Yeah, I know I have a calendar page, but I haven’t quite figured it out. This column is better anyway because it gives lots of details about cool stuff happening next week, May 17-23, which is American Craft Beer Week. Go forth and quaff good beer, y’all.
Here are a couple of happenings from the column that I’m especially excited about:
Hemp on tap at Wedge: Wedge Brewing will release iHemp Ale, an ale made from 150 pounds of hemp seed (and some hops), as a one-time special in honor of both American Craft Beer Week and Hemp History Week. The creamy, earthy brew comes in at 5.8 percent ABV, and at the brewery will be referred to as Derailed Ale, following the lead of the Wedge’s Iron Rail IPA and Third Rail Imperial IPA. The hemp beer will be available at the brewery and at Nine Mile Restaurant in time for the Montford Music & Arts Festival on Saturday, May 22.
Drink with Spike from Terrapin: Brewmaster Spike Buckowski of Terrapin Beer Company will be in Asheville Thursday and Friday. Terrapin’s home base is in my college town of Athens, Ga. Unlike many University of Georgia alums, I’m not an avid football fan, but I am an avid Terrapin fan.
Thursday night, May 20, Spike will be hosting a beer dinner at Zambra Wine & Tapas in conjunction with Bruisin’ Ales beer shop and Zambra chef Adam Bannasch. The dinner includes six paired courses and costs $60 per person (including tax and gratuity). All the courses look awesome; though I’m particularly struck by dessert (of course), which consists of Terrapin’s Dark Side Belgian-style Stout (8.5 percent ABV) served with date-stuffed beignets with espresso ganache, honey crème fraiche, and rose petals. For reservations, call Zambra at 232-1060.
On Friday, May 21, Spike will be hanging at the Thirsty Monk downtown and releasing a cask of his new side project, Boom Shaka-Lager, starting at 7:30 p.m. In addition to having one of the greatest names ever, this imperial lager is made exclusively with German malts and hops and a true Bavarian lager yeast strain. “While 99 percent of the beers brewed at Terrapin are ales, we figured we should show some love to the lager style as well,” Spike says.
I’m ready to give Boom Shaka-Lager a little love. You?
