Southern Lager Invitational To Feature 30 Beers In Support of the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum

ASHEVILLE, NC— Bootleg Biology and Riverbend Malt House will host the second annual Southern Lager Invitational on May 25 from 5 to 9pm at The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage's production facility. This event will feature 30+ beers made for the occasion, two food trucks, and live music. Proceeds will be donated to the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum. 

Open to interpretation, Southern Lager, an unofficial but emerging beer style, ​​tends to be a cold-fermented, dry-finishing, lower-ABV beer that pairs well with sweltering heat. At the Southern Lager Invitational, craft brewers from across the South will serve their expressions of true-to-style lagers made with Riverbend malt and fermented with Bootleg Biology yeast to capture a sense of Southern terroir. 

Here are some of the beers to look forward to—

Cellarest Beer Project Narcissus Wheat Lager

Cherry Street Brewing Cumberland Cold Snap Cold IPA

DSSOLVR Ceni Cero Gold Mexican Corn Lager

Fireforge Crafted Beer Descent Into Helles Helles Bock

Fonta Flora Brewery Grodziskie Smoked Lager

Fullsteam Brewery 100 New Southern Lager

Grand Central Brewhouse St. Pete Export Helles Export 

Leveller Brewing Co. + Fait La Force Brewing Feed My Horse On Corn and Hay Rustic American Pilsner

Little Animals Brewery Night Hoss Dark Wheat Lager

Mythk Brewing The Beholders Rye Lager

Skeeta Hawk Brewing Back In The Day Malt Liquor

Soul and Spirits Brewery Brewery Raunchy Rotbier 

South Main Brewing Co. Cumberland Southern Lager

Two food trucks will serve at the Southern Lager Invitational— Shaa’bingo with Jamaican Street Food and The Po Wagon Creole cuisine. DJ Chrissy Zebby will be spinning Southern soul, reggae, and hip hop-inspired beats on vinyl. 

Tickets are now on sale for the Southern Lager Invitational at devilsfootbrew.com. Proceeds support the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum, an organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting the state’s craft beverage story. It celebrates its role in building and defining the local, state, and national community.

This celebration of local lagers is made possible by sponsors ASK Law and Boelter .

Media interested in attending and or covering the Southern Lager Invitational can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT BOOTLEG BIOLOGY

Bootleg Biology is a full-service yeast lab for professional brewers and homebrewers. 

From our location in Nashville, TN, we’ve earned a reputation for creative cultures that meet the rigorous demands of a brewery while still satisfying brewers’ goals to push the envelope.

From crispy lagers and juicy IPAs to complex mixed fermentations, Bootleg has a culture for every brew. All of our yeast is made fresh, ensuring optimal viability and keeping you on schedule.

Our lab offers a wide range of quality control testing to ensure your product meets your high standards, including PCR testing for common contaminants, IBU testing, selective media plating and more. 

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malt house east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 square foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Thirsty Monk Takes Flight with Taproom Partnership at Asheville Regional Airport

ASHEVILLE, NC— In a partnership with Vino Volo, the award-winning airport wine bar operator and retailer throughout North America, Thirsty Monk Brewery beers will soon be available on draft and to-go at Asheville Regional Airport. 

Thirsty Monk will co-brand a comfortable space with local Asheville flair just to the right of the TSA security checkpoint inside the gate area. This traveler lounge will offer beers on tap, packaged beer to-go, and a selection of curated food offerings alongside Vino Volo’s wine program. Currently the opening is slated for the end of summer 2020.

More than a year in the making, this is Thirsty Monk’s first partnership with an internationally recognized company, and could serve as a model for partnerships in other cities seeking to further extend local personality into airports.

“When I first reached out to the Asheville Regional Airport about how we could go about opening a Thirsty Monk taproom — their team was so receptive and connected me with Vino Volo,” says Barry Bialik, Thirsty Monk CEO. 

“After a year of ideas, discussions, and straight up reality checks, everything is now a go to move forward with the Asheville Regional Airport’s first local brewery taproom and Vino Volo wine bar. I am so proud that our airport staff recognizes the importance of adding local character, and so pleased to have been able to collaborate with Vino Volo’s truly world class team,” says Bialik.

As Asheville Regional Airport grows with new destinations added continually, Thirsty Monk’s partnership with Vino Volo is perfectly poised to host visitors to and from Western North Carolina—taking one of Asheville’s most iconic breweries along with them on their travels. 

For more information about Thirsty Monk’s partnership with Vino Volo, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THIRSTY MONK

Founded in 2008, Thirsty Monk Brewery currently operates a family of brewpubs (Thirsty Monk Downtown, Thirsty Monk Biltmore Park, 2x4 Brew Pub) and cocktail bars (Monk’s Flask, Top of the Monk) in Asheville, North Carolina, Denver, Colorado and Portland, Oregon. Thirsty Monk’s award-winning, Belgian-rooted Modern Ales are showcased in the company’s expertly crafted beer-paired food menus and synergistic cocktail ingredients. Find the company online at monkpub.com.

Thirsty Monk Presents 6th Annual New Year's Eve Keg Drop in Biltmore Park

ASHEVILLE, NC— New York City drops a ball, Atlanta drops a peach, and Miami drops an orange. Asheville drops a keg! Thirsty Monk announces its 6th Annual New Year's Eve Keg Drop Celebration at its Biltmore Park Town Square location.

This year’s Keg Drop has grown to include its new craft cocktail bar, Monk's Flask. Ring in the New Year at Biltmore Park as we welcome 2019, sipping on Thirsty Monk Brewery beers, craft spirits and a special cocktail menu.

The Keg

The Biltmore Park brewery’s two-story golden keg will be lit up and glowing on the patio on New Year’s Eve, descending at midnight as we tap a keg of Must Love Coconut IPA, and toast to 2019! The Keg Drop Celebration is free to attend, with ample parking available.

The Beer

If you’re in the mood for an escape from the typical IPA, and want to be whisked away from winter to a tropical paradise, then Must Love Coconut IPA is for you. Brewed with toasted coconut and a blast of Citra and Centennial hops, this Belgian-style IPA is a totally tropical experience. Flavors of stone fruit, tropical fruit and–you guessed it–coconut, take you straight to your own island oasis, with hints of spice and citrus peeking through the palm trees. This special, fan-favorite release makes an annual appearance on tap, especially for New Year festivities.

WHEN: Monday, December 31, 5pm - Tuesday, January 1, 1am

WHERE: Thirsty Monk South at Biltmore Park Town Square

2 Town Square Blvd #170, Asheville, NC 28803

CONTACT: Emily Hutto, coop@radcraftbeer.com