It’s crunch time, folks. Or panic mode, as some say. You still have gifts to get, with many more to wrap; maybe your tree isn’t up; and, the mechanical reindeer are still in the garage. Well, come visit the humble storefront, mix yourself a six-pack (to take the edge off) and get a little shopping done at Bruisin’ Ales! We’ve got some suggestions for you right here:

The Always Useful Gift Certificate
You can purchase our old-school, non gift-card, hand-printed gift certificates. You can actually write on it and make it personal. And, you can buy one for whatever amount you wish.

T-shirts
Got a t-shirt addict on your list? (We all do.) We’ve got Bruisin’ Ales t-shirts, beer•lan•thro•py® tees, and Beer City Fest shirts that benefit the Asheville Brewers Alliance. Ours are $15; Beer City Fest $18.

Books
We have a small selection of beer books available, but the real gems are the Stone Brewing books that are signed by Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Co. Special treat for the beer geek right there!

Gift Packs
If you’re in a rush, we have some lovely pre-packaged European gift packs. Many also include glassware:

• Chimay
• Corsendonk
• Duchesse de Bourgogne (Belgium)
• Duvel
• La Trappe
• Lindemans lambics
• Petrus
• Schneider & Sons (Germany)
• St. Bernardus
• St. Fuellien Christmas
• St. Martin Winter
• Tripel Karmeliet
• Unibroue (includes Eau Benite, a beer not normally available in the U.S. and a personal favorite)
• Val-Dieu
• Van Steenberge

John Wetzel of Terrapin Beer Co. joins us tomorrow from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the tasting room for a sampling of brews. We’ll also be getting a handful of new Terrapin merch, just in time for Spring, including new willibecker glasses, coffee mugs, t-shirts, hats, dog camping bowls, black & tan turtles, and more!

Here’s what’s on the taster menu (including two Side Projects!):

Terrapin Hop Karma
“The Terrapin Hop Karma IPA (formerly known as the India Style Brown Ale) is a head on collision between a hoppy, west coast IPA and a complex, malty brown ale. Brewed with 5 varieties of hops and 7 different malts, this hybrid style represents the best of both worlds.” [6.0% abv]

Terrapin Hopsecutioner
“This Killer IPA earns its name by using six different types of hops while still remaining an aggressive well balanced beer.” [7.2% abv]

Terrapin Tom Foolery
“Tomfoolery Black Saison is the latest addition to our Side Project series of beers. Number 14 on the list, this ale boasts an uncharacteristic black color for a traditional Saison, but is just untraditional enough for our experimental mentality. Made with a silly amount of rye, wheat and black malts, this dark spicy beverage will quench the thirst of any court jester in the land. We hope you enjoy our light hearted attempt at making this traditional style with foolish brewing behavior.” [7.4% abv]

Terrapin Big Daddy Vladdy
“Terrapin Big Daddy Vladdy’s Russian Imperial Stout is number 13 in our Side Project Series of beers. Brewed under the strictest Socialist guidelines, this Imperialistic Stout will be carefully monitored and allocated accordingly. Black as the coldest Siberian Winter’s night, this colossal, viscous beverage will bring the hammer and sickle down on your little girly man’s palate.” [10.25% abv]

In the constant struggle to make room for beer, we are having a big-ass SALE on all beer books! There are some great ones here covering brewing, beer guides, cookbooks and history. Take your pick!

• He Said Beer, She Said Wine
• Extreme Brewing
• The Brewmaster’s Table
• The Good Beer Book
• Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich
• Stephen Beaumont’s Brewpub Cookbook
• Good Bottled Beer Guide
• A Beer History
• Prost: The Story of German Beer
• Cooking With Beer Season By Season
• Bartender’s Beer Cookbook
• Travels With Barley
• Man Walks Into A Pub
• Ambitious Brew
• I Love You More Than Beer (novelty)

We’re having an inventory clearance today only. Don’t miss it! 100% off all cheese graters, socks, and typewriters.

[**Warning for language on the video.**]

Courtesy of Pub Crawlin’ (who is poking fun at our new Snuggie, which we got as a joke)! “Your robe on backwards.”

