Mountain Xpress 05.25.16 BEER WEEK

MAY 27TH - JUNE 4TH

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BeerWeek

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2016

AVL

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2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE MOUNTAIN XPRESS2

Happy birthday, AVL Beer Week! This year, the project that began — of course — over a few beers shared among friends, celebrates its fifth year of furthering and sup-porting Western North Carolina’s craft brewing industry through a host of festivals, events and educational programs. ABW enjoyed success right out of the gate with its first iteration in 2012, and it has grown and matured over the years. Many new breweries have emerged to join the scene — including Wicked Weed, Burial and Hi-Wire, all of which have already rapidly expanded — and large Western breweries Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues have opted to open East Coast facilities in the area. In 2015, ABW officially became a function of the nonprofit Asheville Brewers Alliance, bringing a new element of support and organization to the effort. And with a full range of events — from sensory trainings to homebrew festivals to elegant beer dinners to yoga-and-beer sessions — 2016 AVL Beer Week has something for everyone. Here’s to the next five years! — Gina Smith, food editor

CHEERS TO

AVL BEER WEEK

Photo by Tim Robison

PHOTO COVER COURTESY OF LAZOOM TOURS

AVL BEER WEEK

COMING SOON!FOR MORE INFO CONTACT US AT

[email protected]

[email protected] Gina Smith

MOUNTAINX.COM/BEERWEEK 2016 AVL BEER WEEK OFFICIAL GUIDE 3

[email protected] ARTICLE by Scott Douglas

Conceived in 2011 as a means to sup-port and promote Asheville’s burgeon-ing craft brewing industry, AVL Beer Week has become a local tradition in its own right. Now entering its fifth year, the weeklong celebration has forged a legacy of fostering community engage-ment and business partnership with area breweries during a period of unprece-dented growth and advancement in our city’s booming beer economy. The tireless efforts of a small and dedicated group of Asheville beer professionals have helped nurture this mountain town’s reputation as a brewing powerhouse on the national stage, and AVL Beer Week has played an instrumental role in that. AVL Beer Week began, as many great things do, over a few locally crafted beers among friends. Mary Eliza McRae, who was working as the craft beer manager at Budweiser of Asheville overseeing prod-ucts from local breweries such as Asheville Brewing Co. and Natty Greene’s, met with a group of friends to brainstorm what would become the Asheville Beer Masters Tournament. Also present was Anne-Fitten Glenn, then the principal beer writer for Mountain Xpress. And when the

conversation turned from the tournament to Asheville’s third straight win in world-renowned beer writer Charlie Papazian’s online Beer City USA poll, the group began to consider what could be done to further advance the city’s blossoming reputation as a national beer mecca. “There were several of us who had been working on this Beer Masters Tournament,

which was spearheaded by Mary Eliza McRae, and we were talking about other cool things that we could do to showcase beer,” remembers Glenn. “At the time, there were a number of beer weeks in different cities across the country, and we thought that as cool as Asheville’s beer scene was, we should have a beer week. So we gathered a group of people involved in the community who were

BEERVIEW MIRRORgood at planning events, and that’s how it all started. It was very organic.”

STARTING FROM SCRATCH Still, there were significant challenges. “We had to build it from scratch,” explains Julie Atallah, co-owner of Bruisin’ Ales, who served on the first Beer Week committee. ”Asheville was one of the only smaller cities planning a beer week at the time, so while it was easy to look to San Diego, Portland and Philly as guidelines, we really had to put our heads down and figure out a way to make it work for Asheville. In hindsight, the hard work paid off, and soon after, other small-market beer weeks started.“ The success of that first committee was due, in large part, to the unique skill set each member brought to the table. ”There was a core concept that began with a couple of the original committee members. From there, a few more members were recruited, with some good old-fashioned peer pressure, for their expertise and abili-ties,“ remembers T.J. Gardner, former-ly of Empire Distributors and currently Sierra Nevada Brewing’s area manager for

HAPPY BEER-DAY: Originially an idea hatched over beers shared among friends, AVL Beer Week celebrates five years of evolution with this year’s iteration. Running May 27- June 4, it features a well-rounded roster of festivals, workshops, tastings and more. Photo on left by Tim Robison; photo on right from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail

Photo from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail

AVL BEER WEEK 2016 BUILDS ON A STRONG LEGACY


FEATURE ARTICLE

Western North Carolina. ”We really ended up with a well-rounded group of area beer professionals. When we were looking for solutions to ideas or problems, usually someone on the committee had the know-how to make those solutions happen, or knew someone who did. I have a tremen-dous amount of respect for all the original committee members. They all are still very much a vital part of the fabric of this great beer community.“ Glenn wrote one of the definitive books on the local beer scene, Asheville Beer: An Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing. She also worked as the East Coast market-ing and public relations director for Oskar Blues Brewery before founding Brewgasm Media, a beer marketing consulting firm. McRae subsequently became the regional sales manager for Rogue Ales and Spirits before moving on to manage the craft division of Durham-based wholesaler Harris Beverages. Other core committee members from those early days included Asheville Brewing Co. President Mike Rangel, former Thirsty Monk general manager and current craft beer manager at Empire Distributors Caroline Forsman, Adam Reinke of the Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters homebrewing club, Barley’s

Taproom owner Jimi Rentz and former Pisgah Brewing and Craggie Brewing mar-keting director Simone Seitz.

AN ASHEVILLE SHOWCASE From the beginning, a key aspect of AVL Beer Week’s mission was facilitat-ing a cooperative atmosphere among the drinking community, local breweries and other Asheville businesses. This goal has remained central to the planning and development of each year’s celebration. “It was really important that [AVL Beer Week] be driven by the local businesses that were participating — not just brewer-ies but also taprooms and restaurants,” says Kendra Penland, director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. “The goal was to shine a light on the really cool stuff that was happening here in the craft brewing industry, but also to help invigorate the community and give an opportunity for other businesses to benefit by bringing more folks here. Businesses don’t even have to serve alcohol to participate or host an event. It’s been interesting for us to be able to partner and collaborate with other local businesses.” This year’s AVL Beer Week sponsors, for example, include Red House Architecture,

IN THE BEGINNING: “We had to build it from scratch,” says Bruisin’ Ales co-owner Julie Atallah of her work with the committee that created AVL Beer Week five years ago. At the time, Asheville was one of the only small cities in the U.S. planning a weeklong beer celebration. Photo by Anne-Fitten Glenn

.com

Eat your heart out,

WNC

[email protected] Scott Douglas


the Insurance Service of Asheville and MB Haynes Corporation, a general con-tracting company. Public engagement is also of para-mount importance, the organizers say, as it’s the event’s ability to draw new and returning customers from both Asheville and beyond that ultimately benefits local businesses. “AVL Beer Week is a nationally rec-ognized beer event. The more exposure we get from beer tourism, the more we will see folks returning to Western North Carolina,” notes Shelton Steele, an Asheville Brewers Alliance member who is the director of retail operations for Catawba Brewing Co. “Our bars, res-taurants and breweries are some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that folks are returning year after year for AVL Beer Week. As the format has con-tinued to evolve, the public has found more ways to participate. Creativity and innovation are hallmarks of the local food and beer scene, and AVL Beer Week showcases these attributes. There is something for everyone, ranging from sophisticated beer dinners to sensory learning experiences to ice-cream beer flights. In my opinion, Beer Week has fostered business collaborations that showcase the best of what Asheville has to offer.”

