'Tis the season......

.....to be jolly, and a good beer or two can help make us feel warm all over as well as lessen the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. This is also the season when brewers release those beers known as Christmas beers and winter warmers. Christmas beers are spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, or coriander and are intended for consumption over the holidays, though many remain available throughout the winter months. Winter warmers tend to be higher in alcohol and take their name from the warm glow the drinker achieves.

Best known of these beers in the Asheville area is Highland's Cold Mountain Winter Ale. This year's release has been delayed slightly by the move of the brewery to East Asheville but the owners assure us that it will be out just before Christmas. Like many winter seasonals the recipe is changed a bit each year so no two releases are alike. Cold Mountain has become so popular that people often pre-purchase the bottles through area specialty stores which makes it increasingly hard to obtain. It is usually found on draft at Barley's and selected other area bars, but will go fast.

Another favorite of mine is Hampshire Special Ale from the D.L. Geary Brewing Company of Portland, Maine. In Asheville it is only available at the Grove Market in the Grove Arcade. This classic winter warmer was for many years "only available while the weather sucks" but is now brewed year round. While Ashevillians would have to travel to Maine to try the wonderful cask-conditioned draft on handpump, the bottled version should not be missed.

Other seasonals include Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Anchor Christmas Ale, Avery Brewing's Old Jubilation, Young's Winter Warmer, Corsendonk Christmas Ale, and Great Divide's Hibernation Ale. Pick up a few bottles and share with friends in the spirit of the season.

May good cheer reign.

Why doesn't Asheville have one of these?

Courtesy of the Blue Ridge Blog.

New beer store coming to Asheville

Asheville Beer has learned from a reliable source that a new store dedicated to fine beer will be opening by Christmas at 66 Broadway. This location is across from the Lark Books building. The store will feature fine beers from the US and around the world.

Asheville has a number of establishments offering impressive retail beer selections but this will be the first store dedicated exclusively to our favorite beverage. We wish the owners much success and look forward to visiting. We will post additional information as opening day approaches.

Sam Smith to beat the skunk

I've long been a fan of the fine beers produced by Samuel Smith's in Tadcaster, England, near York. One my visits to the UK I've enjoyed many a cask ale from this brewery, drawn on handpump and more often than not consumed in one of the many fine pubs also owned by this brewer. At home in the US I always look forward to each seasons' Winter Welcome with its new label. In fact there's some '06-'07 in my beer fridge now. The biggest problem with Sam Smith's has always been those clear bottles which cause beers that have been on the beer store shelves for any period of time to become "skunky," caused by the exposure of the beer to ultraviolet light. For this reason I often forgo buying these beers unless I know they've recently arrived at the store.

Now, Stephen Beaumont reports that Sam Smith's has started shipping its beers in brown glass! I haven't seen any in the Asheville area yet but these reportedly have the same look as the old bottles except for the color. This is great news and should address the long-standing shelf life issues. Hopefully other British brewers will take note and begin a mass migration away from clear glass. Wychewood, are you out there?

Beer warning

Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties and local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman. Many females use a date rape drug on the market called "Beer."

The drug is found in liquid form and is available anywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, or from taps and in large "kegs". Beer is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and sleep with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of Beer and then simply ask him home for no strings attached sex.

Men are rendered helpless against this approach. After several beers, men will often succumb to the desires to sleep with horrific looking women whom they would never normally be attracted. After drinking beer, men often awaken with only hazy memories of exactly what happened to them the night before, often with just a vague feeling that "something bad" occurred.

At other times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life's savings, in a familiar scam known as "a relationship." In extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer term form of servitude and punishment referred to as "marriage." Men are much more susceptible to this scam after beer is administered and sex is offered by the predatory females.

Please! Forward this warning to every male you know. If you fall victim to this "Beer" scam and the women administering it, there are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter with similarly victimised men. For the support group nearest you, just look up "Golf Courses" in the phone book.

Barley's

IMG_2237b
Originally uploaded by wncln_ms.

Lots of Pisgah brews on draft right now.

