Coming up in NC Beer: Highland Homebrew, Duck-Rabbit Brunch, and Charlotte Craft Beer Week.

The next two weeks on the NC Beer Calendar are just a small precursor to the end of the month.

Highland is hosting the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing this weekend and the 3rd Annual Highland Cup. Get your homebrew on and keep an eye on Highland.

On Tuesday, March 9 – head down to Rock Bottom in Charlotte for their Irish Red Lager Tapping Party, from 5:30 – 7:30 and get a little early St. Patrick’s Day action.

Next weekend, head over to The Borough in Raleigh to enjoy a Beer Brunch with Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery.

But start revving your engines now, because the end of the month, March 18 – 28, is the inaugural Charlotte Craft Beer Week. Take a look at the event schedule to whet your appetite. Look for more here about Charlotte’s first Beer Week as we get a little closer to the date.

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More rare beer and another beer dinner – coming up quick!

First – this Friday! Don’t miss Aviator’s Limited Release party – they’re releasing a limited number of 750 mL corked bottles King Rat Imperial Oatmeal Stout – at their taproom at 600 E. Broad St. in Fuquay-Varina. $14/ea. Get ‘em while you can!

Second – next Tuesday! LoneRider follows up Mother Earth’s incredibly successful beer dinner at Dos Perros in Durham with one of their own. The menu looks fantastic – go see how well beer pairs with fantastic Mexican food. $35/seat – contact Dos Perros for reservations.

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Scenes from the 2010 Foothills Sexual Chocolate Release

Last weekend saw the 2010 release of Foothills Sexual Chocolate at the Foothills Brewery in Winston-Salem. The evening before the event held a rare-beer event that drew hundreds of people from around the country. Proceeds raised from the event were generously donated to the North Carolina Brewers Guild as well as Beer Advocate.

See the slideshow below for a view of scene on the morning of the release:

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Next week in NC Beer: Beer Dinners!

Friends! You’ve gotr choice of three beer dinners next week to whet your appetite.

First up, on Monday, February 8th, is the Big Boss Beer Dinner at the Broad Street Cafe in Durham. 5 courses, counting reception and dessert paired with Big Boss’s Amber Rye, Angry Angel, Bad Penny, Helles Bell, and Big Operator. Get more information, the menu, and tickets via Broad Street.

Next, on Tuesday, February 9th, is a Mother Earth Beer Dinner at Dos Perros in Durham. Enjoy each of Mother Earth’s core selections – the Weeping Willow Wit, Endless River Kolsch, Sisters of the Moon IPA, and Dark Cloud Dunkel paried with Dos Perros’s phenomenal Mexican cuisine. Get more information, a full menu, and tickets via Dos Perros.

Finally, on Thursday, February 11th, head to Rock Bottom in Charlotte for the Brewer’s Dinner. Allow brewmaster David Gonzalez to guide you through a four course dinner paired with their Prospector’s Pilsner, Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale, Randolph Red Ale, and Iron Horse Stout. Seating is limited, contact Rock Bottom for details.

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Asheville Winter Warmer fest a success.


Last weekend brewers and beer enthusiasts alike turned out for the Asheville Winter Warmer fest at the Haywood Park Grand Ballroom in Asheville, NC. The Winter Warmer fest is in its third year in Asheville and has been growing in leaps and bounds. Their first year saw a handful of local breweries and roughly 300 attendees. This year there were twenty breweries, mostly from North Carolina, but also from neighboring states – South Carolina (Thomas Creek), Tennessee (Yazoo), and Georgia (Sweetwater). The festival drew over 1000 attendees from all over North Carolina, as well as neighboring states.

Food was provided by the Lobster Trap giving attendees a wide choice of chowders, shellfish, and even a raw bar. Woody Wood and Brushfire Stankgrass performed live at the festival.

“We just wanted a way for people to shake off the winter blahs” says Mark Lyons, the festival’s organizer. Lyons and his wife Trish also own and operate the Asheville Brews Cruise, a multi-craft-brewery-tour in Asheville that brings visitors three Asheville craft breweries for exclusive tours and samples.

To get a look at some of the breweries that poured at the festival peruse through the slideshow below, and make sure to keep an eye out on the Winter Warmer website for the announcement of next year’s festival.

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