BEER MADNESS The first AVL Beer Week in 2012 was an 11-day bacchanal of all things beer. Displaying unrestrained enthusiasm for craft brewing, it was a resounding success. And while that passion hasn’t dissipated, change was inevitable. As Asheville collected more national atten-tion and investment, Beer Week fes-tivities grew in scope to encompass breweries from farther afield, and the logistics of managing events became more complicated. “ABW has really matured and begun settling into itself. The first year was a wild, wide-open sprint into as much beer madness as we could possibly squeeze into a week,” says Gardner. “We swelled the second and third years with literally hundreds of events — so many we couldn’t attend them all. That was itself an opportunity to learn and get better. Each year we have tried to carefully hear and digest the feedback from event hosts and Beer Week attend-ees. As we learned from this informa-tion, we have settled into a groove of what Asheville Beer Week is today: a well-rounded and dependable week of events to entice both the novice and entrenched craft beer drinker. Last year, AVL Beer Week became a function of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which

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is important because it also tells the story of the organization maturing and taking a bigger role in shaping, supporting and promoting the entire beer scene here in Western North Carolina.” The organizers, says Glenn, “realized we needed an actual nonprofit designa-tion. It made sense to have AVL Beer Week under the Asheville Brewers Alliance, because applying for a 501(c)(3) takes a lot of time, money and paper-work. But we could fold Beer Week into the Brewers Alliance, which was already a partial beneficiary of any extra money that the festival might make, because the idea is to support beer year-round, not just during that one week.” “Before,” clarifies Penland, “it was a grass-roots effort by some folks in the local brew-ing industry who thought there was a hole to fill, and they did that.” Now, the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which was already closely

associated with the festival’s planning and execution, is “here as a resource that can pro-vide additional support and coordination.” This should help ensure the event’s longev-ity while also facilitating communication between businesses hosting events and the general public.

MAKING MEMORIES AVL Beer Week is not just about support-ing local businesses: It’s about celebrating the people who make them possible. First and foremost, it is about building memories of good times in a great community. Some memories evoke the perseverance of the stalwarts who followed their bold vision to craft a festival befitting Asheville’s beer culture. Once, for example, Steele and the Catawba crew took chainsaws to a fallen oak tree a mere two hours before a farm-to-table beer dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Other memories are strictly of unadul-terated fun, such as when Atallah and other industry leaders starred alongside local comedy troupe The Feral Chihuahuas in a promotional video for the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau that was inspired by an AVL Beer Week event. There are also nostalgic reminiscences of the unfettered days when Asheville’s beer scene was still in its infancy, and promi-nent industry leaders could get away with

things like serving while drinking, or pouring beer from sixtels strapped to their backs at the Beer City Festival. Such acts of dubious legality would never be permit-ted today. And then there are those Beer Week memories that are better left out of print altogether. Regardless of what sort of memories you’d like to have of this year’s Beer Week, the important thing is to go out and make some. Have a beer at the grand opening of Highland’s rooftop patio, meet the women of WNC beer at the Thirsty Monk, see a concert at Pisgah Brewing or The Grey Eagle, or enjoy one of the many beer pairing brunches or dinners throughout the week. However you choose to participate, you’ll not only be in for a good time, you’ll be supporting the people and institutions that make Asheville such an extraordinary place to live.

AN EVOLVING EVENT When AVL Beer Week began in 2012, such notable Asheville breweries as Wicked Weed, Burial and Hi-Wire were still on the horizon. The same was true for Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium Brewing, the three Western breweries that would soon choose to make their East Coast homes in the Asheville area. Back then, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to predict the remarkable growth that has ensued in both the local brewing and tourism industries. It is therefore unlikely that anyone can accurately predict what the coming years will bring for Asheville’s craft brewing community. While some aspects of AVL Beer Week have remained consistent — such as the perennial participation of industry leaders like Asheville Brewing and Bruisin’ Ales, or foundational events like Just Brew It and the Beer City Festival — the only true constant in the indus-try is change, and AVL Beer Week will undoubtedly continue to reflect that. It can be safely assumed, however, that future changes will mirror the industry’s continu-ing development, which has proved to be a boon not only to beer lovers but to Asheville as a whole. X

“Our bars, restaurants and breweries are some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that folks are returning year after year for AVL Beer Week...

In my opinion, Beer Week has fostered business collaborations that showcase the best of what Asheville has to offer.”

— SHELTON STEELE —

Director of retail operations for Catawba Brewing Co.



[email protected]


From the dual 30-barrel brewhouses of Hi-Wire Brewing to Oyster House Brewing Co.’s 5-barrel system, plenty of variety will be on display at the annual Beer City Festival downtown on Saturday, May 28. True to the range of liquid creativity set to pour at each booth, the ways in which each brewery prepares for the event and how their beers will be shared are just as unique.

TAPS FROM THE VAN Now that its Big Top facility is in full swing, and its original South Slope brewery has been converted to specialize in sour and wild beer, what will Hi-Wire bring to the festival? “Maybe some sort of quintuple-hopped imperial session pawpaw ale shot from a cannon through a fiery ring and into cognac barrels that were locked inside of the trunk of a clown car for 18 months as it traveled around the country visiting side show after side show,” says beer juggler Chris McLain. “Probably not, but I can say we will have a fun selection.” McLain makes his Beer City Fest plans a couple of weeks in advance. He decides how much to bring based on the festival’s pre-dicted turnout, the availability of the beer itself and what he thinks people are going to want to drink, which, he says, is the most difficult aspect to determine. “I look to cover all bases with our selection of beers. I want to be able to pique everyone’s interest and not turn away someone who has been waiting in line to drink something light and refreshing only to find we are featuring stouts exclusively or some-thing silly like that,” he says. For a brewery like Hi-Wire with a distribution footprint that extends throughout North Carolina and into South Carolina and Tennessee, McLain finds it important to share not only small-batch beers, but also something consumers may find with some sort of regularity. “It can be a bit of a bummer to sample that one really great

beer that you will never see again because it was only available at the festival,” he says. “We want to show people we can make great beer consistently.” Whatever winds up on the menu will be dispensed directly from taps off the side of a company van. (“It’s really popular in bad traffic and for tailgating,” McLain jokes.) The goal is to run out of product at the very end of the festival, but if supplies dwindle early, returning to the brewery for replenishments would mean taking the mobile pour station with them. Instead, the Hi-Wire crew looks to stay the course and revel in an event that supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC. “The beer is great, but it’s also about community,” McLain says. “I’m of the mindset that it takes a community to build a brewery and not the other way around, so when we can get together as a group of breweries and give something back, that’s just wonderful.”

