Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Sept. 19-25

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 and can releases

• UpCountry Brewing Co.‘s Hop Dread Red IPA (7.3 percent ABV) is now available in 16-ounce cans. Made with copious Falconer’s Flight hops, the beer is available in singles, four packs and cases at the brewery and in Asheville bottle shops.
• ***NEW*** Wicked Weed Brewing‘s White Angel Barrel-Aged American Sour Ale with Wild Grapes returns in bottles on Friday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. at the Funkatorium. A limited amount of this year’s Angel, as well as last year’s Angel of Darkness Barrel-Aged American Sour Ale with Boysenberries, Raspberries, Blackberries and Cherries, will also be available on tap.

Small-batch beers

• Whistle Hop Brewing Co. is currently pouring Orange Blossom Ginger Tripel, made with orange blossom honey, sweet orange peel and fresh ginger root.
• Burial Beer Co. has three new releases this week. Archaic Souls Saison (6 percent ABV), made with 200 pounds of freshly picked Crystal and Cascade hops from Michigan and a new strain of yeast sourced from Nordic apple orchards, will be tapped Tuesday, Sept. 19. Next comes Hawkwind IPA (6 percent ABV), a twist on the brewery’s Hawkbill IPA with coconut and a double dry-hop of Galaxy, on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Firestick IPA (6 percent ABV), hopped with Mosaic, Calypso, El Dorado and Vic’s Secret, on Saturday, Sept. 23.
• ***NEW*** Catawba Brewing Co. taps a German-style Bock (5.5 percent ABV) on Thursday, Sept. 21, at all its locations. The deep mahogany lager resembles a Märzen, but derives greater complexity from five specialty European malts. Friday, Sept. 22, brings Barrel-Aged King Don’s Pumpkin Ale (6.5 percent ABV), which spent 12 months in Smooth Ambler bourbon barrels, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout (5.7 percent ABV), which was aged on whole, roasted WNC peanuts and crushed cacao beans from a local South Slope chocolate factory. Then on Saturday, Sept. 23 comes Friki Tiki Mango IPA (6.5 percent ABV), the fourth in a monthly series of fruited IPAs. Brewed in 30-barrel batches at its Morganton production brewery, these specialty IPAs will see a draft-only roll-out throughout Catawba’s five-state distribution area.
• ***NEW*** Wedge Brewing Co. releases a 7 percent ABV Organic Saison on draft at its Wedge Studios location on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Special events

• In addition to Asheville Brewing Co.‘s Blueberry Bantha Milk Stout (5.3 percent ABV) — which debuted Monday, Sept. 18, and will see $1 from each pint donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation — two local breweries are hosting Find Your Pint events this week to benefit the organization. Through Sunday, Sept. 24, BearWaters Brewing Co. will donate $1 for each pint of Sliding Rock American Mild Ale. On Saturday, Sept. 23, Twin Leaf Brewery releases an as-yet-secret beer and will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from the entire batch.
• Bruisin’ Ales has two free tastings this week. On Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5-7 p.m., selections from Foothills Brewing Co. will be poured and a few bottles of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Then on Friday, Sept. 22, from 5-7 p.m., samples of Hi-Wire Brewing‘s newest offerings — including Purple Punch, Sour Pumpkin Ale and White Grape Grisette — will be given out.
• ***NEW*** On Saturday, Sept. 23, Wedge Brewing at the Foundation will hold its first-annual Wedge Neighborhood Pig Pickin’ to benefit nearby Foundation Skate Park. The family-friendly event will start at 5 p.m. and feature Wedge beers, barbecue sold by the plate, ice cream from The Hop and live music from Wild Card.