Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Dec. 17-23

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

• Burial Beer Co. has four new packaged releases currently available: Beyond the Rift Triple IPA (10% ABV), triple dry-hopped with Mosaic, Cashmere, Idaho 7, Eldorado, Nelson Sauvin and Enigma, is available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $21, exclusively at the taproom; The Chorus of Chaos Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Brown Ale with Honey, Pistachio, Cinnamon, Rose Petal and Vanilla Bean (11% ABV) is available in 500-milliliter bottles for $16, exclusively at the taproom; Massacre of the Innocents IPA (6.5% ABV), double dry-hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Centennial, is available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $16 and will see limited distribution; and Glory is Goldenbock (6% ABV), a collaboration with Zillicoah Beer Co. inspired by the Hellesbock-style golden lagers of Germany, is available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans for $12 and will see limited distribution. All four beers are also available on draft.
• Hi-Wire Brewing releases Tropical Smoothie IPA (7% ABV), a collaboration with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Crafty Bastard Brewery, hopped with Lotus and Sabro, on Wednesday, Dec. 18. It will be available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft in all Hi-Wire taprooms.
• Highland Brewing Co. releases Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea (9.1% ABV) on Friday, Dec. 20. The imperial stout was brewed with cacao nibs from French Broad Chocolates and tea from Dobra Tea, then aged in bourbon barrels for nine months. The second installment in the brewery’s Southern Nouveau Series will be available in a limited amount of 16.9-ounce bottles and on draft.
• Sweeten Creek Brewing releases Winter Break Fruited IPA (4.5% ABV), brewed with mangos and apricots, on Friday, Dec. 20. It will be available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $14.99 and on draft.
• **NEW** Zebulon Artisan Ales releases Petite Cerize (for Pete Cosey) (5.2% ABV) on Friday, Dec. 20.
  The sour was fermented on second-use fruit from the brewery’s Cerize, plus additional Montmorency cherry juice, and with 100% wild culture sourced from the Asheville air with no lab yeast added. The beer will be available in 500 milliliter bottles for $10 and on draft.

Small-batch beers and ciders

• Highland is currently pouring Out of This Galaxy (9.8% ABV), a DIPA hopped with Galaxy.
• Ginger’s Revenge is currently pouring a Blueberry Mosaic ginger beer and will tap a Dark Chocolate & Orange Peel variety on Sunday, Dec. 22.
• Catawba Brewing Co. taps Mango-Pineapple Milkshake IPA on Thursday, Dec. 19, at all four of its taprooms.
• Bold Rock Hard Cider releases Jingle Juice on Friday, Dec. 20. The cider cocktail features a blend of Bold Rock White Cranberry, lime and mint, and is garnished with a mint sprig, lime wedge and cranberries.
• **NEW** Oyster House Brewing Co. and Zebulon‘s collaborative English Barleywine (10% ABV) will be pouring from beer engines at each brewery on Friday, Dec. 20. Brewed with 100% heirloom Plumage Archer malt and East Kent Goldings hops, the beer has been aging for two years.

Special events

• The Whale celebrates its second anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 21, 4-8 p.m. The full menu will be made available the day of the event here.

Brewery openings

• Burning Blush Brewery opens Friday, Dec. 20, noon-10 p.m., in Mills River. Its initial taplist includes Square Your Luck Juicy IPA (6.8% ABV); Hostage to My Feelings Oat Pale Ale (6% ABV); Sentence Enhancer Helles (4.9% ABV); Pecking Order Hierarchy Vienna Lager (4.5% ABV); Afternoonified English-style Bitter (4.5% ABV); and I’d Follow You Through the Dark Baltic Porter (7.2% ABV).