Carolina Beer Guy: Devil’s Night brings spirited new brews to South Slope

IMP POSSIBLE: Along with debuting its Whale Wolf Peanut Butter Chocolate Imperial Stout, Asheville Brewing Co. will host a costume contest Monday, Oct. 30, as part of the South Slope's Devil's Night festivities. Photo courtesy Asheville Brewing Co.

Halloween has long been a busy night on Asheville’s bar and nightclub scene. Now the night before the holiday has its own vibe in the city’s South Slope brewing district.

The nine South Slope breweries are celebrating Devil’s Night on Monday, Oct. 30, by each releasing a new brew for the festivities. Participating in the party are Asheville Brewing Co., Hi-Wire Brewing, Ben’s Beer, Bhramari Brewhouse, Burial Beer Co., Catawba Brewing Co., Green Man Brewery, Twin Leaf Brewing and Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium. The breweries are all on or just off Coxe Avenue. Visitors are encouraged to come in spooky costumes and make a brewery crawl, trying out the Devil’s Night brews from 4 p.m. until closing.

Event organizer Mike Rangel of Asheville Brewing Co. says 2017 marks the second year for the South Slope Devil’s Night celebration. “It’s just a way of highlighting that in all of Beer City, the biggest cluster of breweries is down on the South Slope,” he says. “A lot of places don’t have nine breweries in the whole city — we have nine of them on one street. Devil’s Night shows the different beers that people are making.”

However, there’s been a certain mystery about what each brewery will present. The only real rule was that the breweries release a beer and not discuss their plans with each other. But with Devil’s Night just days away, some of the participating breweries pulled away the curtains to reveal their beers.

Asheville Brewing will release Whale Wolf, a peanut butter chocolate imperial stout. The brewery will also host a costume party with prizes for the best beer-themed outfit, the costume deemed the most fun and the best group costumes. Photos will be taken of each entrant and posted on the brewery’s social media sites, where the public will pick the winners.

Hi-Wire’s contribution is a smoked sour beer at its Hilliard Avenue brewery. Public relations and event coordinator Courtney King says the beverage is made with peach wood-smoked malt, which imparts a slightly sweet and fruity taste. Hi-Wire will also have a dog costume contest on Halloween proper.

Meanwhile, Green Man will tap a Mosaic hops IPA called Witches of Buxton Avenue, says brewer John Stuart. Burial, which has the spookiest name of any Asheville brewery, will release Deliver Us from Evil, a wine barrel-aged imperial stout, according to spokeswoman Erin Jones.

And Catawba Brewing will host a Zombie Night party with a version of its White Zombie Belgian-style wit that marketing director Brian Ivey notes has been aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It will be available at all Catawba locations — South Slope, Biltmore, Morganton and Charlotte. The South Slope brewery will also have a Halloween-themed curated open mic and prizes for the best costume.

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About Tony Kiss
Tony Kiss covers brewing news for the Xpress. He has been reporting on the Carolina beer scene since 1994. He's also covered distilling and cider making and spent 30 years reporting on area entertainment. Follow me @BeerguyTK

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