Word to the wise: Be careful with these things. Seriously. If you have any amount of carpet/upholstery in your home, you will be super-charged with a ridiculous amount of static. (It should come with a free gift of Static Guard instead of a reading light.) We bumped a doorknob while charged up and IT HURT. True story. We would not even consider approaching the computer while wearing Snuggie for fear of frying the thing.

Also, if you are under the height of 6′ tall, it is not really one-size-fits-all. Instead, it drags and could (probably) be considered a safety hazard for that reason, too. Do not use stairs while wearing Snuggie if you are short. (Can you hem a Snuggie?) On the other hand, if you are over 6′ tall, you should be able to walk just fine, although you look like someone from Roman or Biblical times—except for the additional sleeves. Or you just look like an idiot.

And just think, someone is getting rich off of the WTF Blanket. Doesn’t that make you mad?

Don’t buy a Snuggie—Buy Beer!

There are tons of holiday items available at Bruisin’ Ales, including prepackaged gift boxes/tins from Corsendonk, Petrus, St. Fueillien, Duvel, Chimay. Share good beer with the entire family (over 21, of course) with a magnum or 3L of Corsendonk Christmas, Chimay, or Piraat.

Make that holiday toast with a biere brut, or champagne beer, like Deus, Malheur (brut/dark brut), or Krait. Or go for something aged to perfection, like oak-aged sparkling Scaldis Prestige or Xayauyu from le Baladin, possibly the best barleywine we’ve ever had. A splurger for the beer geek in your life, Xayauya is much more like a port, smooth and warming. The ultimate beer lover’s digestif!

Plenty of holiday beers are still around. Mix-a-six of your favorite craft holidays brews to bring to the party. And for those who’s tastes are beyond your knowledge, give them a Bruisin’ Ales gift certificate!

Also, don’t forget our massive glassware selection, as well as t-shirts, hats, beer soap and more!

Still time to ship in time for Christmas delivery, too! Order today. http://www.bruisin-ales.com/store.php

Cheers and Hoppy Holidays!
Julie & Jason

 We’ve been working on this for some time now (like, months) and the permits are in place. Bruisin’ Ales now ships to allowed states. The details are being worked through, and we weren’t really prepared to put it online yet, but beernews.org got word of it. Then Ashvegas picked it up and so did Beerinator. So, there it is. We’re shipping. Eventually, we’ll be integrating an online store with our retail management system, but until then, here are the basics (full legalese to come): 

1. Browse the Bruisin’ website and e-mail us your order and shipping address. orders@bruisin-ales.com
2. Fax or e-mail a copy of your valid ID.
3. We will call you with a final price, including shipping fees, and charge your credit card. Visa, Master, and American Express accepted. No COD.
4. Packaging costs and FedEx Ground shipping will be charged accordingly.
5. Adult signature is REQUIRED upon delivery.

There are some descrepancies as to which states we can ship to that will be resolved shortly. Also:

1. We are not responsible for items damaged by handling or weather, i.e. heat or cold.
2. No shipments to P.O. boxes, military addresses, Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada.
3. Please do not e-mail your credit card number.
4. You are responsible for knowing your state’s laws and abiding by them.

All books are 15% off through July 31, 2008!

Women’s white Bruisin’ Ales tees are all 25% off. Clearance!!

New tees are in!
Bruisin’ Ales in yellow, sizes S-XXL.
beer•lan•thro•py in blue, sizes S-XXL

Designated as Asheville’s “official book,” and enthusiastically endorsed by the Chamber, “Asheville—A Photographic Portrait,” will include more than 300 of the best color photos taken by photographers whose images appear in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times and other prominent publications. As Asheville’s official coffee-table book, this stunning hardbound publication will serve as an economic development resource and promote our exceptional quality of life. Businesses will utilize this book to present to professionals considering relocation.

We’ll be giving some to our friends this holiday (now that we’ve given it away). The book is a wonderful gift for the native Ashevillian, the transplant, the part-timer, or the visitor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CafePress.com is having a special for friends and family this week. Since the Bruisin’ Ales shop is part of CafePress, here’s a chance to get a jump start for the beer lovers on your list by showing your support for beer•lan•thro•pyâ„¢. Get 15% off $50 or more through November 28 by entering coupon code FRFAM2007.

After Thanksgiving, Bruisin’ Ales will begin taking orders for custom baskets for the holidays. What could be a greater gift than beer?