SMALL SIPS

SNEAK PEEK: A few local events will offer chances to try New Belgium’s new RyePA before its national release in early March. Photo courtesy of New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium and Riverbend debut their collaboration

The lastest in New Belgium’s Hop Kitchen series, RyePA, was brewed with floor-malted rye from Asheville’s own Riverbend Malt House. The brew will be available nationally on draft and in 22-ounce bottles in early March, but here in Asheville, we can taste it a little early. On Thursday, Feb. 20, you can try the beer and meet New Belgium Brewing Process Analyst Matty Gilliland — as well as a few of the Riverbend Maltsters — upstairs at Barley’s Tap Room and Pizzeria from 8-10 p.m. Then on Saturday, Feb. 22, a limited amount of the RyePA will be available at Asheville on Bike’s “Bike Love” event at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of, and event details can be found at ashevilleonbikes.com.

Sierra Nevada gets single, fresh, wet and wild

Sierra Nevada has almost finished brewing its test batches in Mills River. Beer will soon be in production, so we’re only months away from the brewery opening. Meanwhile, back at the home brewery in Chico, Calif., Sierra is keeping as busy as ever. The company recently announced that its 2014 Harvest series would be refreshed to focus on five unique offerings in 24-ounce bottles: two single hop beers, one fresh-hop beer, one wet-hop beer and one wild-hop beer. The first one is rolling out now — a single-hop IPA featuring a hop variety so new it doesn’t even have a name yet, just a number. Hop 291 “seesaws between intense floral aromas and notes of blueberry and black pepper,” according to the brewery. Southern Hemisphere, which features fresh hops from New Zealand, will be Sierra’s next beer in the series and in stores around May.

Wicked Weed announces date for first bottled offering

Speaking of new beers in bottles, Wicked Weed has been sharing previews on Facebook and Twitter of a bottling machine. The brewery has also announced that Serenity, a 100 percent Brettanomyces fermented farmhouse ale that took home a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival, will soon be the first beer available in large-format (but not the standard 22-ounce) bottles at the brewery. Wicked Weed plans to release the beer on March 1 at noon — the brewery has noted that camping out the night before is optional.

One World Brewing back on track

When Farm Burger opened last year, it was announced that One World Brewing would be opening inside the same building at 10 Patton Ave. Then there was silence. Now, brewer/OWB owner Jay Schutz says things are looking good for One World: Beer is in the tank, and a grand opening could happen as early as April. A dedicated tasting room will be able to seat almost 50, and the beer will also be flowing at Farm Burger itself. So far, beer details are sparse, but Schutz says to look out for a pale ale, an IPA and a coconut porter. More details on the beer, as well as the opening date, will be coming soon.

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About Thom O'Hearn
Thom O’Hearn is a writer, book editor and homebrewer. Twitter: @thomohearn

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