THE TRAVELING BEER ENGINE When it comes to the special casks that he’ll take to the festival, Oyster House head brewer and owner Billy Klingel strategizes well in advance. As with Hi-Wire’s selections, festivalgoers will have to swing by the Oyster House tent to see what’s available, but what is clear is the apparatus that will be dispensing these ales: the traveling beer engine. “Originally it was just a box — I called it a ‘shroud’ because I would put it over my jockey box so you couldn’t see that it was a cooler. Then after having [the two cask hand pumps on the Oyster House bar], I fell in love with the beer engine,” Klingel says. Following this newfound interest, Klingel purchased an Angram counter-mount model that required drilling a hole in a founda-tional base as opposed to clamping it on the bar like the two in-house pumps. By that point, he’d already procured a new jockey box that looked good enough without a shroud, so he decided to combine the

HAVE BEER WILL TRAVEL

two components. “The first go-round was a little rough because the torque, when you’re pulling on it, the whole box wants to move. So now we travel with two heavy bricks and weight it down,” Klingel says. “Everyone should have a traveling beer engine.” Of the four tap lines running through the jockey box that Klingel will also bring to the festival, one will be occupied by the brewery’s flagship Moonstone Oyster Stout. What will flow through its three neighbors, however, will largely depend on the volume of the walk-in cooler that Saturday morning and the needs of the West Asheville brewpub itself. “Come the time of Beer City Fest, and this place is rocking and rolling and we’re full outside and we’re full inside, a batch of Galaxy IPA might last for eight days. So, selfishly, you’ve got to think about this place before anything else,” Klingel says. Festival organizers want each partici-pating brewery to bring upward of 4 half-barrels (which translates to two kegs of each of the four offerings), but in Klingel’s seven years of pouring at the event, he can only point to one time when a quarter-barrel of a single Oyster House beer wasn’t sufficient. With that history, he doubts he’ll run out of product and can instead enjoy seeing old friends and making new acquaintances at what’s by far his favorite local beer festival. X

ON THE GO: Breweries have different ways of making their beers mobile. While Hi-Wire Brewing’s products, left, will be flowing at the upcoming Beer City Festival from taps installed on the company van, Oyster House Brewing Co. owner Billy Klingel will use a custom-made “traveling beer engine.”Photo on the left courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing; photo on the right by Cindy Kunst

[email protected] Edwin Arnaudin

HI-WIRE AND OYSTER HOUSE PREPARE FOR BEER CITY FESTIVAL

AVL BEER WEEK

MORE INFO

WHAT Beer City Festival

WHEN 1-6 p.m. Saturday, May 28

WHERE Roger McGuire Green at Pack

Square Park downtown

HOW MUCH $45 in advance, $50 at the gate. Designated driver passes are $25 and

available only at the gate.

MORE INFORMATION Tickets are available online at

beercityfestival.com and downtown at Bruisin’ Ales and

Barley’s Taproom


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TASTE AND LEARN: Certified cicerone Cliff Mori is gearing his Beer Flavors 101 workshop toward bartenders, servers and anyone else interested in gaining a better understanding of the nuances of beer tasting and evaluation. Photo by Cindy Kunst

The Asheville Brewers Alliance will host a sensory training class led by certified cicerone Cliff Mori upstairs at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria on Wednesday, May 31. This introductory guided tasting, titled Beer Flavors 101, will focus on the flavors

contributed to beer by yeast, malts and hops, and will feature local examples of styles showcasing the influence these ingredients bring to bear on a beer’s unique flavor profile. A joint venture between the Asheville Brewers Alliance and the Cicerone

A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGESENSORY TRAINING AIMS TO EDUCATE PALATES

WHAT Beer sensory training class with

certified cicerone Cliff Mori

WHEN 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, May 31

WHERE Upstairs at Barley’s Taproom and

Pizzeria, 42 Biltmore Ave.

HOW MUCH$35

MORE INFORMATION For tickets, search for “Beer Flavors

101” on eventbrite.com. Space is lim-ited, so early registration is encouraged.

BEER FLAVORS 101

Certification Program conceived and orchestrated by ABA director Kendra Penland, Beer Flavors 101 is intended to not only educate the palates of local craft beer drinkers, but also to familiarize them with the standardized vocabulary of beer tasting. According to Mori, the aim is to provide a starting point for people of all levels of beer knowledge to evolve their approach to the tasting process. “I hope it will encourage participants to be more thoughtful when it comes to how they taste not only beer, but other food and drink as well. We tend to be a society of consumers that gives little thought to what we are consuming,” says Mori. “How many times have you asked someone what they thought of a particular food or drink and the response you received was, ’Good’? I’d like to help people get beyond ’good’ to really be able to talk about what they smell and taste and be able to convey those concepts to oth-ers in a way that makes sense.”

Mori is heavily involved in the tutelage of Asheville craft beer connoisseurs and brewing industry professionals. Through his company, BREW-ed, he provides on-site training in proper beer service for the staff of bars, restaurants and tasting rooms, as well as educational brewery tours for those seeking a more in-depth understand-ing of beer and the brewing process. He is also an independent contrac-tor who has been employed for the last four years as a teacher, exam proctor and grader for the Cicerone Certification Program, a role that has taken him as far north as Vermont and as far west as Texas. Mori is currently leading a series of sensory training and off-flavor classes at Highland Brewing Co. as a part of Cicerone’s Beersavvy Bootcamp program. While Beer Flavors 101 was developed to contribute an educational component to this year’s AVL Beer Week festivities, the purpose of the event is to engage novices and experts alike without intimidating those new to tasting techniques and ter-minology. “We want folks — from craft beer aficionados to new fans — to learn about some of the fundamentals of craft beer in an informal, relaxed setting from a top-notch beer educator,” says Penland. “This event will be great for those interested in learning more about where beer flavors come from. The material will be geared toward the average craft enthu-siast, but the tasting techniques we will be employing are useful to anyone with a need to critically taste and evaluate beer,” Mori says. “Servers and bartenders work-ing in Asheville who would like to have a better understanding of beer flavor would definitely benefit as well.” Mori hopes that the class will enhance beer lovers’ AVL Beer Week experience. “I think this is a great early event for the week. Hopefully after attending this event, people will be able to give a little more thought to the amazing local beers they’ll be drinking all week,” he says. Details about Mori’s Beersavvy classes can be found at cicerone.org, and his brewery tours can be booked at brew-ed.com. X

AVL BEER WEEK


AVL BEER WEEK FOR

TEETOTALERS

When even the ice cream is made with beer, it’s understandable if nondrinkers feel left out of the AVL Beer Week fun. A closer look at the schedule, however, reveals multiple events that don’t involve consuming alcohol — including the aforementioned beer dessert event at The Hop 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 3, where nonbeer flavors will also be served. One noteworthy educational opportunity takes place at the Thirsty Monk’s downtown bar 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, where women of the Western North Carolina beer industry and their work will be celebrated. Highland Brewing Co. head brewer Hollie Stephenson and quality control specialist Anna Sauls will be in attendance as well as Mia Pederson, founder of the Asheville chapter of Girls Pint Out, a national craft beer organization for women. Thirsty Monk beer buyer Joanna Postlethwaite has also invited participants from Pink Boots Brew Day and International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. She says it will be a casual celebration where attendees can hang out and chat with these local figures and that

THE GIFT OF BEER: Those who want to take a break from AVL Beer Week’s full schedule of drinking events can learn the art of brewing at Fifth Season Gardening Co. The 12-pack of IPA that participants take home at the end of the course can be saved for later or gifted to a friend. Pictured is owner Mike Weeks. Photo by Cindy Kunst

NONDRINKING EVENTS DOT THE BEER-HEAVY SCHEDULE

by Edwin Arnaudin [email protected]

828.552.3934 catawbabrewing.com

ASHEVILLE BEER WEEK MAY 28 - JUNE 4

SATURDAY TED LIGHT LIME AT BEER CITY FEST1:00PM - 6:00PM | ROGER McGUIRE GREEN

SUNDAY BILTMORE GARAGE ROCK SOCIAL 2:30PM | 63 BROOK ST.

