FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2012

The Inaugural Asheville Beer Week Kicks-off on May 24

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The biggest beer bash to hit Asheville, North Carolina, a.k.a. BeerCity, USA, begins this Thursday, May 24 through June 3 with an incredible number of beer events held all over town and the surrounding areas during the first Asheville Beer Week.

The festivities begin at Highland Brewing’s Tasting Room on Thursday, May 24 4:00-8:00 p.m. with a Benefit for The Ben Harris Family. On April 24, 2012, Ben Harris passed away due to a keg explosion at Redhook Brewing in Portsmouth, NH. This terrible news affected the brewing community nationwide. In Asheville, where beer is loved and brewed, we deeply mourn this tragedy. Ben’s wife, Alysha Miller, is a former Asheville resident and a cousin to Jamie DeJohn, Highland Brewing Company’s Assistant Tasting Room Manager. Ben and Alysha were newly married and Alysha is expecting a child in December. Asheville breweries will donate beer for purchase and beer gear for auction. Hank West & The Smokin’ Hots will be playing from 6-8pm. All proceeds will go to the Ben Harris and Alysha Miller Baby Fund. There is no cover, but donations in any amount will be gratefully accepted. This event, joining local breweries and showing care for all in our industry, is a great way to start Asheville Beer Week.

Asheville Beer Week not only supports the local breweries, restaurants, bars, and retailers, but also many community causes, including the Asheville Brewers Alliance, The Ben Harris and Alysha Miller Baby Fund (Redhook), Habitat for Humanity, Save The French Broad, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC, The WNC Nature Center, and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy to name a few. There are big, fancy dinners and free, fun pint nights—ensuring there is something for everyone.

Some Asheville Beer Week highlights:

May 25, 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Barley’s presents: Beer 101  (Open Class)
Learn about beer, history, etc and sample local brews w/ beer columnist, Anne Fitten Glenn. $10/pp

May 26, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Just Brew It! Homebrew Festival
Just Economics Annual Home Brew Festival and Competition. Sample 100+ different beers from 55+ homebrewers. Visit http://justeconomicswnc.org for information. $16/pp.

May 28, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Moe’s Original BBQ presents: Greg Engert Beer & Food Forum
Greg Engert, the Washington, D.C.-based beer director for The Neighborhood Restaurant Group, teams up with our very own Moe’s Original BBQ for a night of beer and food selections. $45/pp. Call Moe’s BBQ for reservation, (828) 505-8282.

May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Pisgah Brewing: Flight Night at The Market Place
Four hors d’oeuvres paired with four Pisgah beers. $16/pp. http://www.marketplace-restaurant.com/

May 30, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Asheville Brewing: “District 12″ Release Party
Ryan Burac from Asheville Brewing rolls out the “District 12 Ale” in honor of WNC’s beautiful showing as backdrop to the blockbuster The Hunger Games. Free, at the brewery.

May 30, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Bruisin’ Ales, Pack’s Tavern and AIR (Asheville Independent Restaurants) present: Beer Chef!
Beer Chef, in Pack’s Tavern Century Room, is a foodie and beer extravaganza—featuring Belgian and Belgian-style beers matched with the delectable creations of some of Asheville’s best chefs. This casual eight-course, eight-beer pairing event is a highlight of Asheville Beer Week. Special Guests: Brian Grossman (Sierra Nevada, Co-Manager & Director of Consumer Experience), Terence Sullivan (Sierra Nevada, Brewmaster & Head Field Educator), and Grady Hull (New Belgium, Assistant Brewmaster). $85/pp. Tickets available at http://beerchef.eventbrite.com.

May 31, 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Thirsty Monk presents: Brux with Brian Grossman of Sierra Nevada & Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River
Sierra Nevada Brewing and Russian River Brewing collaborated on a wild ale called Brux. Join us as we pop open some bottles and listen to Brian Grossman and Vinnie Cilurzo talk about their collaboration. This is your chance to try this beer a month before its official release. We will also be the only place in North Carolina pouring a keg of “Love at First Bike,” the beer that Brian and Vinnie brewed for Brian’s wedding! Free entry.

June 2, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Beer City Festival
The 3rd Annual Beer City Fest at Roger McGuire Green. Hosted by Asheville Brewers Alliance. Showcasing the best beers brewed in the Carolinas. Fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC and the Asheville Brewers Alliance. $40/pp. Tickets available at local breweries, Barley’s, and Bruisin’ Ales through Thursday, May 24, then at the gate.

For a full calendar, please visit the Events Page.