Beer shopping Sunday

I made the rounds of the Asheville beer stores this afternon, stopping at Greenlife, Fresh Market and the North Asheville Ingles. The haul included Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale, Terrapin Rye Squared, Samuel Smiths IPA, Mendocino Talon Barleywine, and Framboise Boon. The orange cans contain a soft drink called Moxie. If you aren't from New England you've probably never heard of it. It contains gentian root as a flavoring ingredient which makes it very bitter. I grew up drinking the stuff and it's undoubtedly responsible for my acquiring a taste for beer at a young age. I didn't buy the Moxie in Asheville, unfortunately.

MALT road trip

Yesterday, a group from the Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) made a road trip to the wilds of east Tennessee for a joint gathering with the State of Franklin Homebrewers. We met at the Depot Street Brewery in Jonesborough where we were warmly welcomed by owner/brewer Michael Foster. Michael gave us a tour of his brewery and offered plenty of beer. Styles included a lager, a Belgian, a pale ale, a couple of porters, and a scottish. I had sampled Michael's fine beers at Brewgrass and he recognized me from that event. We played games outside in the unexpectedly warm weather, met new friends from the other club, and swapped information about the respective beer scenes in Asheville and the Tri-cities. It was an excellent way to spend an afternoon, and we look forward to welcoming the State of Franklin-ites to Asheville.

Excellent news for beer lovers in NC

This came across MALTmail, The homebrew clubs' email service, this morning:

"I am proud to tell you that Tryon is the official state wide distributorfor Bell's Brewery as of today. Please pass this information to everyone you know. Bell's should be in NC on a soft roll out before Christmas."
Jeff LeVine
Tryon Distributing
State Beer Brand Manager

This is certainly good news for any of you out there who are fan's of Bell's products! I myself can't wait to stock up on these excellent beers!!!

Oi Vey! Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

One of the best double IPA's I've had is Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA from the Schmaltz Brewing Company. Marketing their products under the He'Brew label, this Jewish-owned brewery produces some of the finest beers this side of Jerusalem. All are eminently drinkable but for a hophead like me Lenny's wins hands down.

The label states that Lenny's is brewed with "an obscene amount of malts and hops" as a tribute to the late Lenny Bruce (Leonard Alfred Schneider) 1925-1966. Brewed on the 40th anniversary of Bruce's death, the beer celebrates the legendary comedian who died at age 40.

The beer begins with a smooth mouthfeel, the result of the 10% alcohol content. A malty initial hit from the rye malt quickly changes to a hoppy finish. It is very well balanced, though the hoppiness stays with you due to the lasting aftertaste. As I write this review it is in the 30's outside and there's a warm fire going in the fireplace. This is a great winter beer to share with friends over good conversation. A nice product from a unique brewery, available at specialty beer stores in the Asheville area.

L'Chaim!

New meaning of "Beer Blast"

Kegs can be dangerous. I remember someone was killed at a frat party years ago when he tried to pressurize one by using an electric compressor. The keg top blew off, striking him and killing him instantly.

NEW MILFORD, Conn., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A 22-year-old New Milford, Conn., man was killed and seven others injured after a beer keg thrown into a fire barrel
exploded at an outdoor party.

The blast at 3:13 a.m. Sunday was powerful enough to shake windows a mile away from the field where between 50 and 100 people in their 20s were attending an annual pig roast, the Danbury (Conn.) News-Times reported Monday.

Sean Caselli, 22, was killed by a jagged piece of shrapnel to the neck, while seven others were hit by shrapnel or burned, New Milford police said.

Investigators would not reveal who had thrown the barrel into the fire barrel, the newspaper said.

[snip]

Ruby's Tap House

This past Thursday saw the renewal of MALT's regular social gathering know amongst Club Members as "Pint Night". We had the pleasure of meeting this time at Ruby's in the Haw Creek Area of Asheville. This was my first opportunity to visit and the atmosphere was wide open and friendly and we were fortunate enough to have chosen a night when free chicken wings were being served. There was plenty of seating including a covered "porch" area in front and the traditional bar seating. There were somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 beers on tap including 5 or 6 local beers and the bottle selection was expansive to say the least. The wings we were treated to were sauced with Ruby's Ragin Cajun and were quite delicious. So if you're on the East side of Asheville and are looking for an easy going place to relax with a few pints of excellent beer and some great BBQ to go along with it Ruby's presents a fantastic choice!

