Fall weather is finally (finally!) here, and Central Arkansas’ breweries are taking full advantage. This week’s lineup of new beer releases starts today at 4 p.m. at Lost Forty’s Freshcut Monday event. It’s the return of Bare Bones Pilsner, one of the original Lost Forty brews on tap when the brewery opened at the end of 2014. Bare Bones is a 5% ABV classic pilsner with a crisp hop profile and a clean finish. Lost Forty took it out of the regular menu a while back, but now it’s getting the full distribution treatment. You can get it today in crowlers and growlers to go, as well as 6-packs at the taproom today and around the state later this week. Also this week, Saturday is the Lost Forty Fall Concert at HarvestFest in Hillcrest. The free concert features local acts like Joshua Asante, Rodney Block and mömandpöp. The concert starts at 11:30 a.m. and lasts into the evening.
Flyway Brewing has a full week of activities, including a new beer release. The brew team is releasing a grapefruit radler on Wednesday at 4 p.m. This style combines one of Flyway’s brews with fresh grapefruit juice for a sweet, tart sipper. And Flyway Brewing will also be at HarvestFest sponsoring the Baggo tournament, which is still taking registration for competitors. Flyway is bringing a duck call from RNT Calls in Stuttgart that will go to the tournament winners. And finally, Flyway has announced its new Brood & Barley concept that will open in the former Core Brewing public house early next year. It may be right down the road, but owner Jess McMullen tells me the spot will be completely different, featuring gastropub-style food and special Flyway beer releases you can only get there. We’ll bring you more news from Brood & Barley in the coming months.
Rebel Kettle is bringing back a fan favorite for its 4:30 Thursday event this week. Alphaholic is a 9.1% ABV unfiltered double IPA. This powerful brew is a hop-lovers dream, with tons of aroma and a powerful citrus and pine profile. Still, it manages a smooth, clean finish, which is part of the reason that so many people rate it highly. Alphaholic hits the tap wall at Rebel Kettle at 4:30 this Thursday. Also Thursday, Rebel Kettle welcomes Recognizer to its outdoor stage area with a free concert event. The music kicks off at 7 p.m. and is slated to go until 9 p.m.
And Stone’s Throw Brewing is continuing its pumpkin-themed October with the #NewBrewFriday release of Pumpkin Pie Porter. This 6% ABV porter is brewed with pumpkin and spice for a rich, full profile. Stone’s Throw says this year’s version has more prominent notes of cinnamon, which will be welcome in the cooler weather of the weekend. The MacPark taproom will also be serving up a side-by-side tasting with last week’s Sour Pumpkin Pie Porter release, which was cultured in a Rock Town Distillery bourbon barrel. Get there at 4 p.m. Friday if you want to try them both out.
And because I’m the chair of HarvestFest in Hillcrest Saturday, I wanted to mention the local beer garden we will have for you there. All seven breweries in Pulaski County will be represented: Lost Forty, Flyway, Rebel Kettle, Stone’s Throw, Diamond Bear, Buffalo Brewing and Vino’s. HarvestFest features 100% local beer throughout the festival. Everything starts at 11 a.m. and lasts all day Saturday.
Do you have any beer news to share with us? Email steveshuler@gmail.com.
RIP Damgoode Pies
November 20, 2023
