Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings July 12-18

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

• Starting Friday, July 15, Wicked Weed Brewing releases bottles of Barrel-Aged Lunatic. The brewery’s flagship Belgian-style Blonde (7 percent ABV) was aged in oak barrels to impart wood character into the light yet full-bodied ale. 12.7 ounce bottles are available at the Funkatorium and Brewpub and will be in limited distribution next week.

Small-batch beers

• Burial Beer Co. will release four beers this week. On Tuesday, July 12 the brewery will tap Mankind Beset by Devils, an 11.1 percent ABV Belgian-style Quad De Miel. This traditional Quadruple went through primary fermentation in Biltmore Wine barrels on North Carolina wild honey.  Ceremonial Session IPA with Summer Hops will be available on draft and in cans on Wednesday, July 13. This batch of the session IPA is brewed with Pilsner, flaked barley, wheat and oats and features Australian Summer hops.  On Thursday, July 14 The Two Prophets Summer Saison will be pouring on draft. This saison is brewed with Riverbend 6 row malt and Wren’s Abruzzi rye, some oats and Munich, and 125 pounds of fresh, local Carolina Peaches and basil from Burial’s urban garden. Finally, on Sunday, July 17 Tin Cup Camp Stout will be available on draft.  Tin Cup is brewed with a house blend of Counter Culture Coffee beans, dark malts, flaked adjuncts and lactose.
• As of Friday, July 15, Hi-Wire Brewing is pouring a cask conditioned IPA (6.7 percent ABV) – featuring the new experimental Loral hop – at its South Slope specialty brewery.
• As of Friday, July 15, Highland Brewing Co. is pouring Waka Waka Pale with Azacca hops (6.4 percent ABV) and El Dorado California Common (5.4 percent ABV).
• Asheville Brewing Co. releases Smoky Mountain High Vienna-style Lager on Friday, July 15, at 5 p.m. at the Merrimon Avenue and Coxe Avenue brewpubs. The 5.5 percent ABV beer is built on a backbone of German Vienna and pilsner malts and will be available only on draft.
• Catawba Brewing Co. brings back Pyranha Brown IPA (6 percent ABV) on Saturday, July 16. The collaboration with Pyranha Kayaks is generously hopped with Mosaic and Cascade and will be available at both Asheville taprooms as well as for the first time in cans.

Special events

• On Tuesday, July 12, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Appalachian Vintner releases some rare brewery-only beers from Olde Hickory Brewery. Multiple vintage beers will be tapped as well as the only keg of Wavell Gunn Scotch Ale in Asheville. Vintage bottles from the cellar will also be made available in addition to bottles of Dread God Imperial Stout.
• On Thursday, July 14, Thirsty Monk downtown highlights beers from New Belgium Brewing Co.‘s Wood Cellar. Brewer Tucker Mattern will be in attendance and Love Apple Felix, Love Oscar, Cascara Quad, Transatlantique Kriek, Oscarworthy Coffee Nitro and Semi-Dry Cider will be on tap.
• Bruisin’ Ales hosts three free tastings this week. On Thursday, July 14, 5-7 p.m., samples of Ballast Point Brewing Co. Homework Series No. 7 Session Saison, Sculpin IPA, Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale, Indra Kunindra India-style Export Stout and Thai Chili Wahoo Witbier will be poured. The Friday, July 15, session, which runs 3-5 p.m., features pours of Ecliptic Brewing Ultra Violet Blackberry Sour Ale, Callisto Tripel with Black Currants, Orbiter IPA and Oort Imperial Stout. The subsequent 5-7 p.m. tasting showcases Brewery Ommegang Fleur de Houblon Belgian-style ale, Rosetta Belgian-style Kriek, Great Beyond Double IPA, Soothsayer Belgian-style Strong Dark Ale and Shadow Brewer Russian Imperial Stout.
• On Thursday, July 14, at 5:30, Tasty Beverage Co. taps a keg of Tröegs Independent Brewing Nimble Giant DIPA.