MONDAY BEER THEME TRIVIA NIGHT7:30PM | 63 BROOK ST.

TUESDAY GAINING GROUND FARM DINNER5:00PM | 305 SLUDER BRANCH RD., LEICESTER

WEDNESDAY BEER & CHOCOLATE PAIRING 7:00PM | 32 BANKS AVE.

THURSDAY AVL TOURISTS BALL GAME 7:05PM | McCORMICK FIELD

FRIDAY BEER RELEASE: LD’S BELGIAN GOLD ALE NOON | 32 BANKS AVE.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4 KING COCONUT LUAUNOON | 32 BANKS AVE.

AVL BEER WEEK


there will be a toast to women in the industry, during which either she or Stephenson will say a few words. “In an industry that is still mostly considered ‘a man’s world,’ women are overcoming the stigma and making their mark as brewers, cellarwomen, quality control managers, packaging leads, salespeople, marketing managers and much more,” Postlethwaite says. “There are so many examples of strong leading ladies in Western North Carolina’s craft beer industry, and their stories are inspiring, not only to our local community of friends, family and craft beer lovers, but also to other women across the country and the world who are working towards and succeeding in making a difference in the industry.” Those interested in emulating these influential women can sign up to brew their own IPA at Fifth Season Gardening Co. 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 28. The class will be led by brew manager Jeremy Bruder, an experienced brewer and former teacher. In it, up to 20 partici-pants will each make a gallon of Brewcraft Gigantic IPA, a 7.3 percent ABV citrusy, hoppy style that incorporates Magnum, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal and Simcoe hops. After the beer has fermented for two weeks in the store’s climate-controlled environment, brewers will be invited back to bottle up their creations in a 12-pack to take home (and perhaps gift to a loved one). Fifth Season’s flagship class brews five times as much product and costs $130, but the special Beer Week course goes for $24.99 and includes a pint of local craft beer — for which nondrinkers may substitute a San Pelligrino, specialty coffee or other beverage or donate to a friend. “The idea for this class was to offer something that would be at a lower price point and a chance to see just how good of a beer you can make from a kit without the commitment to five gallons,” says Kristin Weeks, community and media relations for Fifth Season. And for a purely relaxing time, look no further than Highland’s rooftop patio grand opening 4-9 p.m. Friday, May 27. In addition to the industrial chic ambiance, the new spot offers expansive, 360-degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, from which marketing coordinator Molly McQuillan says Cold Mountain is visible on a clear day. Going forward, the rooftop patio will be open during normal operating hours and may also be reserved for private events, giving beer drinkers and teetotalers alike an enticing getaway throughout the year. X


THIS GUIDEI S O N L I N E !

mountainx.com/beer

828.277.1510

Come in for a Pint & a Bite!

28 Hendersonville Rd.

AVL BEER WEEK


AVL BEER WEEK

EVENTS

BEER EVENTS

Photo on left from Beer City Festival 2015 courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail; photo on right courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing

ALL WEEK

Beer Cocktails at Top of the Monk

Top of the Monk, downtown

Top of the Monk will have a special menu of beer-infused cocktails designed for both beer and cocktail lovers alike.

FRIDAY, MAY 27

Sanctuary Shakeup

12-11 p.m., Sanctuary Brewing Co., 147 First Ave. E., Hendersonville

Sanctuary Brewing Co. is releasing 10 one-of-a-kind, small-batch beers in its taproom, including Raspberry Hendo-Weisse, Blueberry/Orange

WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHERE

[email protected] Dan Hesse

Fierce Thirst wit, Banana Panther banana chocolate porter, Blackberry Saison, Cookies ’n’ Cream Panther porter, Coffee Winterfell IPA, Chocolate/Orange Fierce Thirst wit, Peanut Butter/Raspberry Saison, Apple Pie Scottie’s Red Ale and more. The brewers will be on hand to discuss the beers, and Carolinabound will provide live music.

Highland Brewing Co.’s Rooftop Grand Opening and AVL Beer Week Kickoff Party

4-9 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Highway, free

Highland Brewing Co.’s rooftop patio grand opening is kicking off AVL Beer Week. The brewery will also be serving its Highland Pilsner in cans for the first time at the brew-ery. There will be music in the meadow and food trucks on-site.

Dinosour Release

5-11 p.m., Asheville Brewing, South Slope, and Innovation Brewing, Sylva, free

Dinosour, a sour blonde ale with rose pet-als, elderberry and hibiscus, is the result of a creative partnership between Asheville Brewing Co. and Innovation Brewing in Sylva. This beer will be released simultane-ously at both breweries. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the brewing process and how this “collabeeration” came to be.

Coolcumber Release

5 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing, downtown

Wicked Weed Brewing hosts its annual release of the popular spring seasonal Coolcumber.

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Barrel-Aged Threesome

12-6 p.m., Asheville Brewing Co., South Slope, free

Asheville Brewing will release three very limited barrel-aged beers simultaneously at Beer City Festival and at its brewery on Coxe Avenue. The beers: toasted coconut bourbon barrel-aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout, Brandy Barrel-Aged Ninjabread Man Porter and cab-ernet sauvingnon barrel-Aged Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout. Brewers will be on hand to discuss the barrel-aging process.

Balancer Summer Ale Release to Benefit Hadaya Toys

12-5 p.m., Green Man Brewery., South Slope

Green Man Brewing will show the Champions League Final (Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid), and the event will serve as the first-time release of Balancer Summer Ale, a session, dry-hopped English pale ale. One dollar from each pint of this beer sold will go to Hadaya Toys, a local nonprofit started by two Asheville moms that brings soccer balls and other toys to children in refugee camps throughout the world. These deliveries bring joy and psychological relief to kids who have been affected by war.



Brew your own IPA class

1-3 p.m., Fifth Season Gardening Co.

Asheville Market, East Asheville, $24.99

Fifth Season Gardening Co. Asheville

Market, home of North Carolina’s largest

brew-on-premises facility, is offering

a reduced-rate brewing class for AVL

Beer Week. Expert instructors will guide

participants through every step of the

brewing process on state-of-the-art

equipment. After the beer has fermented

for two weeks in a climate-controlled

environment, everyone can come back to

bottle up a gallon (12-pack) to take

home. The beer to be brewed during the

workshop is Brewcraft Gigantic IPA.

A fermenter will be given away to one

lucky participant. Preregister

at avl.mx/2kk.

