Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings March 14-20

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

• **Due to weather concerns, this release has been delayed until Saturday, March 25** Catawba Brewing Co. will release 22-ounce bottles of Red Rhum Barrel-Aged IPA (7.5 percent ABV) at noon on Saturday, March 18 25, at its South Slope location. Red Rhum is Catawba’s first specialty bottle release from its long-running barrel program. This 2016 vintage REDiculous Red IPA was aged for eight months in Flor de Caña Nicaraguan rum barrels. It was then dry-hopped, producing bright citrus notes to complement its rich flavors of molasses, vanilla and oak.
•  On Saturday, March 18, Burial Beer Co. will release Shallow Water Kolsch-Style Ale in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, with all profits from sales of this beer going to the LEAF Feather Fund to support the Yellow Pochantas Tribe of the Mardi Gras Indians. Brewed in collaboration with Big Chief Shaka Zulu of the Yellow Pocahontas Tribe and Great Raft Brewing from Shreveport, La., this 4.5 percent ABV light golden ale includes Louisiana-grown rice and Amarillo hops.

Small-batch beers

• On Friday, March 17, at 5 p.m. Asheville Brewing Co. will release a small-batch Irish Red in honor of  St. Patrick’s Day on draft at its Coxe and Merrimon locations. This 5.3 percent ABV traditional red is brewed with English yeast and hopped with Sylva, a unique hops that adds a bit of woodiness to the flavor and balances the malt profile.
• Burial Beer Co. will release five small-batch beers this week. On Monday, March 13, Messer Kottbusser will be available on draft. This obscure German style became scarce after it was prohibited by the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law) due the inclusion of oats, wheat, honey and dark molasses. Tuesday, March 14, will see the return of Shadowclock Pilsner, and on Thursday, March 16, Thresher Coffee Saison and Surf Wax IPA will make a comeback (Surf Wax is available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans). On Friday, March 17, The Keeper’s Veil Honey Saison will return, and on Saturday, March 18, Shallow Water Kolsch-Style Ale will debut. Keeper’s Veil will be available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans and Shallow Water will be in 12-ounce six-packs.

Special events

• This month’s Monk Beer Academy will focus on American wild ales on Tuesday, March 14, starting at 7 p.m. at the downtown Thirsty Monk. Reservations can be made here.
• On Friday, March 17, Wedge at the Foundation will host its grand opening extravaganza from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. at the new tasting room and production facility. New beers on draft will include Dry Irish Stout, Cold Beer Cream Ale and  Nitro Pub Ale. Fireside Collective will play live from 1-6 p.m., HighFive Coffee will be available in the morning and 12 Bones Smokehouse will be open next door for lunch.
• Highland Brewing Co. will feature live music from the Dirty Badgers 7-9 p.m. Friday, March 17, for St Patrick’s Day.
• **NEW** On Friday, March 17, Black Mountain Ciderworks will host a party to celebrate the release of two new ciders. The first, Zephyrus, is a spring cider with candied orange peel and fresh ginger. The second, Boudica, is a barrel-aged semi-sweet Irish breakfast tea mead, named for the Celtic warrior Queen of the Iceni who led a rebellion against Roman forces around the year 60 AD in Britannia. Cider and mead-inspired Irish hors-d’oeuvres will be available for which the cidery will be accepting donations that will benefit local feral cat rescue organization Friends-2-Ferals. Growlers of Zephyrus and Boudica will be available to take home.