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.
Small-batch beers
- Hillman Beer is currently pouring Funky Cold Medusa (7 percent ABV), a New England IPA fermented with 100 percent brettanomyces and made in collaboration with The Whale Craft Beer Collective, where it is also on tap.
- Burial Beer Co. has four new releases this week. Pastures Ablaze Smoked Lager (5.5 percent ABV) — Shadowclock Pilsner infused with lapsang souchong black tea — will be tapped Tuesday, Feb. 20, along with a fresh batch of Tin Cup Camp Stout (5 percent ABV), this time made with Counter Culture Coffee’s La Golondrina single-origin coffee bean from Colombia. Thursday, Feb. 22, brings Tiny Haunting Specks of Life Dry-Hopped Sour Ale with Brettanomyces (3.8 percent ABV), made with Mosaic hops, followed by To Rise Through the Ashes Chai Imperial Stout with Black Tea (10 percent ABV) on Friday, Feb. 23.
- Catawba Brewing Co. taps a Maibock (8.4 percent ABV) on Thursday, Feb. 22, at all four of its tasting rooms. The strong golden lager is brewed with pilsner and Munich malts and German Noble hops.
- **NEW** French Broad River Brewery‘s Irish Stout returns to its taproom on Thursday, Feb. 22.
- Highland Brewing Co. celebrates its rebranding and taproom renovation Friday, Feb. 23, noon-10 p.m. with 10 special releases. On tap will be Little Hump Spring Ale (brewed for the first time since 2015), Razor Wit Belgian-style Wheat (brewed for the first time since 2014), AVL IPA (the brewery’s newest year-round beer), Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Imperial Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout, Drew’s Scotch Ale, Dr. Drei and the G-Funk IPA (the brewery’s first brett beer), Vintage 20th Anniversary Scotch Ale and FRANK (Imperial Stout with French broad chocolate, blueberries and vanilla).
Special events
- **NEW** Bruisin’ Ales‘ next free tasting takes place Friday, Feb. 23, 5-7 p.m., and features selections from Birds Fly South Ale Project.
- The Black Cloud hosts The Cloud Bears Fruit on Friday, Feb. 23, featuring a selection of fruit beers. Offerings include Against the Grain Brewery/Mikkeller Bloody Show Blood Orange Pilsner; Clown Shoes Beer Mango Kolsch; Ballast Point Brewing Co. Grapefruit Sculpin IPA; Stillwater Artisan Ales Gnam Gnam DIPA with Mango, Lemongrass and Chili; Tarboro Brewing Co. Seed Spitter Watermelon Gose; Innovation Brewing Blueberry and Blackberry Sour and Zebulon Artisan Ales Petite Raspberry Sour.
- On Saturday, Feb. 24, Thirsty Monk hosts Cuvee Van de Keizer Day at its downtown Belgian Bar. Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer Blauw and Rood will be on tap along with other draft offerings. Glassware will also be available.
- The AVL Beer Expo takes place Saturday, Feb. 24, 2-7 p.m. at the Masonic Temple. Tickets are available online. For more information about the event, read Tony Kiss’ preview.
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