Autumn Beer with a Side of Laundry

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of The Bar of Soap on Merrimon Road in North Asheville. This Laundromat that is also a bar that is also a used book store that now also serves food is a great spot to spend an evening. You can get your clothes clean, chat with the bartenders and locals, and enjoy some amazing craft beer.

Bar of Soap specializes in canned beer and they have almost 70 choices. Almost every week we go in they have something new to show us.

And their autumn beer selection so far is pretty awesome.

Cameo by Kenny, the Bar of Soap bartender.

The first autumn beer I tried was the Anderson Valley Fall Hornin'. This California brewery has some pretty delicious beer so I was hopeful that I would enjoy their pumpkin ale, which is an incredibly divisive beer style. The only downside to a can beer bar is that you can't have a taste before you buy the whole pint.

However, I was not at all disappointed. I have learned that there are two general types of pumpkin ale. You could say "good" and "bad" but that would be awfully subjective since not everyone enjoys the same flavors. I have found that they fall into the categories of "actually tastes like pumpkin," and "tastes like pumpkin pie." I personally enjoy the beers that have more of a pumpkin spice flavor than those that taste fruity. Among my favorites are Dogfish Head Punkin and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin. Fall Hornin' definitely fell into the pumpkin spice category and I really enjoyed it. Since we are at Bar of Soap once a week I expect that I will be enjoying it all season, unless they bring in something else new.

Also on "tap" at Bar of Soap is the Heavy Seas AARG-toberfest. My favorite thing about Heavy Seas brewery is their commitment to their theme. All of their beers have a fabulous pirate style and would be an excellent edition to your pirate themed party...or wedding!  Don't forget International Talk Like a Pirate Day coming up on September 19th!  Oktoberfests are one of the three beer styles I equate with autumn - next to pumpkins and browns. I use to think I wasn't a big lager fan with the exception of Oktoberfests but this summer I was enjoying kolsches and pilsners so what do you know, my tastes have changed yet again. But Oktoberfests have a very rich and delicious flavor that most lagers don't have and I can't wait until the weather starts cooling down to drink them. AARG-toberfest is an excellent example of an American Oktoberfest lager.

So, if you need to get some laundry done and feel like having an fall seasonal beer while you're at it, head over to Bar of Soap and give these two a try! 

Autumn Seasonal Beer Time!

Highland Clawhammer Oktoberfest 2012

Hello very neglected beer blog. I attempted to make an effort to post here more during Asheville Beer Week and only managed one post. I am a bad beer writer.

But I like to think of myself as a good beer drinker.

Beer drinking is very much a pastime that exists in the now. By that I mean while I am out enjoying the beer I think of all the wonderful things I would like to share about it but then I get back to my regularly scheduled programming and I don't think about it again. I want to share my love of beer with you, I really do.

Now that summertime is coming to an end all the craft brewers are coming out with their Fall seasonals. I love Fall seasonals. The Browns! The Pumpkins! The Oktoberfests! As the weather begins to cool down and the leaves begin to fall I want nothing more than to put on a sweater and drink these rich delicious beers.

So, readers - I would like to make a commitment to you. As I experience the Fall seasonal beers here in Asheville, NC and sold here from around the country I will share my experience with you. That is a promise! 

So stick around for an exploration of Autumn, beer style! 

If you know of any Fall seasonal releases from Asheville brewers or companies that distribute to my area, please let me know! I would love to seek them out! 

Asheville Beer Week 2013: Sunday through Tuesday

This weekend kicked off the second annual Asheville Beer Week. I have been waiting 365 days for this week long, city wide event.

Matt on the Bus

A rival from Grand Rapids MI

The week started off with a bang. On Sunday afternoon we went on the LaZoom Comedy Tour which featured a special Beer Week performance by local sketch comedy group The Ferrel Chihuahuas. I will say I had no idea what to expect but it was a crazy good time. Beer was supplied on the bus by Bruisin' Ales and Asheville beer celebrity Julie Atallah was on hand for the tour. The comedy was top notch and we stopped at not one but two breweries along the way. (Wedge and Dirty Jack's, if you're keeping score.) As a side note, at the Green Man tasting room (AKA Dirty Jack's) we were able to check out their Rush Tribute Beer to celebrate the Canadian band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a lifelong Rush fan this was kind of exciting and the Red Barchetta did not disappoint. The trip was so crazy that a friend sitting on the patio of a local bar heard us drive by while we were singing the fantastic song, "A Moocher is a person in your Beer-borhood." You know the tune - from Sesame Street. Other versus included the Hipster and the Beer Snob. Fantastic. I've had the song stuck in my head for days now.