The Official Asheville Beer Week website is http://ashevillebeerweek.com. Mobile apps are now available in both the Android and iPhone markets. Follow us on Twitter (@AVLBeerWeek), Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, and Untappd. There is also have an Untappd Badge to earn just for Asheville Beer Week. Use the official hashtags #AVLBeer and #AVLBeerWeek to share your events and get info.

[BlogAsheville] With the inaugural Asheville Beer Week kicking off on Thursday, May 24, it’s time to renew our spirit and dedication to our city’s favorite beverage, beer.

Sure, we tied with the awesome town of Grand Rapids, MI for BeerCity, USA this year. The nay-sayers of the economic boon our industry brings will say “who cares?” and the neo-prohibitionists say we’re ruining the city by forcing everyone to drink “the alcohol,” but no. We shall not stand for that. We are a hard-working, vibrant, integral cross-section of this community that knows no borders and has no limits. We are a small bunch. We are strong. We work hard for each other. We work hard for others. We are not jerks. We are trying to make a living. And we like beer. And, moreover, we like that you like beer.

Here’s a Step-by-Step way to bring it home during Asheville Beer Week. If all you can think about is beer right now, skip straight to Step One. Otherwise, humor me.

FIVE: Support Southeast Regional Breweries

We get it. Sometimes you’re tired of that regular local beer you always get with the burrito, side of sour cream. Been there. (And I hate sour cream.) Well, expand your local map area and drink something from within the region of the Southeast. There are many great beers by non-NC breweries that are often available from our greater region: Sweetwater (GA), Terrapin (GA), Atlanta Brewing/Red Brick (GA), RJ Rockers (SC), Thomas Creek (SC), Abita (LA). Surely, I am missing many. Even a brew in our general economic region is boost to the industry. And shouldn’t we let the world know we’re not a bunch of light-beer-swillin’ rednecks? It’s great to branch out, but still: the closer to home, the better.

FOUR: Support North Carolina Breweries

Zoom in, go smaller. NC is awash in breweries and start-ups. We’re not even going to pretend to know everything about each one. We don’t. We’re on a mountain and no one tells us anything. But you can go to the North Carolina Brewers Guild Guide and then ask your favorite restaurant, bar, store (or refrigerator) in Asheville to stock your favorite North Carolina beer. If you don’t see something, ASK FOR IT. (Ask a manager. Also, sorry, managers.) There is no shame in it. In fact, you get extra cool points from the beer gods for doing so. This has been proven somewhere. I read it on the internet.

THREE: Support Asheville Beer Week (May 24-June 3, 2012)

This is the biggest beer bash ever to be held in Asheville, North Carolina, a.k.a. BeerCity, USA. A small, yet mighty group of people is working overtime to put on a stellar “week” for you (Okay, it’s 12 days, or something, but no one said we could count. We can’t.) with an insane number of beer events all over town.

During Asheville Beer Week, not only are you supporting the local breweries, restaurants, bars, and retailers, you are also doing your usual gig for many, many, many good causes. During Asheville Beer Week, the beer community is helping out many groups and individuals, including the Asheville Brewers Alliance, The Family of Ben Harris (Redhook Brewery), Habitat for Humanity, Save The French Broad, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of WNC, The WNC Nature Center, and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy to name a few. There are big, fancy dinners and free, fun pint nights. Three fests ranging from free to $16/pp to $40/pp. We’ve got you covered.

You can visit the Official Asheville Beer Week site at http://ashevillebeerweek.com. We’ve also got apps in Android and iPhone markets. You can play with us on Twitter (@AVLBeerWeek), Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, and Untappd. We even have an Untappd Badge you can earn to show you Asheville Beer Week pride! Use the official hashtags #avlbeer and #avlbeerweek to share your events and get info.

(Oh, and here’s a link for a contest for two free tickets to Beer City Fest from 104.9.)

TWO: Support Asheville Breweries

When you drink a local beer, you don’t just support the brewery. You support the employees in the office to the folks scraping the mash tun; you support their families, their kids. You support the businesses that carry their products, which means you support small businesses. You support EVERYONE. We’ve heard Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery say many times that the very first beer you enjoy every night should always be a local beer. This is not a lie.

ONE: Drink a Local Beer

You’re doing it! Congratulations. Cheers!

