And how cool is this?

A list of things new and back in stock this week for your drooling pleasure:

ACHEL Extra
B. NEKTAR Pineapple Coconut Mead
B. NEKTAR Wildberry Mead
B. NEKTAR Wildflower Mead
B. NEKTAR Vanilla Cinnamon Mead
BELL’S Lager of the Lakes
CANTILLON 1900 Grand Cru
CANTILLON Classic Gueze
CANTILLON Iris
CANTILLON Kriek
CANTILLON Lou Pepe Frambroise
DOGFISH HEAD Theobroma*
DRIE FONTEINEN Oude Gueze
DRIE FONTEINEN Oude Kriek
EPIC Armageddon IPA
EPIC Mayhem
INVERLALMOND Lia Fail Amber
KAPUZINER Schwartzweiss
LA BAVAISIENNE French Blonde Ale
LA BAVAISIENNE French Farmhouse Amber
LA CHOULETTE French Ambrée
MAHRS Der Weiss Bock
MAHRS Pilsner
MAHRS Ungespundet Unfiltered Lager
MAHRS Weiss
MIKKELLER Black Hole
MIKKELLER It’s Alive
MIKKELLER Yeast Series: American*
MIKKELLER Yeast Series: Belgian*
MIKKELLER Yeast Series: Brettanomyces*
RJ ROCKERS Patriot Pale Ale
SERAFIJN Belgian Pale Ale
STONE BREWING “14″ Emperial IPA*
YUENGLING Lord Chesterfield Golden Ale
YUENGLING Porter

Next Friday, July 16, drop by between 5-7 p.m. before Downtown After Five for a Teaser Tasting of Durham-based Fullsteam Brewery. Fullsteam is North Carolina’s newest brewery, having launched July 2010. Fullsteam is a “plow-to-pint” brewery with a mission: to create a distinctly Southern beer style that celebrates the culinary and agricultural heritage of the South. By brewing with local farmed goods, heirloom grains, and seasonal botanicals, Fullsteam Brewery is on a never-ended quest to explore what “Southern-style beer” means. We don’t pretend to have the answers—we just love the quest.

Fullsteam believes in:

• Southern farmers. We buy and brew local…not only to craft distinctly Southern beer, but ultimately to provide a higher quality of life for our neighbors and friends who farm for a living.
• Regional pride. Local identity trumps mass-marketed nationalism.
• Redemption. The image of beer can be redeemed in the beautiful South.
• Fun. Lofty as our goals may be, at the end of the day…it’s beer. The beverage of celebration and community.

Also, meet Sean Lilly Wilson, Fullsteam’s Chief Executive Optimist. He founded and led both Pop The Cap and Permit Beer, two beer lobbying organizations that have opened up economic markets to North Carolina’s craft beer industry. He holds both an MBA and Master of Public Policy from Duke University. Sean has ten years restaurant experience, including three years at Durham’s renowned Magnolia Grill. (He may also be a little crazy, and for the record, we like him tons.)

What we’re sampling…

Carver Sweet Potato Beer: Local North Carolina sweet potatoes account for nearly one-third of the total fermentables in this surprisingly refreshing amber ale. This is NOT your grandma’s sweet potato casserole — there are no pie spices in this beer! The goal is to let the natural flavor of the sweet potato to come through, not to hit you over the head with cloying pie spices. The grain bill is light, with a modest floral and citrus-hop profile. Perfect with grilled chicken, veg plates, and hearty dishes. [5.8% ABV]

Rocket Science IPA: A more modest IPA than some of the more “West Coast” versions now out there. Though the hop profile is subdued, Rocket Science remains an American- and not an English-style IPA. We know Asheville loves its hops… this is for you, Beer City USA! [6.5% ABV]

Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale: The very first batch of beer we brewed on our 15-barrel brewhouse. It’s a rustic farmhouse beer finished with a healthy dose of Coon Rock Farm basil. Like the sweet potato beer, don’t anticipate being hit over the head with basil (though we will have some basil bunches to do that if you’d like). Instead, expect a balanced, refreshing country ale with just a touch of fresh basil on the finish. Try it with panzanella, local cheeses, or just quafff it in a mason jar on the front porch. [5.5% ABV]

Look for Fullsteam to launch in the Asheville area later this year. We’re just giving you a taste! Follow them on Twitter at @fullsteam.

Sorry for the delay in blog posts, you fabulous beer people. Things are wacky these days on the Bruisin’ home front with things not so fun, so please know it’s not that I’m not thinking of you, the fabulous beer people. It’s that I’m busy with real life stuff, trying to keep up with shipping Asheville Brewing’s Moog Filtered Ale (available only until July 31), adding new beers, and generally feeling rather unoriginal these days to write a blog post.

This too shall pass, though, so maybe enjoy it?

NEW THIS WEEK:

BOULDER Kinda Blue Blueberry Wheat*
CASCADE The Vine ’09 Sour Ale w/ Grapes*
DE PROEF Monstre Rouge Imperial Flemish Sour* (collaboration w/ Spike at Terrapin)
GREAT DIVIDE 16th Anniversary Ale Oak-aged Double IPA*
HOFSTETTEN Barleywine aged in Cognac barrels
HOFTENDORMAAL Blonde Farmhouse Ale
HOFTENDORMAAL Amber Farmhouse Ale
LAGUNITAS Lucky “13″ Mondo Imperial Red*
RJ ROCKERS Rockhopper IPA
SIERRA NEVADA Charlie, Ken & Fred’s Helles Bock* (Pioneer Series)
STONE BREWING Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA*
SWEETWATER Magnum IP Imperial Pilsner* (Dank Tank series)
STILLWATER ARTISANAL Stateside Saison
VAN DE KORENAAR Finesse

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