Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Aug. 16-22

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

• Burial Beer Co.’s latest batch of Ceremonial Session IPA will be released in 16-ounce cans on Wednesday, Aug. 17. As always, the malt bill consists of pilsner, flaked barley, wheat and oats, with this batch featuring Amarillo hops. Cans and draft will be available at the brewery, with packaged beer seeing limited distribution to specialty retailers.
• Highland Brewing Co. will release its latest Warrior Series beer, King MacAlpin Double IPA, at the brewery on Friday, Aug. 19. This 10 percent ABV, 90 IBU IPA is double dry-hopped with 5.5 pounds per barrel of Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial. Bottle and draft sales start at 4 p.m. with live music from Bayou Diesel.

Small-batch beers

• Oyster House Brewing Co. is pouring casks of Bourbon barrel aged Moonstone Oyster Stout and Craig’s Yer Cook ESB.
• Green Man Brewery taps Hellhammer Belgian Golden Strong (8 percent ABV) at the Greenmansion on Tuesday, Aug. 16, and Peach Haizon, a 5.8 percent ABV saison, Saturday, Aug. 20.
• Burial will be tapping three small-batch draft offerings this week: On Tuesday, Aug. 16, the brewery releases the 14th edition in its Forge Small Batch Staff Series. This iteration, a 6 percent ABV Pear and Ginger Saison brewed by lead brewer JT Murrett, is brewed with Riverbend pilsner and red wheat and a touch of honey malt, then fermented on fresh ginger, honey and 1 pound per gallon of fresh pears. Ceremonial Session IPA will be tapped. Finally, on Friday, Aug. 19, the latest batch of Machete Extra Farmhouse will be pouring. This rustic French farmhouse-style ale is brewed with pilsner malt and flaked wheat and a blend of two farmhouse yeast strains in addition to white peppercorns and grains of paradise.
• Asheville Brewing Co. releases Licence to Swill Session IPA (5.2 percent ABV) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 5 p.m. at both the Merrimon Ave. and Coxe Ave. brewpubs. The beer is brewed with 007 Idaho, Galaxy and Cascade hops and includes a malt bill of flaked oats, light crystal and wheat.
• Twin Leaf Brewery and Zebulon Artisan Ales will tap Drifters Escape New American Lager, a Brewing for Greenways collaboration, on Friday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. at Twin Leaf. From each beer sold, $2 will go to Friends of Connect Buncombe. Read more about this beer and Brewing for Greenways in the second half of Scott Douglas’ most recent Beer Scout article. Twin Leaf will also release Stork and the Satchel Northeastern Session IPA as well as Return of the Peach Tea Saison, brewed with Riverbend’s Carolina rye and black tea from the Yunnan province before being aged on 8 pounds per barrel of Carolina peaches.
• In honor of the National Park Service’s centennial year, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is teaming up with 16 Asheville-area breweries for special beer releases and fundraising events in August and September to benefit the Blue Ridge Parkway. On Thursday, Aug. 18, Catawba Brewing will release Milepost 316.3 IPA, named for the spot that marks Linville Falls Overlook and the headwaters of the Catawba River. In addition to the beer release, there will be live music and a food truck. Catawba will donate $1 from each Milepost 316.3 IPA sold. Then, on Friday, Aug. 19, from 4:30 – 10 p.m., Waynesville-Based Boojum Brewing will release three small-batch beers featuring wild blueberries, including Graveyard Fields Blueberry Coffee Porter, with Boojum donating $1 from each pint sold. On Sunday, Aug. 21, Innovation Brewing of Sylva will release Black Balsam Porter, named after the scenic area at milepost 420.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  In addition to the beer release, Innovation will host an exhibit of local art focused on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Lookout Brewing in Black Mountain releases its newest beer, a blackberry-infused version of Dark Town Brown, on Friday Aug 19. Doors open at noon, and the brewery will be providing free hot dogs, with guests encouraged to contribute their own sides potluck-style.
• Wicked Weed Brewing Benevolence (6.4 percent ABV) is on tap starting Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Brewpub and Funkatorium. The amber sour ale is made with aged hops and aged in neutral wine barrels. Bottles will be available in limited distribution next week.

Special events

• On Thursday, Aug. 18, at 4 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park taps Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.‘s new Oktoberfest, brewed in collaboration with Mahr’s Bräu of Bamberg, Germany. Two tickets will also be given away to Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest celebration, which takes place Oct. 15 at its Mills River brewery.
• Now in its second year, the Waynesville Beer Faire will take place on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 1-5 p.m. on the ball field of American Legion Post 47 in downtown Waynesville. VIP tickets will run $45, with general admission $35 and designated driver tickets available for $8. Tickets can be purchased here, and a list of participating breweries can be found here.
• Hendersonville-based Sanctuary Brewing Co. will host its first anniversary party on Sunday, Aug. 21. The celebration will feature live music and events beginning at 1 p.m. and a live performance from Town Mountain at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15, which also gets you a commemorative beer glass.

New ownership

• Hops and Vines has officially been sold to new owner David Pottharst. Many thanks to Hops and Vines’ founders and previous owners, Alex and Melissa Buerckholtz for their contributions to the Asheville beer community and best of luck in their future endeavors.
• Altamont Brewing in West Asheville has been sold to Terrapin Beer Co. (Athens, Ga.) co-founder John Cochran and will be rebranded as UpCountry Brewing Co. Cochran left Terrapin in late July after the company sold a majority ownership stake to Tenth & Blake, the craft division of MillerCoors. The brewery, which will retain Altamont brewer Jordan Veale, will focus on session beers and will also serve Southern Appalachian food in the adjacent restaurant formerly occupied by Nona Mia.  The restaurant will hold a soft opening to benefit Brother Wolf on Tuesday Aug. 23, from 5:30-11 p.m.