Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Oct. 27-Nov.2

Beer Today, Gone Tomorrow is the one-stop home for Asheville-area beer news. Check back throughout the week for updates and send your own to wncbeertoday@gmail.com.

Bottle/can releases

• 2015 Lindley Park from Olde Hickory Brewery has arrived on local shelves. This 10 percent ABV imperial stout brewed with local honey and aged in bourbon barrels on raspberries is currently available at specialty retailers.
• Boulevard Brewing Co. Rye on Rye, a 12 percent ABV rye beer aged in Templeton Rye whisky barrels is now available at area bottle shops.
• 19.2 ounce stovepipe cans of bourbon barrel-aged Ten FIDY imperial stout from Oskar Blues Brewery go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 27 at noon at OB’s Tasty Weasel taproom in Brevard. There is a two can purchase limit per person.
• For the first time on the East Coast, Lagunitas Brewing Co. has released Born Yesterday. This wet-hopped version of New Dogtown Pale Ale was bottled and shipped from Lagunitas’ Chicago production facility on Tuesday, Oct. 27 to arrive on Asheville shelves Oct. 28, hence the name. Born Yesterday incorporates un-kilned whole-cone Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe and Equinox hops and is intended to be experienced fresh, so track it down as soon as possible.

Small-batch beers

• Burial Beer Co. has two releases this week: The Remains Belgian Dubbel (7 percent ABV) on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and The Prayer Biere d’ Tropics (5.8 percent ABV), the third in its fruit infused Belgian Blonde series (this one aged on mango, blood orange and passionfruit), on Friday, Oct. 30.
• Lookout Brewing Co. releases the third annual edition of its Jive Turkey Thanksgiving beer with a release party on Saturday, Oct. 31. The beer is a pumpkin, cranberry, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove spiced beer. All organic spices and cranberries were used in making the beer along with local pumpkins and Black Mountain-grown butternut squash.
• Asheville Brewing Co. debuts the 2015 iteration of NinjaBread Man Porter on Saturday, Oct. 31, on draft and in 22-ounce bottles at all ABC locations. The 5.6 percent ABV beer was made by adding a syrup of fresh vanilla beans, toasted cinnamon sticks, raisins and caramelized ginger to the brewery’s flagship Ninja Porter. The bombers will also be available at Asheville bottle shops and some regional grocery and convenience stores and kegs may be found on draft at watering holes, bars and restaurants around town.

Rare kegs

• Hop Stout, an 8 percent ABV, 100 IBU draft-only stout, is the latest entry in New Belgium Brewing‘s Hop Kitchen series and is currently pouring at Appalachian Vintner.

Special events

• Bruisin’ Ales‘ weekly tasting features beers from Hi-Wire Brewing on Thursday, Oct. 29, 5-7 p.m. Samples of Pumpkin Lager, Rye Peach Saison, Hop Circus IPA, Lion Tamer Rye IPA and Strongman Coffee Milk Stout will be poured.
• Thirsty Monk Downtown celebrates the 20th anniversary of Dogfish Head Brewery on Friday, Oct. 30, starting at 4 p.m. A showcase of the brewery’s beers will be on draft.
• On Friday, Oct. 30, Appalachian Vintner hosts Suds & S’Mores in conjunction with Bell’s Brewery 5:30-8 p.m. Best Brown Ale will be pushed through a Randall Infuser with actual s’mores and pours from a firkin of the brewery’s Porter will be served in specially rimmed pint glasses. Patrons may also make their own s’mores.

New to distribution

• Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Ops has hit shelves as part of the brewery’s return to the Asheville market. This 10.5 percent ABV imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels is one of Brooklyn’s most sought-after releases and supplies are extremely limited.
• Prairie Artisan Ales has released two new additions to their available Asheville offerings. Vanilla Noir, an 11.5 percent ABV imperial stout aged on vanilla beans in whiskey barrels, and Prairie Flare, a 5.4 percent ABV gose brewed with citrus are available now at your favorite bottle shop.