Beer City Festival

1-6 p.m., Roger McGuire

Green, downtown, $45

Beer City Festival brings the best local

and regional breweries from Asheville

and surrounding areas together for a

great day of beer and music. This year’s

event features more than 32 breweries,

plus local music acts. All of the breweries

featured in Beer City Festival are members

of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. The

ABA focuses on the growth of local and

surrounding Asheville breweries through

active partnership and support. You can

purchase tickets here. [avl.mx/2l7]

Menage a Freak Triple IPA release party

5-11 p.m., Wicked Weed

Brewing, downtown, free

Come out to the downtown location to

celebrate the annual release of Wicked

Weed’s Menage a Freak Triple IPA in the

downstairs tasting room. The event will

also feature aerial artists, live music and

more for a burlesque/circus themed event.

Costumes are encouraged.

SUNDAY, MAY 29

Bourbon barrel-aged Skillet bottle release

12-5 p.m., Burial Beer Co., South Slope, $16/750-milliliter bottle (limit three per person)

This breakfast stout is crafted from a blend of nine barley malts, a healthy scoop of oats, milk and molasses sugars and our favorite blend of freshly roasted Counter Culture Coffee beans and aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for eight months.

Saison Sunday

12-11 p.m., Wicked Weed Brewing, downtown

Wicked Weed will release 10 of its saisons in honor of AVL Beer Week. All of them will be on tap at the downtown location in the downstairs tasting room.

Biltmore Garage Rock Social

2-9 p.m., Catawba Brewing, Biltmore Village, free

Catawba’s Biltmore Village location will host this event featuring beer, food and vinyl. There will also be live music from Asheville bands Doc Aquatic and Analog Moon starting at 4 p.m.

Spring-toberfest

5-8:30 p.m., Sierra Nevada Brewing, Fletcher

Sierra Nevada can’t wait until October to celebrate Oktoberfest, so it’s hosting Spring-toberfest for AVL Beer Week. The event will feature traditional oompah music with a twist, German snacks and steins of festbier to sample.

Pickin’ Party with the Jeff Austin Band

8-11 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., East Asheville, $15

Wrap up Memorial Day weekend with a bluegrass pickin’ party in Highland Brewing’s new event center with the Jeff Austin Band. Best known for co-founding Yonder Mountain String Band, Jeff Austin has shared the stage with Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Earle Scruggs, Jon Fishman and Phil Lesh.

BEER EVENTS [email protected] Dan Hesse


BEER EVENTS

Pisgah Mountain County Stout release

1-8 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain

Pisgah Brewing releases its newest monster of a beer, Pisgah Mountain County Stout. This imperial stout, aged 11 months in Four Roses bourbon barrels, is full of dark-roasted malts, raw cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolates and a proprietary blend of dark-roasted organic coffee from Pisgah’s neighbor, Dynamite Roasting Co. This 11.8 percent ABV stout will be available in 22-ounce bottles starting at the Black Mountain taproom.

MONDAY, MAY 30

Oskar Blues Trolley Crawl with Thirsty Monk

5:30-9:30 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown, free

Come hop on the Oskar Blues trolley to tour all Thirsty Monk locations. The ride starts at the Downtown Monk and will hit up Open Brewing in Gerber Village, Biltmore Park and Woodfin along the way, returning downtown to finish. Be the first to try our OB/TM collaboration “Trolley Crawl” beer at each stop. The trolley will feature music, beer trivia, giveaways and more. Be sure to arrive at the Downtown Monk by 5:15pm to get on the trolley.

Natural Born Farmer Beer Release

Locations’ regular hours, Ben’s Tune Up and Bhramari Brewhouse, downtown, free

This peach sour saison —a collabora-tion between Ben’s Tune Up and Bhramari Brewhouse — will be released on Memorial Day to celebrate AVL Beer Week 2016. It’s a tart ale that includes all the rustic grains, including barley, wheat, corn, oats, rye, spelt and sorghum, and weathered a lengthy triple fermentation with pure peach juice. This summer sour is available at Ben’s Tune-up and Bhramari Brewhouse.

TUESDAY, MAY 31

Beer Flavors 101

1-3 p.m., upstairs at Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria, downtown, $35

Certified cicerone and local beer educator Cliff Mori of BREW-ed will lead partici-

pants through an exploration of hops,

malt and yeast by tasting and discussing

beers that highlight the character-

istics of each ingredient. Parking is

available in nearby parking decks and

on-street parking. Tickets are $35 and are

available at avl.mx/2kb.

Women of WNC Beer at Thirsty Monk Downtown

5-9 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown

Thirsty Monk, Highland Brewing Co. and

AVL Girls Pint Out will celebrate some

of the Western North Carolina craft beer

industry’s leading ladies. On tap will be

the International Women’s Collaboration

Brew Day beer, Unite Ale, a Belgian

golden strong ale brewed by women from

Asheville’s beer industry in collabora-

tion with Pink Boots Society. A portion

of every pint sold benefits Our VOICE, a

nonprofit organization serving victims and

supporting survivors of rape and sexual

assault in Buncombe County.

Evolution of English IPA (circa 1750-2000) Lecture and Tasting

6-7:30 p.m., Zebulon Artisan

Ales, Weaverville, $20

An informal lecture on the evolution of IPA

from the massive pale beer of the 1700s

to the lowly golden bitter called IPA in

the 1980s. This talk will show how world

wars and taxes slowly eroded what would

become the most popular beer style in the

U.S. The talk includes five 8-ounce pours

of IPAs through the years starting with

a monster 11% ABV October Beer from

the 1700s, the Brettanomyces, fermented

IPA sent by ship to India and others as

IPA progressed through 200 years of wars,

legislation and public tastes. All beers were

brewed as close to historical records as

possible. Seating for the first 30 attendees

is available, after which it is standing room

only. For guaranteed seating RSVP to gabe@

zebulonbrewing.com or on the Zebulon

Facebook page. [avl.mx/2l8]


BEER EVENTS

Lo-Fi Brewing Co. tap takeover with Slick Rick the Ruler

8 p.m., The Grey Eagle, River Arts District, $22 in advance/$25 at the door

Pisgah Brewing Co. co-founder Jason Caughman’s new Charleston brewery, Lo-Fi Brewing Co., will take over the taps at The Grey Eagle with a featured performance by legendary hip-hop storyteller Slick Rick the Ruler. For tickets, visit thegreyeagle.com/event/slick-rick-the-ruler.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

The Dweller Vertical Tasting

3-10 p.m., Green Man Brewery, South Slope

Green Man Brewery cellared three years worth of The Dweller Imperial Stout, which will be available to taste side by side at this event at the Greenmansion. The evening will feature flights of 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages of this special release.

Thirsty Monk Pint Night

4-11 p.m., Thirsty Monk, all locations

It’s a Thirsty Monk Pint Night at all locations. Grab a pour of any of Thirsty Monk’s in-house beer lineup and take the glass home with you.

Asheville Brewers’ Tasty Invasiwon

5-8 p.m., Tasty Beverage Co., South Slope

Tasty Beverage Co. proudly features Asheville breweries on its shelves and on tap year-round, but for this night during AVL Beer Week, all the taps flow with favorites from local breweries.

