First ever Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting set for May 31

Very cool. Press release here:

Organizers of the inaugural Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting have released a list of confirmed breweries for the May 31 event.

A total of 25 breweries will pour rare and exotic beers at the event. Brewers that have accepted invitations for the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting include: Asheville Brewing Co., Asheville, N.C.; Against the Grain Brewery & Smokehouse, Louisville, Kentucky; Allagash Brewing, Portland, Maine; Bell’s Brewing, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Big Boss Brewing, Raleigh, N.C.; Boulder Brewing, Boulder, Co.; Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Boston Beer Co., Boston, Mass.; Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, Va.; Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.; Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Goose Island Brewing, Chicago, Ill.; Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Saxapahaw, N.C.; Highland Brewing Co., Asheville, N.C.; Jester King Craft Brewery, Austin, Texas; Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, N.C.; Natty Greene’s Brewing, Greensboro, N.C.; New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colo.; Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, N.Y.; Oskar Blues Brewery, Brevard, N.C.; Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, Calif.; Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif.; SweetWater Brewing, Atlanta, Ga.;Thirsty Monk Pub, Asheville, N.C.; and Weyerbacher Brewing, Easton, Pa.

All About Beer Magazine and the Thirsty Monk Pub will present the inaugural Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting during Asheville Beer Week to benefit Pints for Prostates, a nationwide campaign designed to raise awareness about the importance of early detection in fighting prostate cancer.

“We have a great list of American craft brewers committed to appear at the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting and each will be pouring rare and exotic beers,” said Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer Magazine. “We want this to be one of the highlights of Asheville Beer Week and help raise awareness about an important men’s health issue by teaming up with Pints for Prostates.”

The Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting will be held at 66 Asheland Ave. in Asheville on May 31 from 6-9 p.m. Less than half of the 250 tickets for the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting are still available. They can be purchased online here. Tickets are $75 and include admission to the event, beer sampling, commemorative tasting glass, program and heavy hors d’oeuvres. More information about the event can be found at www.arwbt.com. Each brewery will pour unique beers. Some will be rare and others will be “wild” featuring barrel aged, sours, cask conditioned and vintage beers.

“We reach men through the universal language of beer and an event like the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting gives us a platform to get guys to focus on their health,” said Rick Lyke, a prostate cancer survivor, drinks journalist and founder of the Pints for Prostates campaign. “We really appreciate the support of the brewers, All About Beer Magazine and the Thirsty Monk. This will be a great day to be a craft beer fan in Asheville.”

Pints for Prostates is a 501(c)3 charity. It raises awareness about prostate cancer at beer festivals and pub events. Funds raised by the group help support free men’s health screenings provided by the Prostate Conditions Education Council and Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, which operates support groups for men battling the disease. You can get more information about Pints for Prostates at www.pintsforprostates.org.

“Pints for Prostates and All About Beer Magazine started the Denver Rare Beer Tasting in 2009 and it has become renowned as one of the best beer events in the country,” said Barry Bialik of Thirsty Monk Pub. “Asheville Beer Week is growing and attracting people who want to experience the growing beer culture in the region. The Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting is a great addition to the celebration. And we at Thirsty Monk are so proud to be a part of making this happen.”