Its time for another hodgepodge of beer related items around town. As I posted last week, the Thirsty Monk had a couple of special events that I was lucky to attend. The first was on Thursday, where I got to meet the owner and brewer of Brouwerij Huyghe, most famous for their Delirium line of beers. I was able to satisfy my inner beer geek by getting a special signed glass from Alain. The next evening, the Thirsty Monk tapped a firkin of the Clipper City Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale, a great IPA that was made even better by serving it on cask. At some point in the future, I need to devote an entire post to cask beers, as it is something we don't see around here much. Helping me learn more about cask ales was Tom Cizauskas, beer lover and representative for Clipper City. He also has a great blog, with a good write up of Thursday's Delirium festivities.
Another place I checked out on Friday is downtown's newest drinking establishment, the Rankin Vault. Beer takes a backseat here to their focus on cocktails, but they still had Pisgah and Highland on tap for those of you who stick to beer. As far as their cocktails, I had a great 'martini' that was made with fresh juice and cilantro. The bar itself is sophisticated without being pretentious, and is a great place to have an early or late night drink (they have food also if you get hungry).
Going back to beer, next weekend is the Summer Cooler Beerfest at the Garage at Biltmore. This is basically the summer version of the Winter Warmer fest that was held there this past January. The emphasis is on local beer, and all of Asheville's favorites will be there. Food will be provided by Luella's barbecue, and some of the money will go towards Clean Water for North Carolina, so you can drink for a good cause. The mini-fest runs from 3-7 on Sunday the 20th.
On Saturday I ran into Jason Caughman from Pisgah, and he informed me that they will be releasing a Saison very soon. Saisons are one of my favorite beer styles, so I am really looking forward to trying it out.
Also on Saturday, I swung by the Wedge to get my hands on the Gollum, and it tastes even better than I remember it. They also just released a Chezch style pilsner, which is really good and a perfect beer for the hot summer months. I also want to remind you that next Saturday, the Wedge will be showing the movie Thunder Road on a projection screen outside, so it will be a perfect opportunity to try out some of their new offerings.
I was in Asheville a couple of weeks ago and found The Wedge by accident while wandering around the River Arts District. The only thing was it was too early and we had to leave at 4. We came back a little later that day and sampled the beer. The Golem was amazingly good. My mom has never liked a beer I've gotten her to take, but she came back for more on the Golem. I was shocked. It's not like it's a wimpy beer. It has plenty of flavor. Good brewery.
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