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 Deep State Baltic Porter (7.2 percent ABV) on Friday, Nov. 3. Brewed at its Morganton production brewery, the beer will be available in five-state distribution, on draft and in six-packs of 12-ounce cans.
- **NEW** New Belgium Brewing Co. releases La Folie Grand Reserve Geisha Dark Sour Ale on Friday, Nov. 3 at its Asheville brewery. The beer blends the Geisha coffee bean with the brewery’s sour beer Oscar. 750 milliliter bottles cost $48 each and less than 100 bottles will be available for purchase. Geisha will be available at select retailers nationwide starting mid-November.
Small-batch beers
- On Thursday, Nov. 2, Catawba taps a Passion Fruit Gose.
- **NEW** Asheville Brewing Co. releases Kim Jong Unicorn Pale Ale (5.3 percent ABV), made with Galaxy hops, on Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. at its downtown and North Asheville locations. It’s the first of four Asheville Brewing Unicorn Month beer releases in November.
Special events
- Both Thirsty Monk locations host a Trick or Treat Beer and Halloween Candy Pairing on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Flights of Thirsty Monk Brewery beers will be matched with some of the staff’s favorite Halloween candies.
- On Thursday, Nov. 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tasty Beverage Co. will pour three custom blends made exclusively for its taproom by Zebulon Artisan Ales. Original Saison (circa 1800), aged for six months, then blended with an old barrel-aged sour; Coupage Moderne, a fresh hoppy saison blended with an old barrel-aged sour; and Old School Porter (circa 1800), a blend of fresh “mild” porter and an old barrel-aged brett porter, will be available.
- Hops & Vines‘ monthly Homebrew Night takes place Friday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m. Members of the local craft community are invited to bring a bottle of beer, wine, cider or other liquid creation they’ve been working on to share. The public is also welcome to attend and sample others’ creations.
- Hopey & Co. hosts a grand opening for its new downtown taproom on Friday, Nov. 3, 6-9 p.m.
- Hi-Wire Brewing‘s Stout Bout Festival takes place Saturday, Nov. 4, 1-5 p.m. at its Big Top production facility. From 1 to 3 p.m., attendees will be able to taste as many beers — labeled only by description and ABV — as they wish from over 20 regional and national breweries and cast a vote for their top two favorite stouts. Voting closes at 3 p.m. and winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. along with revealing the identities of all the beers. If there is beer left, full pours will be for sale. Entry is $10 and includes glassware and two beer tokens. Additional beer tokens are $2 each.
- Villagers presents Magical Meads & Ancient Alchemy with Marissa Percoco on Sunday, Nov. 5, 5:30-8:30 p.m. The hands-on event for beginners will guide participants through the process of harvesting ingredients and preparing them for mead, discussing basic qualities of flowers, fruits and roots and how to handle and use them. It also includes a blending of these items to create the beginnings of a beverage and a sampling of finished products. Cost is $25-50 per person, sliding scale.
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