Beer today, gone tomorrow: Asheville beer happenings Oct. 4-10

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

• Wicked Weed Brewing‘s Omnipresence (9 percent ABV), the latest in its Canvas Series, is in limited distribution this week. The French oak foeder-aged sour ale was fermented with one pound per gallon of cabernet grapes and is also available on draft at the Funkatorium.
• **NEW** Zebulon Artisan Ales‘ Dark Strong Sour (9.3 percent ABV) is now available at its Weaverville taproom and in bottle shops across the state. The brewery’s first barrel aged sour to be released spent six months in red wine barrels, then a month on two pounds per gallon of sour cherries.
• Burial Beer Co.‘s and Fonta Flora Brewery‘s collaborative East 99 Native IPA (6 percent ABV) will be released in 12-ounce cans Saturday, Oct. 8. The hoppy ale is forged from pilsner and rye, a blend of six tropically expressive hops, a special house yeast and 200 pounds of paw-paw fruit. Burial will also release a newly canned batch of Ceremonial Session IPA, made with Galaxy hops. Both IPAs will be available starting at noon from Burial’s back dock on Millard Avenue with a two six-pack limit on East 99 (taproom release only) and a one-case limit on Ceremonial.

Small-batch beers

• In addition to its Saturday, Oct. 8, release of East 99 on draft, Burial‘s new offerings this week include Hopless Romantic Garden Gruit (4.2 percent ABV), brewed solely with ingredients from North Carolina, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, and Love’s Easy Tears Autumn Stout (6.8 percent ABV), crafted from the second runnings of what will become a barrel-aged imperial stout, on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Those releases will be followed by Tuskhorn IPA (7 percent ABV), featuring a blend of Amarillo, El Dorado, Hallertau Blanc and Cashmere hops, and The Transfiguration Barrel-Fermented Saison (7.7 percent ABV), which was laid to rest in merlot barrels for secondary fermentation with four unique farmhouse strains, on Thursday, Oct. 6.
• **NEW** As of Wednesday, Oct. 5, Hi-Wire Brewing is pouring Imperial Milk Stout with Coffee & Vanilla (12 percent ABV) at its South Slope Specialty Brewery.
• Asheville Brewing Co. releases Putin’s Unicorn Dance Party Baltic Porter (7.44 percent ABV) on Friday, Oct. 7, at its Coxe Avenue and Merrimon Avenue brewpubs.
• Thirsty Monk Brewery releases its new Farmhouse IPA in the downtown downstairs Belgian Bar on Friday, Oct. 7. The new-school take on a farmhouse ale will be available at all Monk locations.
• **NEW** On Saturday, Oct. 8, Twin Leaf Brewery releases Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Milk Stout.

Special events

• The next Monk Beer Academy session is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the downtown Thirsty Monk and will focus on Oktoberfest. Draft quality manager and certified cicerone Jeremiah Tracy will host a 45-minute informative guided tasting of festbier and märzen while covering the history of the event. Reserve a free seat online and purchase a tasting flight upon arrival.
• Bruisin’ Ales‘ free weekly tasting on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 5-7 p.m. features selections from Founders Brewing Co. Samples of Rubaeus Raspberry Ale, PC Pils, Porter, Devil Dancer Triple IPA and Breakfast Stout will be poured.
• On Thursday, Oct. 6, pumpkin beers take over the taps at all three Thirsty Monk locations. Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Ballast Point Brewing Co. Pumpkin Down Scottish Ale with Pumpkin, Wicked Weed Xibalba Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Punkin Ale and Elysian Brewing Co. Night Owl Pumpkin Ale are among the 20 staff favorites that will be available.
• **NEW** Oskar Blues Brewery hosts Barrel Aged Beer Day on Friday, Oct. 7, from 5-9 p.m. at its Tasty Weasel taproom in Brevard. BA Brandy Ten Fidy Imperial Stout, BA Bourbon Ten Fidy, BA Rum Ten Fidy, BA Brandy G’Knight Imperial Red IPA and two mystery BA beers will be available in flights and individual pours. All six are taproom exclusives.