Acme Pale Ale

So I stopped by the Ingles on Merrimon yesterday on the way home from work. Deciding to check out the beer section, I scanned the shelves as usual for something I haven't had before. What caught my attention was a leggy blonde cartoon model in the 1940's pinup style, on a six-pack of Acme pale ale. The name Acme signalled "crap" since I remember those old Wile E. Coyote cartoons from my childhood. That name appeared on all the gadgets and explosives Wile E. used to maim himself. Looking closer I saw it came from California's North Coast Brewing so decided to take a chance (plus I never could resist a great pair of legs). The price was a bit high at $8.59 but not unreasonable.

The beer poured nicely with a good head. It had a light golden hue, lighter that some pales but nice. Taking a sip I noticed a clean taste with a hint of malty sweetness and maybe a bit of lemon. The finish was dry with noticeable hoppiness but nothing excessive or lasting. Overall, very much like a British pale.

Hopheads will find it too bland, while Budsuckers might find it a good beer to try as they expand their horizons beyond American pilsners. This would make a fine session beer and also go well with food at a backyard cookout. Recommended.

Brewgrass report

The 2006 Brewgrass festival has come and gone, and what a time it was. The weather cooperated and things went well in spite of the somewhat cramped location in "the Block." Space limitations made it next to impossible to approach booths on the upper level without forcing one's way through crowds. Despite this, people milled throughout the area enjoying fine brewgrass music and beer from over 40 breweries.

Highlights in my book were Allagash Double, a new double IPA from Oskar Blues, and Pisgah Pale from our own Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain. I enjoyed the chance to try some other beers that aren't usually available in this area.

I saw Asheville bloggers Brainshrub and Screwie Hoolie but missed Edgy Mama. I also enjoyed meeting other folks, including a fellow University of Maine alum who noticed my Gritty McDuff's T-shirt. Gritty's is a brewpub in Portland, Maine which has the distinction of being Maine's first.

Despite shortcomings with the location this fest was the best of the eight I've attended. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Fall is here

The last few days have seen cool, dry air and clear blue skies that remind us once again that we're lucky to be in western North Carolina. As one of my politically incorrect friends in college used to say, it's Pearl Harbor weather - there's a nip in the air. It's time to drink up those hefeweisens, pilsners, and wheats and make room in the fridge for Octoberfests, stouts, porters, and barleywines. It won't be long before we'll be sipping a winter warmer beside a crackling fire while listening to the wind outside.

My growing supply includes:

Victory Hop Devil
Cottonwood Endo
Allagash 11th Anniversary Ale
He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.
Weyerbacher Autumnfest

What's in your fridge?

Asheville beer stores

Living in Asheville offers a number of advantages not available to many other similarly-sized communities around the US. Not the least among these, in my view, is the sheer number of stores offering great beers. Just a partial list would include:

Greenlife Grocery
Weinhaus
Asheville Wine Market
Earthfare
Six Pack Smoke Stack
Fresh Market

Even my local Ingles on Leicester Highway has a good section of imports and craft beers. Contrast this situation with many communities around the country where good beers simply cannot be easily obtained. On my recent trip to Florida even the otherwise-outstanding Publix supermarkets in Orlando had only Sierra Nevada and a few other common beers alongside the ubiquitous BMC.

Congratulations to all the Asheville store owners and managers who make these beers available to us, and thanks especially to the Ashevilleians who buy them, enjoy them, and keep the demand strong.

I'm back

I'm back after a two-week absence. We visited relatives in Florida and I had a lot happening. Next time I leave for awhile I'll ask my co-bloggers to fill in for me while I'm away.

If anyone is heading to Orlando I highly recommend checking out the fine beers from Orlando Brewing. The brewery has a taproom and their beers are also available at upscale bars and restaurants in the Orlando area. I visited the brewery where I tried a sampler of all available beers and was very impressed. In particular, the mild ale was an excellent representation of an English style not often made in the US. I talked with brewmaster Ed Canty and learned that they plan to start canning within a few months. This will place them in company with Oskar Blues in Colorado and Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill which are among the handful of craft brewers that currently package their product in cans. I wish them well and look forward to bringing home some six packs on my next trip to Florida.