Brewmaster’s tasting with Don Richardson of Quest Brewing

5-7 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, downtown, free

Meet Quest Brewing Brewmaster Don Richardson for a tasting of Quest Brewing beers hand-selected by Richardson himself. Richardson has been in the beer industry for more than 20 years and has gained a

Photo from the 2015 AVL Beer Week Westside Fest courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail


BEER EVENTS

stellar reputation for the award-winning

beer recipes he brewed while at Boulder

Beer Co. in Colorado and Cottonwood

Brewery in North Carolina. Richardson’s

ties to Western North Carolina beer run

deep — he’s the “King Don” behind

Catawba Brewing Co.’s King Don’s

Pumpkin. Beers will include Golden

Fleece Belgian Pale Ale, Smoking Mirror

Porter, Ponce Cucumber Jalapeno Saison

(World Beer Cup gold medal winner

2016); barrel-aged Elegast (Flemish-style

sour aged for 18 months).

Not So Big BIG Beer Festival 2016

5:30-9:30 p.m., Thirsty Monk

Warehouse, Biltmore Village, $10

America’s top craft breweries will feature

a selection of their rare and specialty

beers in an intimate outdoor and covered

setting. This small-scale beer festival

will have several rare and one-off beers

all in one place curated by Thirsty Monk

especially for AVL Beer Week 2016.

Participating breweries include Prairie

Artisan Ales, Evil Twin Brewing, Grimm

Artisanal Ales, Allagash Brewing, Sierra

Nevada, New Belgium Brewing, Boulevard

Brewing, Thirsty Monk Brewery and others.

The $10 ticket includes admission, souvenir

tasting glass and one Thirsty Monk brewery

beer to go. Tokens will be available for $3

each that can be redeemed for festival pours

or various food options. Parking is available

on site. Please try to carpool if possible. No

overnight parking.

Kick the Keg Throwdown

6-9 p.m., Pour Taproom, West Asheville

Pour Taproom will host kegs from Highland

Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing and New Belgium

Brewing in a competition to see whose keg

kicks first. The event will feature beer specials

and giveaways.

Movie Night - Strange Brew

7 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $5

Kick back and enjoy a cold one while cracking up with Bob and Doug McKenzie from Strange Brew. “This movie was shot in 3B – three beers – and it looks good, eh?” There will be popcorn and strange brews on tap, and The Taqueria will be open during the show. The movie will be shown on the patio, weather permitting.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2

Rage Yoga

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., The Millroom, downtown, $20

The Asheville Brewers Alliance is hosting this daytime program featuring loud music, beer-drinking and Zen-attaining, also known as Rage Yoga. Join local yogi Heather Newman, from Grow Yoga, as she leads participants through a one-of-a-kind yoga experience. Bring your mat and pent-up frustrations; instruction, music and a beer will be provided (the ticket price includes beer). Parking is available in nearby paid

lots and on-street parking. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at avl.mx/2kc.

Rusty Buffalo beer release

Brewery hours, Bhramari Brewhouse, South Slope

Bhramari Brewhouse will release its Rusty Buffalo — a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel-aged oud bruin.

Barrel-Aged vertical tasting

3-10 p.m., Green Man Brewery, South Slope

Flights of two vintages of Holly King Barrel Aged Holiday Ale and two vintages of Demon Dweller Imperial Stout will be available all evening.

Skillet Six Ways

4-5 p.m., Burial Beer Co., South Slope

Burial Beer Co. has taken its popular Skillet coffee breakfast stout, split it six ways and aged it on different ingredients.


BEER EVENTS

All six will be tapped and served with Vortex doughnut pairings.

New Belgium Patio Party at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park

4-10 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, South Asheville

New Belgium’s new Citradelic IPA, Lips of Faith Hof Ten Dormaal collaboration, Hop Kitchen Series and more will be on tap. There will be a photo booth and specialty glassware to take home as well as a New Belgium bike giveaway (winner must be present).

Cask Night at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co..

4-8 p.m., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Fletcher

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will tap one of its cask ales and will serve until it’s gone.

Bruisin’ Ales Blind IPA Tasting

5-8 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, downtown, $6

Think you know your favorite local IPA? Come find out as Bruisin’ Ales hosts a blind tasting of 10 Asheville and Western North Carolina IPAs. Participants will have the chance to rate them leading up to the evening’s big reveal. Those who can also guess which IPA is which will get bonus points and the chance to win prizes at the end of night.

Craft Brews and Rescues


Sanctuary Brewing Co. will host an adoption party with Blue Ridge Humane Society while also releasing three new beers: Cookies and Ice Cream Porter, Blueberry Wit and Chocolate Orange Wit. There will also be actual cookies and ice cream, blueberry cobbler and other sweet pairings. Blue Ridge Humane will bring puppies and kittens, and there will be a photo booth with props, plus tunes from Ashley Heath. A portion

of proceeds from this event will go directly to the Blue Ridge Humane Society.

SOJA with Allen Stone at Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage

6:30-11 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, $29.50

SOJA is a Grammy-nominated, Washington D.C.-area band, that blends reggae, go-go, D.C. hardcore, Latin, rock and hip-hop. The group will perform on Pisgah’s outdoor stage for a night of conscious music. Tickets are available at pisgahbrewing.com/shows/soja.

Boojum Brewing Beer Stein Holding Contest


Pour Taproom will feature a Boojum Brewing tap takeover including beer specials and prizes.

Thirsty Thursday Baseball — Beer City Tourists vs. Greenville Drive

7:05-9:30 p.m., McCormick Field, downtown, $8

For one game only, the Asheville Tourists will become the Beer City Tourists — the Tourists will don special Beer City jerseys and caps. Regular beers are $1 and craft beers are $2. Thirsty Thursdays are an Asheville tradition that started at McCormick Field in 1983. The team currently controls the trademark “Thirsty Thursday.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

Bold Rock Hard Cider Birthday Bash

June 3-5, noon-8 p.m., Bold Rock Hard Cider, Mills River, free

Finish AVL Beer Week with a three-day Bold Rock Birthday Bash Weekend at the Mills River Tap Room & Cidery. Located



We do beer, wine, cider, and mead.

Bring this ad in by 05/31/16 for 20% off your entire purchase!

Every Week is Beer Week!

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just south of Asheville on 8 acres of scenic farmland, the taproom will play host to local musicians, food and cider pairings, tours, activities for children, raffles and educational demonstrations all weekend.

Monk Beer Academy - AVL Beer Week Edition

4-5 p.m., Thirsty Monk, downtown, free (RSVP required)

With the pursuit of “beerducation” in mind, Thirsty Monk announces the AVL Beer Week edition of its Monk Beer Academy series. Join certified cicerone and draft quality manager Jeremiah Tracy to learn about local lagers as he picks a few of their WNC favorites, and talk about each brewery’s inspirations. The class is compli-mentary, but participants will have to pay for tasting flights. RSVP at avl.mx/2k1.

AVL Brewed Arrogant Bastard Pit Stops at Highland Brewing

4-8 p.m., Highland Brewing Co., East Asheville

Stone Brewing has taken its Arrogant Bastard on the road and made a stop at Highland Brewing Co., so locals can taste Arrogant Bastard brewed right here in Asheville. It will be served only at Highland Brewing Co.’s tasting room, and $2 from every pour of this collaboration benefit goes to Foster Care to Success.

