We had to look up Eiraphiotes. Wikipedia says: Eiraphiotes: “Insewn”. Dionysus, in Olympian myth, was sewn into the thigh of Zeus, who brought the prematurely delivered infant to term. There’s also a little link to Hellenic Gods.

“Olde Hickory Brewery Eiraphiotes is a very limited relase. An Imperial Pilsner we aged in chardonnay barrels, it begins with a hoppy, floral nose, with a hint of grape skins. Fruity, medium body on the palate, with a malty sweetness, hints of grapes, a slight acidity and oaky dryness. Hops first on the finish, followed by sweet malt and finally dry oak. Available for a short time throughout NC in 750ml bottles and on tap in just a few locations.”

We also have ONE CASE of Foothills Sexual Chocolate. One/per person and you must ASK for it. No shipping. (Good luck!)

Here’s the full list:

AVERY Maharaja
AVERY New World Porter
CALDERA Old Growth
FOOTHILLS Sexual Chocolate
NANTAHALA ATX Pale
NANTAHALA Noon Day IPA
NANTAHALA Pattons Run Porter
OLDE HICKORY Eiraphiotes
PEAK Hop Noir
TERRAPIN Moo-Hoo Stout

This is the full list of newbies and returnees this week:

B. NEKTAR Zombie Killer
DOGFISH HEAD Burton Baton
DOGFISH HEAD Ta Henket (almost gone!)
EPIC BREWING Big Bad Baptist
EPIC BREWING Brainless on Cherries
EPIC BREWING Brainless on Peaches
EPIC BREWING Fermentation Without Representation
EPIC BREWING Imperial IPA
GREEN FLASH Rayon Vert
HEAVY SEAS Below Decks
HEAVY SEAS Bourbon Below Decks
HEAVY SEAS Cabernet Below Decks
LAGUNITAS Cappucino Stout
OMMEGANG Aphrodite
OMMEGANG Seduction
PISGAH Valdez
SAMICHLAUS
SAMICHLAUS Helles
ST. SYLVESTRE 3 Monts
ST. SYLVESTRE 3 Monts Grand Reserve
TERRAPIN Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (Wake-n-Bake)

BROOKLYN Black Ops (1 bottle limit, must ask for it)
CATAWBA VALLEY Hooligan Scotch Ale (growlers)
DOGFISH HEAD Faithfull
DOGFISH HEAD Hellhound on My Ale
GREAT DIVIDE Espresso Oak Yeti
GREAT DIVIDE Oak Yeti
HEAVY SEAS Below Decks Barleywine (Bourbon barrel)
HEAVY SEAS Below Decks Barleywine (Cabernet barrel)
HIGHLAND Cold Mountain (22′z)
HIGHLAND Thunderstruck Coffee Porter
HOPPIN’ FROG Barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S. Imperial Stout
SPRECHER Kriek
STARR HILL The Gift

What’s on the beer flight:

Allagash White: “Our interpretation of a traditional Belgian wheat beer. Brewed with a generous portion of wheat and spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel, this beer is fruity, refreshing and slightly cloudy in appearance.” [5.0% abv]

Allagash Black: “Allagash Black is a Belgian style stout brewed with 2 Row barley, torrified wheat, oats, both roasted and chocolate malt and a generous portion of dark caramelized candi sugar. The silky mouth feel is a great balance to the roasted character, coffee and dark chocolate notes expressed throughout this beer.” [7.5% abv]

Allagash Tripel: “This strong golden ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with suggestions of banana and honey in the complex palate. The Tripel has a remarkably long and smooth finish.” [9.0% abv]

… and a very special addition straight from the brewery for samples only …

Mattina Rossa: “Mattina Rossa is a beer that was a long time in the making. It was brewed in August of 2008 with a base of 2-Row malt and 440 lbs of local raspberries in the mash. It was then conservatively hopped with Tettanang, German Tradition and Saaz and fermented with our house yeast strain. Shortly after primary fermentation, the beer was racked into eleven red wine barrels, nine of which were inoculated with either Lactobacillus or Brettanomyces ‘Allagensis’. After one year, we placed an additional 100 lbs of local raspberries in five of the barrels. The beer continued to age for an additional year, at which time the barrels were blended to strike the desired balance of fruit and funk. Mattina Rossa has an aroma of fresh raspberry, strawberry preserves and lemon rind. Raspberry is also discernible in the flavor, along with mild quince and pomegranate. The long finish starts with a tart citrus and ends with a pronounced biscuit flavor and a slight bitterness.” [6.9% abv]

(PS: We also have the draft-only release Big Little Beer wild ale on the kegerator for purchase.)

