Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

December 5th is another cause to celebrate during the holidays. It’s Repeal Day! No more Prohibition! Fill our glasses with foamy, frothy deliciousness!

This coming Monday, Bruisin’ Ales will have special Monday hours to launch the long-awaited 21st Amendment Brewery from San Francisco, California. The entire line comes in cans. Probably best known for their Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (which exploded onto the beer scene initially and will likely make an appearance after the New Year), this is a fantastic canned line. We’re thrilled to launch it in WNC and we welcome them to the Bruisin’ shelves. About the brewery/brewpub:

In 2000, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan founded the 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. The popular brewpub is now at the heart of the new city center, just south of the financial district and only two blocks from the San Francisco Giants baseball park. In addition to eight rotating taps of multiple award-winning hand-crafted house beers, the pub has been voted “Best Brewpub”, “Best Burger” and “Best Happy Hour” by the San Francisco press.

So, what 21st Amendment beers will be coming on the initial shipment? Here’s what we’re tasting on Monday from 5:00-7:00 pm.

Brew Free or Die (IPA)
Brewed with some serious west coast attitude. This aromatic golden IPA starts with a sucker punch of six different hops to the nose, quickly balanced by a solid malt backbone. Our top selling beer at the pub, this IPA starts big and finishes clean leaving you wanting more. [7.0% abv]

Back in Black  (Black IPA)
Inspired by Paul Revere’s midnight ride, we rebelled against the British style IPA, embraced the more aggressive American version and then recast it in bold, brave, defiant black. Our Black IPA is a Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of the expected. Back in Black is our newest year-round beer available now in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like an American IPA but with the addition of rich, dark malts, this beer has all the flavor and hop character you expect with a smooth, mellow finish. [6.8% abv]

Allies Win the War (Strong Ale brewed with Dates, Collaboration with Ninkasi Brewing)
In a surprising turn of events, rival superpowers have joined forces to bring a beer of might to the world. According to top-secret documents, recently unclassified, brewmasters for 21st Amendment in California and Ninkasi in Oregon began their brewing careers together many years ago. The two leaders reunited recently at a secret camp in the Sierras to devise their master plan. “We are more alike than we are different,” said 21st Amendment’s Shaun O’Sullivan. “We must unite in our common cause,” added Ninkasi’s Jamie Floyd. The resulting collaboration, an ale brewed with California dates, an aggressive arsenal of all-Northwest hops and an unmistakable aroma of victory, deals a unified blow to unoriginal beers everywhere. [8.5% abv]

Please note: Store hours will be 5:00-8:00 pm on Monday, December 5th, so come on down for a sample and get a little beer shopping done!

Today we welcome Stephen Hill, co-founder of Mother Earth Brewing from 5-7 p.m. We’re sampling the whole line-up, including cans!

Endless River: A clean, crisp beer, Kolsch offers a very slight fruity flavor and aroma. It is light gold in color, with a delicate head. This light-bodied beer appeals to nearly everyone who samples it. Expect to enjoy a slight tang in the finish.

Sunny Haze: Sunny Haze will brighten even your finest day. “Hefe” means “with yeast” so expect to find our hefeweizen cloudy in appearance due to its unfiltered status. Fruity hints and slight spiciness of this hefeweizen will mingle in your mouth, creating a crispness that’s as energizing as the sun itself. Banana and clove-like aromas add interest and depth to an already impressively well balanced brew. There’s no doubt; it’s meant to be a Sunny Haze kind of day.

Weeping Willow Wit: This beer style is over 400 years old, and continues to enjoy overwhelming popularity. Offering low hop bitterness, it is easy to enjoy. It pours very hazy, with a light gold color… we say it’s like summertime in a glass. Bitter orange peel and fresh coriander add zest and depth to this refreshing beer.

Dark Cloud: Steeped in a long history dating back hundreds of years, this “old-fashioned” beer is again in vogue. Lager is the German word meaning “to store,” so this beer ages three times longer than our ales do. “Dunkel” means dark in German, but don’t let the color fool you, it is by no means heavy, overbearing or bitter. In fact, it proves to be a very drinkable session beer.

Second Wind: Prepare yourself for an inspiring journey. Uncomplicated and down-to-earth, the mild hop bitterness and gentle floral and citrus like character of this beer result in an invigorating experience that flawlessly celebrates the close of an idyllic day. If you’re searching for your second wind, you’ve just discovered it.

Sisters of the Moon: Made with hops grown in the good ‘ol USA… you’ll proudly support American farmers when you drink this beer! Light copper in color, it has an intense hop aroma and strong hop bitterness. Our hopback process uses fresh hop cones to take this IPA to unexpected places. Prepare for a mouthful of flavor.

Old Neighborhood (seasonal): Our Old Neighborhood Oatmeal Porter will take you back to the good old days. This classic dark ale is rich and robust, yet silky smooth. Its distinct roasty essence is deliciously balanced with a slight sweetness, creating a porter that boasts intense flavors.

Never a dull moment, kiddos!

