Welcome to Growlers: your weekly roundup of news, events and specials from Little Rock’s breweries and taprooms. Little Rock’s beer scene is growing and improving at a rapid pace, and we’re dedicated to keeping you up to speed on all of it. Here’s what’s happening this week:
One of the most unique beer festivals of the season is Thursday night when Zoo Brew is held at the Little Rock Zoo. From 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., you’ll get to sample dozens of local and regional craft beer options while enjoying some of the city’s best food trucks. Zoo Brew has not yet posted its lineup of brewers who will be on hand, though several Little Rock beermakers have told me they are going. Tickets are $30 if you buy them online and $35 at the gate. Be warned: Thursday evening should see some heavy rain, so plan accordingly. Proceeds go to benefit the Arkansas Zoological Foundation.
Zoo Brew is just one of the dozens of beer-themed events going on around the state for Arkansas Craft Beer Week. The Arkansas Brewers Guild has put together a roundup of events all over the state to celebrate the occasion.
Josiah Moody of Moody Brews and Vino’s Brewpub is putting out one of his more unique and popular beers. Moody is releasing his Earl Grey ESB toward the end of this week. Moody and Apple Blossom collaborated on the original recipe and have agreed to both brew their own versions while acknowledging the teamwork it took to make this unique creation. By the way, you can find this ESB later this month at Little Rocktoberfest. VIP ticket holders will get to sample a cask-conditioned version infused with nectarines.
Flyway Brewing has updated one of its flagship brews and has put the new version on tap. The brewery’s Migrate pale ale, which has been on tap since the opening day, has been retooled to add dry hops and adjust the malt bill. Owner Jess McMullen says the improvement is immediately noticeable. Now that the tweaking is out of the way, Flyway is working on its Thrasher black lager, which hasn’t been in the taproom yet. That beer is brewing now and should be ready next month. Oh, and this week Flyway is featuring Redemption by Leap of Faith Brewing. This farmhouse rye ale is an assertive 7.5 percent ABV and is only available in a small batch, so stop by and try it while you still can.
Stone’s Throw Brewing has a busy end to the week, first making an appearance Thursday at Zoo Brew as well as the ReStore and After art auction benefiting Habitat for Humanity at Embassy Suites. On Friday, Stone’s Throw will release its Hoppy Cider at the taproom while also holding a tap takeover at Cregeen’s Irish Pub in Argenta. Then on Sunday, the gang heads up to Fayetteville for Dickson Street Oktoberfest from noon until 6 p.m., featuring more than a dozen Arkansas breweries.
Rebel Kettle Brewing Company has a couple of unique beers coming out this week. Tomorrow is Growler Tuesday, featuring a new beer called “P – Whipped,” which is a pineapple whipped ale. That will only be available in 32-ounce growlers and will only be available on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, it’s a sour pale ale called Copy This. Rebel Kettle has had great success with its sour beers over the summer, but this marks the first time they’ve released a sour version of a pale ale. That one comes out at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Rebel Kettle is also now open on Mondays and has a new food menu that we will preview later this week.
And speaking of sour beers, Lost Forty has a stainless sour out today in the form of its Berliner Weisse. This low-alcohol beer will come in a standard variety as well as one conditioned with raspberries. No cans will be sold of this beer, though you can drink in the taproom and fill up a growler to go.
Do you have some beer news you would like to share with us? Email me at steve@rockcityeats.com.
RIP Damgoode Pies
November 20, 2023