Here’s a bunch of the holiday beers that arrived! Just in time…

De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva
Dieu du ciel! Solstice d’Hiver
Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueze 300m
Epic Brewing Spiral Jetty IPA
Epic Armageddon IPA
Epic Barrell Aged IPA
Epic New Zealand Mash Up (Collaboration)
Green Man ESB (growlers)
Green Man Porter (growlers)
Haandbryggeriet Coffee Porter
Haandbryggeriet HaandBic
Haandbryggeriet Krokkebic
Haandbryggeriet Bestfar Winter Ale
Henney’s Dry Cider
Henney’s Vintage 2010 Still
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
Mikkeller Santas Helper 2011
Mikkeller Red & White Xmas (magnum)
Mikkeller Ris a la M’ale
Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Brut
Mikkeller Barrel From via To
Nantahala Bryson Brown (growlers)
Noel de Geants 2011
Noel de Geants 2011 (1.5L)
Olde Hickory Christmas Ale
Olde Hickory Black Raven IPA
Olde Hickory Ruby Lager
Ridgeway Seriously Bad Elf
Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf
Ridgeway Insanely Bad Elf
Ridgeway Warm Welcome
Ridgeway Lump of Coal Stout
Ridgeway Santa’s Butt Porter
Ridgeway Pickled Santa
Ridgeway Reindeer Droppings
Rye-on-Wye Rum Barrel Cider
Westons Reserve Cider
Xbeeriment #44 Smoked Stout
Yeastie Boys Digital IPA
Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black

Asheville Brewing Christmas Jam White Ale
Bahnhof  Brettanomyces Lambicus
De Dolle Oerbier Special Reserva
Dogfish Head Hellhound On My Ale
Dupont La Biere de Beloeil
Dupont Monk’s Stout
Founders Breakfast Stout
Full Sail Wassail
Full Sail Wreck the Halls
Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine
Harvey’s Christmas Ale
Heavy Seas Yule Tide
La Chouffe Magnum
Lindeman’s Gift Packs
Moylans White Christmas Spiced White Lager
Moylans Danny’s Irish Red Ale
Moylans Old Blarney Barleywine
Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale
Stiegl Radler
Strubbe Lambickx
Terrapin/Heavy Seas Free Spirit
Weyerbacher Winter Ale
Weyerbacher Quad
Witkap Pater Stimulo

[Awesome photo: brewpublic.com]

What a great list of new arrivals! Some new, some back in stock.

ABITA 25^th Anniv. Vanilla Doubledog
ACE Pumpkin Cider
ANCHORAGE Love Buzz Saison w/ brett aged in Pinot Noir barrels
ANCHORAGE Bitter Monk Belgian Style Dbl IPA w/ brett aged in chardonnay barrels
BALLAST POINT Yellowtail Pale Ale
BALLAST POINT Big Eye IPA
BALLAST POINT Wahoo Wheat
BISON Gingerbread Ale
BLAUGIES La Moneuse
BLAUGIES Darbyste
BLUE POINT Toxic Sludge Black IPA
D’ACHOUFFE N’ice Chouffe 2011
DEL BORGO Duchessic
DE RANKE Cuvee De Ranke
DE STRUISE Pannepeut 2011
DIEU DE CIELl! Solstice d’Hiver
DOGFISH HEAD Olde School
GUINNESS Black Lager
HIGHLAND Thunderstruck Coffee Porter
JOLLY PUMPKIN La Parcela
MIKKELLER Bourbon Barrel Chipotle Porter
MIKKELLER It’s Alive
PANIL BARIQUEE 2011
PISGAH Red Devil (growlers)
SIERRA NEVADA Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale
SOUTHERN TIER Porter
SOUTHERN TIER Oat, Imperial Oatmeal Stout
STONE BREWING Double Bastard 2011
STOUDTS Gold
STOUDTS Pils
STOUDTS Scarlet Lady ESB
STOUDTS American Pale Ale

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.

BLUE POINT Oktoberfest
CORONADO Idiot Double IPA
CORONADO Islander IPA
CORONADO Mermaid’s Red
COTTONWOOD Pumpkin
DE TROCH Lambrucha (Belgian Ale + Kombucha Tea)
DEL BORGO Duchessic 2011
DOGFISH BEER Punkin’ (second shipment)
FLYING DOG Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA
GREEN FLASH Le Freak Belgian-style IPA
HACKER PSCHORR Oktoberfest
HOCHSTETTEN Original Hochzeitsbier von 1810 (the ORIGINAL Marzen!)
JULIAN Hard Cider
LE BILBOQUET L’Affriolante
LE BILBOQUET L’Arrchange
LE BILBOQUET Maxkroken Flower
LE BILBOQUET La Corriveau
LEFT HAND Fade to Black (Pepper Porter)
PLANK Hefeweizen
SIERRA NEVADA Chico Estate Harvest
SMUTTYNOSE Gravitation
THE BRUERY Saison de Lente
THE BRUERY Trade Winds Tripel
TILQUIN Geueze

Is it Fall yet? Looks that way from the beer arrivals. Here’s what appeared last week while we were away… looks like we have a lot of drinking to do this week!

Flying Dog Dogtoberfest
Shipyard Pumpkinhead
Bell’s Oktoberfest
Victory Festbier
New Holland Ichabod
Heavy Seas Prosit
Stone/Troegs Cherry Chocolate Stout
North Coast Brewing Grand Cru
Stone 15th Anniversary (3L)
New Belgium Kick
New Belgium Clutch
French Broad Zepptemberfest
Southern Tier Harvest
Alvinne Melchoir (Calvados barrels)