I can't believe fall is almost here. The annual Brewgrass festival is just weeks away. Get your tickets now. Tony Kiss reported in today's Citizen-Times that tickets are already half-gone. Has it really been a year since the blast at the ballpark?

Geary's ales

My Maine Yankee heart skipped a beat when I stopped by the market in the Grove Arcade on Tuesday. There, for sale in Asheville, were two beers from the D. L. Geary Brewing Company of my home town of Portland, Maine. While I absolutely love the great beers from North Carolina's many breweries I still long occasionally for a Geary's Hampshire Special Ale, a classic "winter warmer." It was on the shelf along with the new Summer Ale which I had not had before. Needless to say I did not leave the store empty handed. The summer brew is a less hoppy version of Geary's flagship pale ale. I detected some citrus-like flavors as well. In taste it was sort of halfway between a hefeweisen and a kolsch. Definitely worth buying.

Now that Hampshire Special is available in Asheville I'm looking forward to colder weather so I can sip one by the fireplace. Now if we could only get the cask-conditioned version on handpump here!

Brewery tour

This was a big weekend for beer lovers. Yesterday a number of us toured several Asheville breweries with MALT (Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters), the local hombrewers club. Starting in Black Mountain we visited Pisgah Brewing where "Pisgah Dave" welcomed us with beer samples and gave us a tour of the brewery. In less than eighteen months Pisgah has become a major player in the area craft beer movement, and its fine products may be found in many Asheville area bars and restaurants. We were given an update on future plans for the brewery and glimpses of new beer styles we may expect to see down the road.

Moving on to Asheville Pizza and Brewing on Merrimon Avenue we met Doug Riley who gave us a tour of his operation. We were impressed by how much he accomplishes in a small space. Doug told us that brewing will continue here as well as at the new Coxe Avenue facility. He supplied us with samples of his fine beers before we enjoyed a delicious lunch along with pitchers of IPA and porter. We would have liked to linger awhile. However, our 2:00 PM tour of Highland Brewing beckoned so we reluctantly said our goodbyes and moved on.

Highland is moving to a new facility near River Ridge but the old brewery underneath Barleys and ED Beaudreaux's is still running full out. We were given the grand tour and more fine samples, including a preview of the outstanding Imperial Gaelic which will be released in limited quantities this fall. I have long been familiar with the fermenter that rises through the floor inside ED Beaudreaux's which is a legacy of the old Blue Rooster operation. I was surprised to discover that the fermenter is still in use, having assumed it was out of service but too hard to remove from the building.

The afternoon ended much too soon but we are already looking forward to the next MALT trip. Itinerary and date to be determined.

Brewgrass Festival Message

The pieces are finally in place for the 10th Anniversary of Brewgrass. After much struggle and hard searching by the organizers, the City of Asheville has graciously agreed to allow Brewgrass to be on a City street. This year's event will be held on Market Street directly behind Barley's, September 23rd, Noon-7:00pm. This area (historically known as the "Block") is currently under revitalization and traditionally was a thriving business and entertainment district. Brewgrass is also pleased to add Eagle Market Streets Community Center as an additional beneficiary of the event.

The bands are booked and the Brewers are ready. 46 breweries will be featured this year. We have several new comers to this year's event. We will also be announcing the winner of last year's People's Choice Award. Attendees will once again be able to vote for their favorite. The music line up is one of the best we've had. John Cowan performs one of his only outdoor shows this year at Brewgrass. We also bring back Brewgrass alumni the Greasy Beans. Robinella and the CC String Band are also back after once being "showcased" at Brewgrass. Now they are nationally signed and growing in popularity every day. Also gaining recognition on the national scene are the Gibson Brothers. They were recently featured on XM's Bluegrass show. We are also proud to introduce Whitewater Bluegrass, one of Asheville's most popular bluegrass bands.

Online tickets are selling like hotcakes. Last year's event was sold out - Make sure to buy your tickets now so you won't be turned away at the gate. Online ticket sales will be cut off MONDAY SEPT 18th, to insure that will call line will run smoothly. Designated driver tickets are available ONLINE ONLY, no designated driver tickets will be sold the day of the event. Check out the website brewgrassfestival.com for more info. We are exited about this year's anniversary and look forward to seeing eveyone back again.