I find it hard to believe that much will top the LaZoom and Ferrel Chihuahua Comedy Beer Tour.

On Monday we took things easy and went to dinner at Jack of Hearts where we are Monday regulars.

Laundry beer

Then yesterday (Tuesday if you're keeping track) we made it to three total places. First, we had to make a stop at Bar of Soap mostly because we had to do laundry. I love their canned beer selection and a current favorite is Uinta Brewing's Sum'r ale which is easy to drink and only 4% alcohol.

In spite of the photographic evidence I do not recommend the consumption of laundry soap with your beer. Also, in case your wondering, the sock change purse is where we keep our laundry quarters. It made sense. You know, because it is a sock.

Milk Stout Float

After our Laundry was done we went right up the street to Luella's BBQ which was hosting a "Duck. Rabbit. Pig." event with Duck Rabbit Brewing out of Farmville, NC. We were able to meet the beer rep from Duck Rabbit, but unfortunately I don't not remember his name - though we did talk with him for quite a white. Luella's had prepared several small plates so we ordered one of each and they were amazing. The best being apple, bacon, and cheddar fritters with a molasses butter sauce. I would eat those every day. We also had a Duck Rabbit Milk Stout float made with the stout, of course, and Ultimate Ice Cream's salted caramel flavor ice cream. It was absolutely delicious and decadent.

After Luella's we walked up to the Asheville Brewing Company's Brew and View on Merrimon. We wanted to try their special Beer Week release of the Perfect Day IPA. It was very hoppy and quite refreshing. At this point I had forgotten I was trying to take photos so you're just going to have to imagine it.

There are more events for the rest of the week - including the Beer City Festival on Saturday. Stick around and I'll share more about our fun times.

The Best Beer You Can't Get in Asheville

As you might have noticed, I am a fan or broadly sweeping statements. I thought I might share with you my favorite regional beer from somewhere other than North Carolina.

The key statement here is that this beer is not available in North Carolina. Sure, there are a lot of great beers from around the country that I could have mentioned but this one is particularly special to me. Also, breweries like Founders from Grand Rapids, MI and several offerings from Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee are distributed here so they don't count.

I want to share the magnificent beer called Southern Pecan from Lazy Magnolia Brewery on the southern coast of Mississippi.

According to their website they are available in most of the states surrounding us but they have yet to make it across the North Carolina border.

I first had Southern Pecan on a trip to New Orleans several years ago. We flew to New Orleans to meet some friends to go to see the Detroit Lions play the New Orleans Saints. This was the opening game of the 2009 season. The reason that is significant is because the Lions had just come off of their 0-16 season. The only team in NFL history to accomplish 16 consecutive losses in one season.

So for all the bad football we were about to watch, Matt and I wanted to discover beer that was better than the two for one happy hour macro-brews served at most of the local bars.

We discovered a place called Beer Fest in the French Quarter. Like many of the bars along Bourbon Street, Beer Fest was kind of dark and gross but they had some really interesting and incredibly expensive beers on tap. This selection included beers from a brewery we had never heard of - Lazy Magnolia.

So we tried the nut brown ale, Southern Pecan. At the time, nut brown ales were probably my favorite style and this beer did not disappoint. I found it a smooth and creamy beverage with just a hint of sweetness. We had just discovered our New Orleans beer experience.

Several years later, while we were living in Atlanta, Lazy Magnolia started distributing to Georgia so we were able to get this beer at our favorite local beer bar.

I don't miss much living here in Asheville - the beer scene is so great and there are a lot of wonderful beers distributed into our city - but I did miss Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan. (I also miss one brewery out of Atlanta that I'll tell you about sometime...)

Last week, Matt was in New Orleans for Jazz Fest and he returned with a 12 pack of Southern Pecan just for me. Isn't he sweet?

So if you find yourself in New Orleans - or Mississippi for that matter - check out this nut brown beer.

Beer City USA Poll Open Until Friday, May 10th

Taps at Green Man Brewery, AKA Dirty Jack's, in Asheville

There are just a couple of day left to vote for Beer City USA. Check out the poll here if you haven't voted yet.

I cast my vote on Monday. I voted for Asheville, of course. There are 22 cities on the list and I am extremely proud to live in one of them.

I am extremely happy to live in a city where there is such an amazing beer culture. I love that I can walk between several top notch breweries within the downtown area. I am excited that more will be opening their doors.

I decided on Monday that I was only going to drink Asheville beer until the voting was closed. Not that it would do anything to influence the vote. I just love Asheville beer. I just decided that for one week I want to support the local brewers only. It is for me more than them.

