Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Aug. 15-21

Posted on by Scott Douglas and Edwin Arnaudin
THE BIG EVENT: Western North Carolina breweries celebrate the Aug. 21 solar eclipse with parties and small-batch releases. Photo via Thinkstock

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

  • On Friday, Aug. 18, Highland Brewing Co. releases Radical Departure Northeast IPA in limited edition cans designed by local artist Andy Herod. Six-packs of 12-ounce cans will be available at the taproom exclusively for $12.99 each, limit of one case per customer. Herod and Highland brewmaster Hollie Stephenson will be on hand for the release.
  • Burial Beer Co. will release two packaged beers this week. Wednesday, Aug. 16, will see the return of Gang of Blades DIPA in four-packs of 16-ounce cans. Then, on  Sunday, Aug. 20, at noon and on Monday, Aug. 21, at 1 p.m., the brewery will release 750-milliliter bottles of The Path of Totality, a small-batch black saison, brewed in honor of the eclipse.
  • Catawba Brewing Co. releases its new Festbier Lager (5.3 percent ABV) on Friday, Aug. 18, at all locations. Festbier will be available on draft and in six-packs of 12-ounce cans wherever Catawba beers are sold through September.

Small-batch beers

  • Wedge Brewing Co. is currently pouring two returning small-batch beers. Silver Spike IPA, a 7.1 percent ABV West Coast IPA with an updated recipe including Canadian pilsen malt and 40 Crystal with Centennial pellet hops and dry-hopped with whole leaf Cascade, is on draft at both Wedge locations. Cold Beer Cream Ale  (5.1 percent ABV) is pouring at The Foundation.
  • In addition to Gang of Blades and Path of Totality, on Thursday, Aug. 17, Burial will tap The Survivors of Damnation, a 5 percent ABV gose-style ale brewed with a simple malt bill of German pilsner and flaked oats, fermented on cucumbers, mint from the brewery’s urban garden and lime zest.
  • On Thursday, Aug. 17, Catawba Brewing Co. taps a Urban Trail Session IPA (5.1 percent ABV) brewed in its Asheville pilot brewery with fresh Ekuanot hops. Urban Trail is a collaboration beer with Asheville Downtown Association and fundraiser for the Asheville City Schools Foundation, which will receive $1 from each pint sold. Then on Monday, Aug. 21, the brewery unveils its Eclipse Pale Ale (5.6 percent ABV), a traditional American pale brewed with Cascade hops. Available at all four tasting rooms, this is the first original beer to come from Catawba’s new 10-barrel Charlotte brewhouse.

Special events

  • This week will see two Asheville-based Find Your Pint fundraising events benefiting the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. On Saturday, Aug. 19, $1 dollar from every pint of Belgian Blonde sold at Archetype Brewing in West Asheville will go to the BRPF, and then starting Sunday, Aug. 20, Mills River Brewery in Arden will donate a dollar from every pint of Middle Fork IPA to the BRPF, and will continue to do so every Sunday throughout August and September.

Eclipse events

  • Nantahala Brewing of Bryson City will host an eclipse party from Friday, Aug. 18, to Monday, Aug. 21, featuring expanded hours, live music each night and a special draft line-up, including small-batch collaborations brewed with Innovation Brewing of Sylva. Full details, including bands, hours and parking information, can be found here.
  • Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin will host eclipse events from Friday, Aug. 18 – Monday, Aug. 21, including five live musical acts, food trucks, and special beer releases. Full Details can be found here.
  • Highland Brewing will host a viewing party on its rooftop bar and in the adjacent Meadow on Monday, Aug. 21. with live music 1:30-3:45 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand, and limited eclipse glasses will be available for $1. Further details are available here.
  • Burial will host a viewing party starting at 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, to coincide with the release of Path of Totality. In addition to earlier hours, the brewery will have eclipse viewing glasses available for guests.
  • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will host a viewing party 1-4 p.m. at the outdoor amphitheater at the brewery’s Mills River taproom on Monday, Aug. 21, including food specials and musical guests.
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About Scott Douglas and Edwin Arnaudin
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