This upcoming Tuesday, November 8, we’ll be hosting Ted “Voltron” Whitney, National Sales Director of Avery Brewing Company for a sampling of Avery beers at the usual time, 5:00-7:00 p.m. (Above he talks about Avery Karma, currently out of season, but we thought you might be interested.) So, what’s up with Ted?

Ted grew up in Rhode Island and came to Colorado in 1996 to run. After seven years of studying Biology and English at University of Colorado he got into wine wholesaling. Ted worked with big distributors and small but the whole time was hanging out at Avery and finally in 2007 got a job with us. These days Ted makes sure to run, mountain bike and get on the road bike whenever possible. He spends his remaining time making sure Coloradoans are experiencing more from their favorite brewery. If you run into Ted on the street, make sure to ask him how he got his nickname!

Of course, we have a Bruisin’ line-up for everyone to sample while you chat up Ted. (And beer spies report that there may be a limited appearance of some of Avery sours, so get there early.)

Salvation: “Salvation has luscious apricot and peach aromas delicately interwoven with spicy suggestions of nutmeg and cinnamon. This heavenly soft, champagne-like elixer is cellarable for 3 years.” [9.0% abv]

DuganA: “Lupulin Rapture Incarnate! As fervent  devotees of hops, we found ourselves on a quest to create a transcendental IPA capable of quenching our voracious lupulin desires. Our mantra became ‘unity of bitterness, hop flavor and aroma.’ Enlightened, duganA IPA was born: A brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience.” [8.5% abv]

Hog Heaven: “This dangerously drinkable garnet beauty is a hop lover’s delight. The intense dry-hop nose and the alcohol content are perfectly balanced for a caramel candy-like malt finish. This is a serious beer for serious beer afficianados and it only gets better with age. Cellarable for 3 years.” [9.2% abv]

The Reverend: “A divinely complex and beautifully layered beer with hints of dark cherries, currants, and molasses, complimented by an underlying spiciness. Sinfully smooth considering the high alcohol content. Cellarable for up to 4 years.” [10.0% abv]

It’s been a busy week around here. This week we welcome Fred Bueltmann, partner in New Holland Brewing from New Holland, Michigan. Meet-n-Greet and tasting this Thursday, November 3 from 5:00-7:00 pm.

A little bit about Fred and his role with New Holland:

“I’m thrilled to be part of the New Holland Brewing Company. I’ve been involved in selling beer in one capacity or another for years. While a novice homebrewer in the early 90s, I discovered the beer industry at a distributor in Chicago, prior to managing a large Midwestern region for a German Importer. A few years later, I was Sales Manager/VP Sales at a growing Michigan microbrewery in Kalamazoo, MI. I joined New Holland as a partner in 2004 and oversee the branding and distribution of our beer and spirits. I also contribute to our company celebration of the marriage between beer & food. ‘Bringing Beer to the people’ is more than a job to me, it’s a cultural mission that makes planet Earth a better place to hang out”.

If you haven’t heard by now (and you should have), Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Company is visiting Asheville on Friday, October 28 for a series of events to promote a new book, The Craft of Stone Brewing.

At Bruisin’ Ales, we’re holding a private book signing and beer tasting from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Cost is $30/per person and includes the new book ($25 retail price), plus a flight of rare Stone Brewing beers paired with local cheeses and snacks. There are only 35 spots available. You must call the store with a credit card to make your reservation. (828) 252-8999

A little bit about Greg and the history of Stone Brewing:

Since starting the brewery with his partner Steve Wagner in 1996, Stone has become one of the fastest growing and highest rated breweries in the world. Brewing a projected 150,000 barrels in 2011, Stone is the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States, a position it achieved without ever advertising, discounting, giving away freebies or compromising.

Greg passionately believes that environmental and social sustainability goes hand-in-hand with brewing mind-blowing beer and he frequently is called on to speak on topics ranging from craft beer to business to food to marketing, bringing a bold, entertaining, and often humorous approach along with his philosophy.

The beers [UPDATE]:

Trio of Bastards:
Arrogant Bastard
Oaked Arrogant Bastard
Double Bastard (2011)

Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA
Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

After the Bruisin’ Ales private event, please follow us to the LAB (Lexington Avenue Brewery), where Greg will deliver a talk on the craft beer industry, entrepreneurship, and creative marketing at 6:30 p.m. We have been fortunate to hear Greg speak in the past, and trust us, you don’t want to miss it. While we don’t much care for comparisons, many of you are familiar with Gary Vee of the wine industry. Greg Koch is that guy for all us craft beer supporters (and then some). The LAB speaking engagement is free to the public and will be held in the back room stage area of the brewery.

If you’re still up for some Stone Brewing beers after that (and who wouldn’t be?), The Thirsty Monk has a fantastic line-up of special draft beers that night, offering you another opportunity for a Meet & Greet.

Please note that books will be available at all locations, including Stone Brewing Company’s first book, The Brewers Apprentice. (And a special shout to all our friends at Malaprops, our amazing local bookstore, for handling the book orders.)

Call today! These spots will go quickly! We look forward to seeing you all at Bruisin’ Ales.