BerLemon Weisse release

5-10 p.m., Asheville Brewing Co., South Slope

Specially brewed for AVL Beer Week, Asheville Brewing Co.’s BerLemon Weisse is an American sour wheat made with fresh-squeezed lemons in the classic Berliner weisse style. Brewers will be on hand to talk about the style.

Sam Adams Beer Pong Battleship Event


Pour Taproom hosts a Sam Adams takeover that will also feature beer pong battleship. Prizes will be awarded to winners.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

King Coconut Luau

12-8 p.m., Catawba Brewing, South Slope, free

The King Coconut release party luau will feature outdoor games and pit-cooked pig in the Catawba Beach Courtyard.

Just Brew It

2-5 p.m., Wedge Brewing Co., RAD, $50

Just Brew It is a homebrew tasting and competition where some of the area’s finest homebrewers will offer samples of their creations and compete for prizes. Just Brew It is open to members of Just Economics. To become a member, go to justeconomicswnc.org

Picnic Series Kickoff Party

2-8 p.m., Sweeten Creek Brewing, South Asheville, free

Join Sweeten Creek Brewing for a family- and dog-friendly celebration on its spacious creekside lawn. This will be the first of many Saturday picnics throughout the summer featuring free live music from area bands with picnic-style food specials and the regular sandwich shop menu items for sale on the lawn.

Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass

7-11 p.m., Pisgah Brewing Co., Black Mountain, $25

Join Pisgah Brewing Co. for a one-of-a-kind event as it presents Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass featuring Keller Williams with The Infamous Stringdusters. This multifaceted event will feature a solo set from Keller Williams followed by a set from The Infamous Stringdusters, then a set of Grateful Grass featuring all artists.

Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass

8 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $10 advance/$12 day of

Come grab a cold one to commemorate the end of Asheville Beer Week. The Blue Dragons will be playing sweet tunes and it will be a chance to raise a glass to everyone that made this week big wit beer. X

BEER EVENTS

11AM - 10PM Sunday - Thursday11 AM - 11PM Friday - Saturday

1636 Hendersonville Road, Ste 195Asheville, NC 28803

(828) 232-7223www.ruffinositaliangrill.com

NOW OPEN

Daily

Specials!


AVL BEER WEEK FOOD EVENTS

BEER EVENTS

PARTY IN A POT: At some AVL Beer Week food events, the beer goes right into the food. Photo from a 2015 AVL Beer Week dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm beer courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail

SUNDAY, MAY 29

Sierra Nevada Sunday Brunch at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park

Noon-4 p.m., Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, 2 Town Square Blvd., prices vary

Spend Sunday sampling small brunch plates paired with Sierra Nevada beers on the patio at Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park. There will be an entire menu of brunch-themed small plates with suggested Sierra Nevada beer pairings.

Innovation Beer and Cupcake Pairing

12 p.m., Innovation Brewing, 413 W. Main St., Sylva

Innovation Brewing is pairing four of its beers with cupcakes from Lulu’s On Main, made especially for the event.

TUESDAY, MAY 31

Gaining Ground Farm Dinner

5-9:30 p.m., Yesterday Spaces, Leicester, $89/$99 after May 24

Join Catawba Brewing Co., chef Liam Luttrell-Rowland of the Green Opportunities Kitchen Ready program and chef John Fleer of Rhubarb restaurant for a freshly harvested farm dinner at Gaining Ground Farm, where many of Rhubarb’s vegetables are grown. Five food courses will be paired with Catawba’s craft brews and beer cocktails. Dinner includes tours of Yesterday Spaces and Gaining Ground Farm. Proceeds benefit the GO Kitchen Ready culinary training program, a free course that prepares low-income adults for employment in the food service industry.

Pig on A Wire: A Homebrewed BBQ Sauce Competition

6 p.m., Luella’s Bar-B-Que, 501 Merrimon Avenue

Come out to Luella’s for a an evening of BBQ and brews from Hi-Wire. There will be a “home-brew” BBQ sauce contest. The catch is contestants must incorporate a Hi-Wire beer into their sauce. There is a limited amount of space and entries are on a first-come, first-served basis. To enter please send an email

[email protected] Dan Hesse

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CHEFS AND BREWERS PAIR UP BITES AND BEERS

with your name and the name of your sauce to [email protected].

Wicked Weed-Sierra Nevada Tap Extravaganza

6-11 p.m., Jack of the Wood, Downtown, Prices vary

Jack of the Wood will be pouring Sierra Nevada’s entire Beer Camp Across America lineup in addition to rare kegs from Wicked Weed. All beers will be accompanied by a small-bite pairing.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

Brewers Bar-B-Q

5-11 p.m., Altamont Brewing Co., West Asheville, Prices vary

This laid-back event will feature whole hog barbecue and new beer releases from Altamont and other industry folks with music by Gary Segal starting at 5:30 p.m.

Bees, Beasts and Beer

6-10 p.m., Bhramari Brewhouse, South Slope, $65

Chefs Josh Dillard and Jake Whitman created the menu for this dinner celebrating AVL Beer Week. All courses will be paired with Bhramari beers created and brewed by Gary Sernack. Courses include pig brain scrapple, bison tartare and more. Tickets are available at bhramaribrewhouse.com.

Beer and chocolate

7-8:30 p.m., Catawba Brewing Co., South Slope, $20

Explore four beers, each paired to both a locally made chocolate bar and a truffle. Compare notes with table mates for an interactive taste and aroma round table discussion. Seating is limited. Tickets are available at catawbabrewing.com/events.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2

Swine and Swill: Whiskey, Cue and Brew

6-9 p.m., Buxton Hall Barbecue, South Slope, $50

Buxton Hall Barbecue, Oskar Blues Brewery and Defiant Whisky will host a five-course beer dinner created by Elliot Moss and team with menu items that use Oskar Blues Brewery products and Defiant wooden spirals in the cooking process. Oskar Blues will release a special beer that was aged on Defiant wooden spirals and inspired by Buxton Hall that will subsequently


run on tap at Buxton Hall. Also to be featured that evening: original beer and whiskey cocktails from the Buxton Hall bar team, giveaways and a raffle.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

Wicked Weed, Jester King and Blackberry Farm Farmhouse Ale event

3-7 p.m., Wicked Weed Funkatorium, South Slope, prices vary

The Funkatorium will feature farmhouse ales from Wicked Weed, Jester King and Blackberry Farm breweries alongside a rustic tapas menu that is perfect for pairing. Everything will be offered à la carte for a choose-your-own-adventure type of event.

Sunny Point Café and New Belgium Brewing Celebrate Spring beer dinner

6-10 p.m., Sunny Point Café, West Asheville, $50

Celebrate spring and kick off garden season as Sunny Point Café hosts New Belgium Brewing for a four-course beer dinner. The evening will start out in Sunny Point’s on-site garden for the first beer pairing with appetizers, then move inside the café seating for the salad, entrée and dessert courses with accompanying beers. Seatings are at 6 and 8 p.m. For reserva-tions, call Sunny Point Café at 252-0055.

