Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings: May 1-7

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

• Catawba Brewing Co. releases Carolina del Norte Mexican Lager (5.5 percent ABV) on Friday, May 4, at all four of its locations. Brewed for Cinco de Mayo, the beer is made with Vienna malt and German noble hops. It will be available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans and on draft.
• **NEW** Zebulon Artisan Ales releases Blueberry Sour (for Fats Domino) on Friday, May 4. The 6.7 percent ABV beer is a blend of one- and two-year-old barrel aged sour beers aged on four pounds per gallon of blueberries. Bottle conditioned cork and caged 750 milliliter bottles cost $20. Limit of six bottles per person with very limited distribution in the next few weeks.
• New Belgium Brewing Co. releases bottles of Biere de Mai, a collaboration with Blackberry Farm Brewery, on Saturday, May 5. The late spring wild ale, blended with foeder-aged sours, is composed of 25 percent Oscar (the base for La Folie), 75 percent Felix (the base for Le Terroir) and secondary fermentation with Bretta Brux.
• Wedge Brewing Co. releases Buzz Bomb Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (8.9 percent ABV) on Sunday, May 6, at 4 p.m. at its Foundation location. 750 milliliter bottles cost $15 each. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, which was originally located in Wedge Studios when the brewery started in 2008.

Small-batch beers

• Wedge is currently pouring a Munich Dunkel (5.1 percent ABV) at its Foundation location and a  Witbier (4.2 percent ABV), spiced with coriander and orange peel, at its Wedge Studios location. The Witbier will be joined at Wedge Studios on Saturday, May 5, by Derailed Hemp Ale (5.4 percent ABV), hopped with Cascade Hops and featuring 150 pounds of toasted hemp seeds in the mash tun.
• Burial Beer Co. has three new releases this week. Wednesday, May 2, brings A Completely Different Nature Sparkling IPA (9 percent ABV), fermented with clean German ale yeast and enzymes, then conditioned to remove yeast before being dry-hopped with Ekuanot, Vic’s Secret, Wakatu, Crystal, Cascade and Calypso, then carbonated to elevated levels. Arriving on Friday, May 4, is Firestick IPA (7 percent ABV), dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe during active fermentation, and Dreams Given to Reality Orange Creamsickle Sour Ale (4.6 percent ABV), made with a traditional Berliner-style fermentation, very lightly hopped with Mandarina and featuring fresh orange zest, milk sugar and vanilla.
• On Thursday, May 3, Oskar Blues Brewery releases four new beers in its monthly Barn Burner series: Little Richard Session Pale Ale, Concept IPA (Hazy Malt Concept), Enigma Interstate Smash Express IPA and Callista Bwahahaha IPA.
• On Thursday, May 3, Catawba taps a Lime Agave Gose (5.9 percent ABV) at all four of its locations. The reinterpretation of Germany’s sour wheat ale is brewed with lime and blue agave.
• **NEW** Highland Brewing Co. releases two beers on Friday, May 4: Nothing is Real (5.9 percent ABV), a strawberry milkshake IPA made with 40 pounds of strawberries per barrel and a bit of lactose, and Valdese Kolsch (4.9 percent ABV), brewed to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the titular NC town, and dry hopped with Comet.

Special events

•  Bruisin’ Ales‘ next free tasting takes place Thursday, May 3, 5-7 p.m., featuring some of the latest offerings from Boojum Brewing Co. There will be an additional tasting Friday, May 4, 5-7 p.m.,  featuring selections from Appalachian Mountain Brewery. Samples of Margarita Gose, Daniel’s Double IPA and a few other core items will be poured.
• Habitat Brewing Co. hosts the inaugural May the 4th Be with You Beer Fest on Friday, May 4, 5-10 p.m. The festival features Star Wars-themed small-batch brews, the original Star Wars movies playing on VHS, a costume contest and more. Tickets are $20 and include a commemorative glass and three drink tokens. Additional tokens can be purchased for $1. The list of participating breweries is available here.