Brews News

Hendersonville rejoices: Appalachian Craft Brewery plans to move their production facility from Fletcher to Hendersonville and expand their operation to include a tasting room and music venue. The exact location of the brewery needs to be finalized, but owner/brewer Andy Cubbin predicts he’ll be selling beer from Hendersonville by mid-summer. In the meantime, check the brewery’s Web site to learn where their beers are sold on draught.

Winter warmer beer dinner: Yeppers, this Saturday’s Winter Warmer Beer Festival has sold out for the third year in a row.

If you’re not one of the 800 lucky ticket holders, there are still seats available for a kick-off beer dinner at the Sheraton Four Points downtown Asheville on Fri., Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

Many of the brewers participating in the Winter Warmer festival will be there to discuss beer. Chop House chef Deb Ivey will be there to discuss how her four-course meal and French Broad Brewing Company’s beers complement each other.

The dinner costs $35 per person, which includes five different beers and this delectable menu: Spicy Cajun Shrimp, Grilled Pork Medallion with an Onion-Raisin Chutney, Beef Filet with Mushroom Artichoke Sauce, and Double Chocolate Torte (a vegetarian option will be offered as well).

Winter Warmer festival ticket holders will receive $2 off the dinner price. Reservations required (by Thursday) and can be made by calling 251-2936 or e-mailing cfagg@fourpointsasheville.com.

F. Scott gets his own brew: Highland Brewing has created a new beer for the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. In honor of the Inn’s famed guest, the new brown ale is called Great Gatsby Abbey Style Ale.

“This beer is in the tanks and coming along nicely,” says Highland sales rep Steve Schwartz.

The Gatsby will debut at a special beer dinner on Feb. 5 in the GPI’s Horizons Dining Room. The four-course meal plus hors d’oeuvres, combining fine food and Highland Brewing Company’s beers, will cost $60 plus a 20 percent service charge and tax. Call 800-438-5800 to make reservations.

Great Gatsby Ale then will be available at retail outlets in 12-ounce bottles and on tap in the GPI’s Great Hall.

Highland also will introduce new seasonal Seven Sisters Abbey Style Ale in March. This will be an Abbey style Dubbel (6.5 percent ABV). The beer will be available until May. (I also hear Craggie Brewing Company soon will be releasing a seasonal Dubbel, appropriately called Dubbelicious.) All hail Dubbels!

Don’t forget Highland’s 15th Anniversary celebration this Fri., Jan. 22, from 4 to 10 p.m. at the brewing facility at 12 Old Charlotte Highway. The brewery’s newly released seasonal, Auld Asheville Vintage Ale, will be the featured beer. The event will include entertainment by Asheville’s Funknastics band and pizza from Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria—also celebrating 15 years in business in Asheville.

Flavor-infused yumminess: Every Thursday night at 5:30 p.m., Asheville Brewing Company breaks out Randall. That would be the Randall beer filter — a device that infuses various flavors into beer. So far, ABPC co-owner Mike Rangel says his fave Randall-infused beer is the Ninja Porter with organic raspberries. I’m looking forward to their delicious ESB infused with Applewood-smoked bacon cooked up by 12 Bones Smokehouse. Yum.

Here’s the sked of experiments for the next few weeks: Jan. 21: Shiva IPA plus Simcoe Hops; Jan 28: Ninja Porter plus Applewood bacon; Feb 4: Old School Pale Ale plus fire-roasted peppers; Feb 11: Ninja Porter plus organic raspberries (Valentines Day); Feb 18: Rocket Girl Lager plus fresh mangoes. Visit Randall at the Asheville Brewing Company location on Coxe Avenue

— Anne Fitten Glenn