Asheville Beer and Ice Cream Flight Night

6-9 p.m., The Hop Ice Creamery, 721 Haywood Road, $3-$10

The Hop Ice Cream and several Asheville breweries will collaborate to create an exciting menu of both dairy-based and vegan beer ice cream. There will be eight flavors on the menu, plus one beer Hopsicle. All flavors will be available by the scoop, by the pint or as an ice cream flight of four flavors. Pints of salted caramel ice cream will be available upon request.

Beer and food pairing with West First Wood-Fired


Join Sanctuary Brewing Co. for its first food pairing event. Five food items prepared by Hendersonville’s West First Wood-Fired restaurant will be paired with Sanctuary beers — vegan food options will be available. Letters To Abigail will be performing in the taproom.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

Four-course beer breakfast

10-3 p.m., The Grey Eagle, RAD, $25

Start the weekend off with a laid-back beer breakfast. Four courses from The Grey Eagle’s Taqueria will each be paired with a locally made beer. Tickets available at the door; no advance purchase necessary.

Crawfish boil and Hi-Wire lager and gose can release

12-4 p.m., Hi-Wire Brewery, 2 Huntsman Place, $10 suggested donation

Hi-Wire Brewing will host a crawfish boil and can release at its Big Top taproom in collaboration with Louisiana native “Jim Beaux.” The event will feature the inaugural can run of Hi-Wire’s lager and gose. The event is open to the community with a $10 suggested donation for food.

Flights and Bites at Bruisin’ Ales

6-9 p.m., Bruisin’ Ales, Downtown, $20

Hosted in the Bruisin’ Ales storefront, this casual event will feature four food courses with beer pairings. Grilled fingerling potatoes, asparagus, pickled red onion and Spanish ham will be partnered with Blackberry Farms Summer Saison 2016; Sunburst Farms hickory-smoked trout crostini with beet and herb cream cheese will be paired with De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva 2012; a duck confit-stuffed wonton with hoisin, coconut and green onion will be served with Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien 2014; and candied, spiced pecans, walnuts and aged gouda will complement Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout 2016. Space is limited. Tickets are available at avl.mx/2kd. X

GREEN MAN • CATAWBA • FROG LEVEL • HIGHLAND • PISGAH• SIERRA NEVADA • HI-WIRE • OSKAR BLUES • FRENCH BROAD • ASHEVILLE BREWING CO. • BELLS • BOLD ROCK • GRANITE FALLS • NEW BELGIUM • GREEN MAN • CATAWBA • FROG LEVEL • HIGHLAND • PISGAH • SIERRA NEVADA • HI-WIRE • OSKAR BLUES • FRENCH BROAD • ASHEVILLE BREWING CO. • BELLS • BOLD ROCK

24 Taps •17 Local Taps!

HOP HEAD MONDAYS$3 CRAFTS ALL DAY

Experience Local Beer at Fridays Asheville115 Hendersonville Rd., Biltmore Village (at the Double Tree Hotel)

www.tgifasheville.com • 828.277.4080

3/

MIKE DUDLEY DAP

FRIDAYS ASHEVILLE

FRIDAYS_ASHEVILLE

PANEL REPLACEMENT WITH APPLIED FIRST SURFACE VINYL AND SECOND SURFACE DIFFUSEREXACT SIZING TO BE DETERMINED THRU SURVEY OF EXISTING SIGNAGE

PROPOSED SIGNAGE NOT TO SCALE

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MATTE BLACK EXISTING


ALTAMONT BREWING CO.1042 Haywood Road, 575-2400, altamontbrewingcompany.com

ASHEVILLE PIZZA AND BREWING CO.77 Coxe Ave., 255-4077, ashevillebrewing.com675 Merrimon Ave. 254-1281

BARLEY’S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA42 Biltmore Ave., 255-0504

BEN’S TUNE UP195 Hilliard Ave., 424-7580

BHRAMARI BREWHOUSE101 Lexington Ave., 214-7981

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER72 School House Rd., Mills River595-9940

AVL BEER WEEK 2016 EVENT VENUESVENUES

BRUISIN’ ALES

66 Broadway St., 252-8999, bruisin-ales.com

BURIAL BEER CO.

40 Collier Ave., 475-2739, burialbeer.com

BUXTON HALL BARBECUE

32 Banks Ave., 232-7216

CATAWBA BREWING CO., ASHEVILLE TASTING ROOMS

63 Brook St., 424-7290, catawbabrewing.com

32 Banks Ave., 552-3934

FIFTH SEASON GARDENING

45 Banks Ave., 253-4112

GREEN MAN BREWERY

27 Buxton Ave., 252-5502,

greenmanbrewery.com

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.12 Old Charlotte Highway, 299-3370, highlandbrewing.com

HI-WIRE BREWING2 Huntsmen Place, 738-2448, hiwirebrewing.com

HOPS & VINES797 Haywood Road #100, 252-5275, hopsandvines.net

INNOVATION BREWING414 W. Main St., Sylva, 586-9678, innovation-brewing.com

JACK OF THE WOOD95 Patton Ave., 252-5445, jackofthewood.com

LUELLA’S BAR-B-QUE501 Merrimon Ave., 505-7427

MCCORMICK FIELD30 Buchanan Place, 259-5800, asheville.tourists.milb.com

PISGAH BREWING CO.150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain, 669-0190, pisgahbrewing.com

POUR TAPROOM800 Haywood Road, Unit B, 505-0352, pourtaproom.com

ROGER MCGUIRE GREENPack Square, downtown Asheville

SANCTUARY BREWING CO.147 First Ave. East, Hendersonville,595-9956

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, 681-5300, sierranevada.com

ON THE FARM: AVL Beer Week venues run the gamut from breweries to restaurants to farms. Last year, downtown eatery Rhubarb collaborated with Catawba Brewing Co. to host a dinner at Hickory Nut Gap Farm using meat and produce raised on-site This year, Rhubarb and Catawba will host a meal at Gaining Ground Farm in Leicester. Photo courtesy of Catawba Brewing Co.




SUNNY POINT CAFÉ626 Haywood Road, 252-0055, sunnypointcafe.com

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING1127 Sweeten Creek Rd., 575-2785

TASTY BEVERAGE CO.162 Coxe Ave., 232-7120, tastybeverageco.com

THE GREY EAGLE185 Clingman Ave., 232-5800

THE HOP ICE CREAMERY721 Haywood Rd., 252-5155

THE MILLROOM66 Asheland Ave., 225-2585

THIRSTY MONKBiltmore Park —2 Town Square Blvd., 687-3873, monkpub.comDowntown —92 Patton Ave., 254-5470Reynolds Village — 20 Gala Drive, 505-4564Warehouse — 92 Thompson St.

TOP OF THE MONK92 Patton Ave., 254-5470

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO.210 Haywood Road, 774-5151, urbanorchardcider.com

WEDGE BREWING CO.125B Roberts St., 505-2792, wedgebrewing.com

WICKED WEED BREWING91 Biltmore Ave., 575-9599, wickedweedbrewing.com

WICKED WEED FUNKATORIUM147 Coxe Ave., 575-9599

YESTERDAY SPACES305 Sluder Brance Rd., Leicester, 777-6948

ZEBULON ARTISAN ALES8 Merchants Alley, Weaverville

VENUES

Photo by Tim Robison

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Mountain Xpress 05.25.16 BEER WEEK