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 Thursday, Feb. 7, Noble Cider releases two new hard cider spritzers: Lemon & Elderflower, made with organic lemon peel and organic elderflower, and Orange & Jasmine Tea, made with organic orange peel and organic jasmine tea. Like the cidery’s other two spritzers, the additions pack 99 calories per can, 4 percent ABV and are fermented from fresh local apple juice as opposed to sugar water. They will be available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans.
- Hi-Wire Brewing‘s Man Eater DIPA (8.3 percent ABV) returns in four-packs of 16-ounce cans on Friday, Feb. 8. The beer, which is hopped at a rate of 3½ pounds per barrel with Amarillo and Citra, will be available in both Hi-Wire taprooms and see full distribution in its footprint.
- **NEW** On Friday, Feb. 8, at 11:30 a.m., Sweeten Creek Brewing releases Burn Dawger Brown Ale in six-packs of 12-ounce cans.
- Ginger’s Revenge releases Hibiscus Lavender ginger beer (4.7 percent ABV) on Friday, Feb. 8. It will be available in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles.
- **NEW** Sideways Farm & Brewery rolls out Mikels Cranberry Snowstorm (4.6 percent ABV) on Friday, Feb. 8. The ale is made with fruit sourced from Wisconsin River Cranberry Farm, whose Josh Mikels helped plan out the brewery’s electrical system. It will be available in 750 milliliter bottles and individual pours.
- **NEW** On Saturday, Feb. 9, Zillicoah Beer Co. releases Steinbock. Brewed in collaboration with Fonta Flora Brewery, the dopplebock-inspired lager was crafted in November 2018 using hot rocks as the brewing processes’ sole heat source. It will only be available in the two breweries’ respective taprooms. Zillicoah’s Facebook page reports that 9 cases of 750 milliliter bottles and limited draft will be available in Asheville. A portion of proceeds from the beer’s sales will go to The Nature Conservancy to help its mission in maintaining and preserving healthy forests.
Small-batch beers and ciders
- Catawba Brewing Co. releases Bear Can Blueberry Chocolate Wheat Ale (6 percent ABV) on Thursday, Feb. 7. Blueberry purée was added at the end of fermentation, and the beer was then conditioned on 7 pounds of cacao beans. For every pint sold in Asheville, $1 will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
- On Friday, Feb. 8, Highland Brewing Co. taps Much Love (6.4 percent ABV), an IPA hopped with Summit, Simcoe, Centennial, Blanc, Amarillo and Ekuanot.
Special events
- The Whale celebrates the Western North Carolina availability of San Diego’s Modern Times Beer by devoting seven draft lines to the brewery’s creations on Tuesday, Feb. 5, starting at 5 p.m. Black House Stout, Blazing World Amber, Fortunate Islands Pale, Fruitlands Passionfruit Guava Gose, ICE Pilsner, Orderville Hazy IPA and City of the Sun IPA will be available.
- Tasty Beverage Co. welcomes Clayton, N.C.-based Deep River Brewing Co. back to WNC on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 5 p.m., by tapping kegs of the brewery’s Collaboration Without Representation Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Milk Stout and Backcountry Black IPA.
- Bruisin’ Ales‘ next free tasting takes place Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m., featuring some of the newest releases from Charlotte’s Birdsong Brewing Co.
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