(Photo: MountainXPress/Anne Fitten Glenn)

AVERY Collaboration Not Litigation (Batch 6)
BELL’S Oberon 5L Mini-kegs
DUCK RABBIT Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale
FLYING DOG El DoradoImperial IPA
HARVIESTOUN Ola Dubh 12 yr. old
HARVIESTOUN Ola Dubh 16 yr. old
HARVIESTOUN Ola Dubh 18 yr. old
JOLLY PUMPKIN Weizen Bam
JULIAN Cherry Bomb Hard Cider
LAGUNITAS Imperial Red
LEFFE Brune
NANTAHALA Springer Sunrise Session IPA
PISGAH BREWING Steep Canyon Extra Pale
SCHELDEBROUWERIJ Oesterstout
SKA Mexican Logger
SMUTTYNOSE Summer Weizen
THOMAS CREEK Up The Creek
WIDMER BROTHERS Pitch Black

That’s right! As part of Asheville Beer Week (new website launched!), Bruisin’ Ales and Zambra tapas are pairing up for an a la carte evening of Beer Cocktails on Thursday, May 31, when the lounge opens at 4:00 p.m. Better yet, we’ve brought in spirits from the distillers at popular breweries, Dogfish Head, New Holland Brewing, and Rogue Ales. No fixed price, just show up and hang with us at the bar! (If you plan to stay for dinner, reservations are recommended. (828) 232-1060.)

What is BeerMixology?

In its most basic definition, beer mixology is the art or skill of crafting and mixing cocktails that use beer as an ingredient. Some purists in the beer industry might argue that beer is, in itself, a perfectly crafted cocktail of barley, hops, yeast, water, and potentially other additives. Conversely, some mixology purists might argue that flavor profile of beer is not ideal and does not, in fact, have chemistry with spirits. Although neither views are wrong and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, our goal here at Beer Mixology is to explore the relationship between beer and spirits and share our findings and experiments with the world!

The Cocktail Menu taken from Beermixology.com (with a few adaptations):

The Albatross: New Holland Knickerbocker Gin, fresh squeezed lemon juice, hop muddled simple syrup, Stone IPA, rosemary sprig garnish

The Cervezarita: New Holland Hopquila, Gran Marnier, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, Stone IPA, lime wedge

Grog Nog: Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum, cream, egg white, vanilla simple syrup, Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, lemon wedge, vanilla sugar, cinnamon

Very Berry Shortcake (A milkshake flavored cocktail!): Dogfish Head Blue Hen Vanilla Vodka, Coconut milk, Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic, fresh raspberry garnish

Kentucky Sunrise: Rogue Single-Malt Whiskey, mango, lemon juice, agave nectar, Stone IPA, Angostura bitters

Zambra mixologist, Joshua Bailey, is also creating a special Signature Asheville Beer Week Cocktail using Troy & Sons moonshine. Stay tuned!

[Let us know you're coming and RSVP to the FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/182761355175103/]

On Tuesday, May 29 5:00-7:00 p.m., Scott Sheridan of Stone Brewing Company joins us for the EPIC Vertical Tasting, as part of Asheville Beer Week. Tickets are NOW ON SALE. (See below)

What’s in the line-up? Here you go, Stone fans:

Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11
“Not your typical chili beer! The famous mild green chilies from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico add layers of delicious flavor with a very mild heat component. The base beer itself is very reminiscent of a European amber beer, with Perle and Pacific Jade hops, Munich and other roasted German and Belgian malts, hopped and brewed to a very Stone-like 65 IBU and 9.4% ABV. Cinnamon is a wonderful spice if used judiciously, which we did here-it doesn’t by any means dominate the beer’s flavor, but definitely adds a subtly complex spice note that blends amazingly well with the banana esters and green chili.” [9.4% abv]

Double Bastard Ale 2008 |2009|2010|2011| 
“This is one lacerative muther of an ale. It is unequivocally certain that your feeble palate is grossly inadequate and thus undeserving of this liquid glory…and those around you would have little desire to listen to your resultant whimpering. Instead, you slackjawed gaping gobemouche, slink away to that pedestrian product that lures agog the great unwashed with the shiny happy imagery of its silly broadcast propaganda. You know, the one that offers no challenge, yet works very, very hard to imbue the foolhardy with the absurd notion that they are exercising ‘independent’ thought, or attempts to convey the perception it is in some way ‘authentic’ or ‘original.’ It’s that one that makes you feel safe and delectates you into basking in the warm, fuzzy, and befuddled glow of your own nescience. Why so many allow themselves to be led by the nose lacks plausible explanation. Perhaps you have been so lulled by the siren song of ignorance that you don’t even notice your white-knuckle grip on it. You feel bold and unique, but alas are nothing but sheep, willingly being herded to and fro. If you think you are being piqued in this text, it is nothing when compared to the insults we are all asked to swallow streaming forth from our televisions and computers. Truth be told, you are being coddled into believing you are special or unique by ethically challenged “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” marketers who layer (upon layer) imagined attributes specifically engineered to lead you by the nose. Should you decide to abdicate your ability to make decisions for yourself, then you are perhaps deserving of the pabulum they serve. Double Bastard Ale calls out the garrulous caitiffs who perpetrate the aforementioned atrocities and demands retribution for their outrageously conniving, intentionally misleading, blatantly masturbatory and fallacious ad campaigns. We demand the unmitigated, transparent truth. We demand forthright honesty. We want justice! Call ‘em out and line ‘em up against the wall… NOW.” [10.5% abv]

Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2010|2011|
“Brewed in the authentic historical style of an Imperial Russian Stout, this beer is massive. Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can – and fewer dare even try. The style originated from Czarist Russia’s demand for ever thicker English stouts. Expect our version of this mysterious brew to pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier!” [10.5% abv]

Stone/Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale
“Just one week after releasing the 2012 Stone Imperial Russian Stout, we’ve got another beer up our sleeves that’s coming to a glass near you starting today. A few years ago, Greg and Steve were approached by Matt Bonney and Matt ‘Vern’ Vandenberghe (aka “The Matts”), the almighty wizards behind famed Seattle craft beer store Bottleworks. Every year, they work with a different craft brewery to formulate a special beer to commemorate their anniversary. … Fast forward to the here and now, and you’ll see that it all came together, as the creatively named Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale. The Matts envisioned this beer as a tribute to the number 13, honoring their 13 years in business with 13 malts, 13 hops, and 13% abv. Vern came down to our pad in Escondido on December 13th, and began putting this herculean beer together with Brewmaster Mitch Steele. … Funny enough, with all the specialty malts used, there were less fermentable sugars than anticipated, so it “only” got up to 11.4% abv, but we’re all still really happy with how the beer turned out. If for whatever reason, you’re upset that it’s not 13% abv, we suggest you take a sip, as it will immediately help you get over it.” [11.4% abv]

Stone 15th Anniversary Escondian IPA
“Pours thick, opaque and black with a deep brown head of foam. Resinous, piney hops hit first on the aromatics, followed by healthy doses of roasted malt flavors, including coffee, anise and cocoa. The multi-layered aroma profile presents a challenge: is this an Imperial IPA, or is this an Imperial Stout? Tasting answers the question, it’s an Imperial Black IPA, with intense herbal and piney hops and a great balance of roasted malt flavors. The beer is full bodied, with a touch of alcohol heat, and the hops are upfront all the way through the palate, finishing with an intense bitter linger. The roasted malt comes through more like cocoa in the taste, and balances fantastically with the hops and the alcohol on the aftertaste.” [10.8% abv]

*******************************************************************************

This tasting will be $15/pp with proceeds to our dear friend, Debrissa McKinney, vocalist in local band Josh Philips Folk Festival, to help offset her healthcare costs. Tickets by reservation via phone/credit card to Bruisin’ Ales beginning on May 17. (828) 252-8999. Thirsty-five spots will be available.

We appreciate your support. Drink great beer for a great person!

21^st AMENDMENT Hell or High Watermelon
ATWATER VJ Black Imperial Stout
DARK HORSE Reserve Black Ale
DOGFISH HEAD Urkontinent
DOGFISH HEAD Black & Blue
EPIC BREWING Wit
FLYING DOG Pearl Necklace
FLYING DOG Barrel Aged Gonzo (750ml)
LEFT HAND Good JuJu Ginger
SHIPYARD Double Old Thumper
SIERRA NEVADA Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop
SIERRA NEVADA Ovila Dubbel (4-pk)
SOUTHERN TIER Hop Sun
SOUTHERN TIER Mokah
VICTORY Saison du Buff

Tomorrow night, May 17 from 5:00-7:00 p.m., we’re sampling beers from Southern Tier Brewing Company in upstate New York.

The flight:

Hop Sun Summer Wheat: [5.1% abv]
2X Milk Stout: [7.2% abv]
Mokah (blend of Jah-va + Chokolat): [11.2% abv]
Back Burner Oak-aged Barleywine:  [9.6% abv]

** Also tomorrow, tickets will be made available for our Asheville Beer Week event, EPIC VERTICAL with Stone Brewing Company.

CALDERA Hophash
DOGFISH HEAD Tweason’ale (gluten-free)
EPIC BREWING Brainless on Cherries
EPIC BREWING Brainless on Peaches
HIGHLAND Razor Wit
NEW BELGIUM Lips of Faith: Tart Lychee
NEW BELGIUM Somersault
PEAK Espresso Amber
PEAK King Crimson
SWEETWATER Road Trip
VICTORY Saison du Buff
VICTORY Whirlwind Wit
WEYERBACHER Heresy
WIDMER BROTHERS Nelson Imperial IPA

There are many more entries this year and we have our work cut-out for us. Let’s do this, beer people!