Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Feb. 2-8

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

• Foothills Brewing will be releasing a limited quantity of its highly sought-after Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout this week. A 9.75 percent ABV imperial stout infused with cocoa, Sexual Chocolate traditionally sells out quickly despite bottle limits, so get it early.
• Charlotte’s Unknown Brewing Co. releases Dirty Commie Heathen into limited distribution this week. A 12.4 percent ABV Russian imperial stout brewed with 4,000 pounds of grain and tart red cherries from Michigan before being aged in bourbon barrels, this beer was a highlight last year and recipe tweaks promise an even better batch for 2016.

Small-batch beers

• Burial Beer Co. has five new releases over the next week. First up are the 4.8 percent ABV Forge Loganberry Gruit (Tuesday, Feb. 2), made using fresh garden rosemary instead of hops, and the 6.5 percent ABV Winnower Chocolate Raspberry Porter (Wednesday, Feb. 3), loaded with 210 pounds of fresh raspberry and 60 pounds of cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolates. As part of its Three-day Mardi Gras Celebration, Praline Pecan Porter (Sunday, Feb. 7), Mint Julep Blonde Ale aged on bourbon oak spirals and fresh mint (Monday, Feb. 8) and Hurricane IPA aged on grapefruit, passionfruit and pineapple (Tuesday, Feb.9) will be released.
• Thirsty Monk plans to tap a 10 percent ABV barleywine on Friday, Feb. 5.
• Boojum Brewing Co. Graveyard Fields Blueberry Coffee Porter (5 percent ABV) and dry-hopped Reward American Pale Ale (5.6 percent ABV) will be on draft this weekend in its taproom.

Special events

• Craft Room Growlers celebrates its second anniversary on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Rarities on tap include Prairie Artisan Ales Christmas Bomb! Imperial Stout, Epic Brewing Co. Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout, Olde Hickory Brewery Event Horizon Imperial Stout, Highland Brewing Co. Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Goose Island Beer Co. Bourbon County Stout, Corsendonk Christmas Ale and Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout.
• February’s Monk Beer Academy takes place Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Downtown Thirsty Monk and focuses on German lagers. Space is limited, so online registration is strongly recommended. The lone cost is a tasting flight (typically between $12 and $17). The informative session will be led by downtown manager Dion Dixon.
• Pisgah Brewing Co.‘s eighth annual Stout Hog Day begins at noon Sunday, Feb. 7, featuring a taproom full of stouts and darks. Selections from Pisgah’s line-up of stouts and darks will include Nitro Stout, Nitro Vanilla Porter, Vanilla Porter, Pisgah Porter, Valdez, Chocolatized and Cosmos. Among the guest taps are Birdsong Brewing Mexicali Stout, Flying Dog Brewery Gonzo Imperial Porter, Wicked Weed Brewery S’mores Stout, Burial Beer Co. Skillet Donut Stout, New Holland Brewing Co. Dragon’s Milk, Great Divide Brewing Co. Oak-aged Yeti, New Belgium Brewing Co. Hop Kitchen Hop Stout, Boojum Brewing Dark Zone Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout and Ipswich Brewing Co. Oatmeal Stout.
• After a weather-related rescheduling, Winter Warmer Beer Fest will take place 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at the U.S. Cellular Center.
• Bruisin’ Ales will host a special Sexual Chocolate release tasting 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4.  
• On Thursday, Feb. 4, 5:30-7 p.m., Tasty Beverage Co. hosts a Terrapin Beer Co. Liquid Dessert Party, featuring kegs of Tiramisu-Hoo Imperial Milk Stout and Cinnamon Roll’d Wake-N-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Stout.
• Night of the Barrels, a tap takeover of rare barrel-aged beers, happens Thursday, Feb. 4, at all three Thirsty Monk locations. The downtown bar features Thirsty Monk Barrel Aged Imperial Normtrooper, Avery Brewing Co. Vanilla Bean Stout, Epic Brewing Co. Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout, Hi-Wire Brewing Pulcinella Russian Imperial Stout, Highland Brewing Co. Brewer’s Blend, Allagash Brewing Co. Aventureux Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. Barrel Aged Siberian Night Russian Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Barrel Aged Imperial Smoked Porter and New Belgium Brewing Co. Apple Whiskey Barrel Aged Love Oscar Flanders Red Ale. The Biltmore Park location’s offerings include Goose Island Beer Co. Bourbon County Stout (with a limited amount of bottles for sale), Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Barrel Aged Maillard’s Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale, Boulevard Brewing Co. Rye on Rye American Strong Ale, Green Man Brewery Holly King American Strong Ale and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. Wulver Scotch Ale. The Woodfin location will have Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout, Stone Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard American Strong Ale and Great Divide Brewery Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout.