 Bones to hold reservations with credit card.
828-606-7880 (catering line)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~M E N U~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12 Bones Smokehouse & Bruisin Ales Spring Beer Dinner
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Smoked Skate Wing with citrus salad of Clementines and Meyers lemons
Plank Bavarian Hefeweizen / Germany / Hefeweizen / 5.2% abv

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/5943/36171

Duck Confit Taquito with fig, goat cheese and lavender dipping sauce
Traquair Jacobite / England / Scotch Ale with coriandor / 8.0% abv

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24/652

Lamb Sausage with sage and apricots and a parmesan, baby artichoke risotto
Dogfish Head Aprihop / Delaware / American IPA with apricots / 7.0% abv

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/3951

Borracho Beef Short Ribs with fennel au gratin and plantain purée
Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout / California / Imperial Stout / 8.1% abv

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/1658

Honey Lager Gelato  with cornbread biscuits and roasted brazil nuts
Bier du Miel / Belgium / Saison with honey / 8.0% abv

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/637/1715