Around Town

I meant to do this earlier in the week, but if you follow the Bruisin' Ales blog you got filled in on some of the local goings on. Some of this will be a review of their news, but I do have a couple of extra things to add.

As mentioned by both Bruisin' and Tony Kiss, the Pisgah Vortex I is back. This edition is slightly different from the first, using a variety of hops to try and match the hop schedule of the original. I honestly think it turned out better than before. This beer is on tap for a limited time at Barley's, and also available on Thursday nights at the Pisgah tasting room.

Speaking of Barleys, I failed to notice that Triangle Brewing has made its debut in Asheville. This relatively new brewery out of Durham hit the ground running last fall with a couple of Belgian inspired ales, and they have finally branched out to our neck of the woods. On tap is the Belgian Golden Ale, a deceptively strong beer with a light fruity taste typical of the style. I'm glad to see them finally make it out here, as I was impressed when I first tried them back at the World Beer Festival in Durham last fall.

French Broad has bottled its 13 Rebels ESB, and is avaliable at beer stores around town. They have also released their Re-Session Ale, a cream ale that is both easy to drink and flavorful, and you can afford to have a few while you play pool upstairs at Barleys. I applaud French Broad for making a tasty beer that is lower in alcohol for those times that you want to hang out for a couple of hours at the bar.

And finally, Wedge Brewing Company should be rolling out its Porter on Saturday, and it will be open from 4-10 on Saturday to coincide with the River Arts District Studio Stroll. The hours are likely to expand next week as well, according to the Mountain Express. Don't miss their official Grand Opening on the 19th of July, when they plan on showing the classic movie Thunder Road which was partially filmed right here in Western North Carolina.