Wall o' beer at Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo

Asheville has been Beer City USA for four years in a row, tying last year with Grand Rapids, Michigan. I think we have some great competition this year. I was surprised to see three Michigan cities on the list (Along with Grand Rapids are Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor). My fear is that this will split the Michigan vote. Out of the three, I personally prefer Kalamazoo - home of Bell's Brewery - because I went to college there and I love the beer.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter who wins the most unscientific internet poll. What I do know is that Asheville has a fantastic beer culture and we like to share it with the rest of the country. Want to see what it is all about? Then come on down to Asheville.

Asheville beer week starts on May 25th, eventually culminating with Beer City Fest on June 1st. We will be at various events around town so we hope to see you there.

Spring is a Time for Hops

As I've mentioned before, I love to drink beer seasonally. There is something about the taste of exactly the right beer at the right time that is beyond satisfying. 

Highland Brewery here in Asheville is a master when it comes to designing great seasonal beers. As the wheel of the year turns I rely on Highland to faithfully release delicious beers the evoke tastes of the very changes I feel all around me.

Asheville had a particularly long and cold winter this year. On top of that it never really snowed. We're all fine with winter in the mountains but at least we want some white stuff to show for it. Instead it was gray and 35 degrees well into March. Then one day the earth shifted and 85 degree temperatures blossomed along with the trees.

That was the moment that Highland Brewing Company released their spring seasonal Little Hump. 

Everything about this beer screams Springtime. This award winning beer was also declared one of the staff's favorites from last year and everyone was eagerly anticipating the new release. As it turns out the release party was on my birthday. We made our way to the brewery and enjoyed the first Little Hump of the season on tap.

Even though I understand the science and chemistry that goes into creating specific flavors in beer it always feels like magic when that first splash of a well crafted beer hits my tongue. The specific blend of  strong but light Simcoe® hops and dry hopped Amarillo® and Cascade create a crisp and sharp flavor that tastes bright and exhilarating. It as though Highland was able to distill not just the flavors of the season but also the essence of the bright yellow daffodils, the tall waving grasses, the cloudless blue sky, and the feel of the spring breeze on your skin.

I'm not sure if you can ever call a single beer the most perfect, but Little Hump is perfect at least in this moment of time.

What are your favorite spring beers from Asheville and beyond?

Beer and There - Beyond Asheville: Flagstaff, Arizona

I just got back from a week's vacation in the southwest. We started out visiting some friends in Albuquerque and ended up visiting some friends in Phoenix and in between we enjoyed time in Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome.

As you might imagine Matt and I checked out some breweries along the way. In Albuquerque, our friend took us to several and most of them were quite good. There was only one we really didn't like. It was a great time.

Our next stop was Flagstaff, AZ. We knew nothing about the town before driving across the desert toward an impossible mountain and it turns out that it is an awesome little mountain/college town not entirely unlike Asheville.

We stayed at a quirky hotel right on Route 66. I would have liked it to be quirkier but it was just fine. We were also walking distance to all four of the breweries in the small town. We tried three out of the four. I'm not really sure why we never made it to the fourth because it was right next to the sushi place where we had dinner but I think we were tired and the time zone difference was finally catching up to us.


We had a favorite, though. Since it was right on the walk between our hotel and downtown we stopped there more than once in our two nights in Flagstaff. It is called Mother Road Brewing. Their tasting room has a sweet warehouse feel and the staff was awesome. We sat at the bar the first night and talked with the bartenders. They only had four beers on tap but the quality was outstanding. I love a place that concentrates on making a few beers extremely well than trying to make hundreds of styles that each taste average. My two favorites were their Gold Road Kolsch, which went down very easy, and the Lost Highway Imperial Black IPA. Gold Road was crisp and refreshing but had enough body that it didn't taste like a corporate beer. Lost Highway was super hoppy but with chocolate malts that enhanced the experience.

I do want to give an honorable mention to the little town of Jerome, Arizona. We were at Bar of Soap here in town doing laundry before our trip and a couple people recommended that we check it out. It is pretty crazy. There is one tee-tiny road going up a very steep mountain and it is the only way up and back. Because it looked over the desert you could see Mount Elden by Flagstaff in the distance. The reason it was recommended was because Caduceus Wine Cellar is there - owned by Maynard from the band Tool. On the plane out west we watched the movie Blood Into Wine about the winery. Very good movie.

We enjoyed the winery as well and while we don't often drink wine we enjoyed the tasting that we had. Caduceus uses all Italian grapes for their wines which we know we like and they are all very robust and flavorful. We might have brought some back with us.

I love that Asheville as such a rich beer culture. I also love that this whole country has such a rich beer culture. No matter where you go you can find amazing craft brew places.