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:
Lost Forty Brewing begins canning its new spring seasonal brew this week. The brewery decided to can its Look-See Hefeweizen after last year’s release was met with rave reviews from fans and writers alike. You should start to look for Look-See in supermarkets and liquor stores around Central Arkansas near the end of March. If you can’t wait that long, get to the taproom today for a special small batch of the hefeweizen brewed with strawberries from Barnhill Orchards. It’s a 5.4 percent ABV ale that won’t be available in cans, growlers or crowlers, so make sure to grab a pint today before it runs out.
Rebel Kettle Brewing Company’s big birthday celebration on April 1 is coming more into focus now. The brewery has released the list of special barrel-aged beers that will be available at the party, and it’s quite the line-up:
- Black Reign, Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout
- RedRumPum, Rum Barrel Imperial Pumpkin Amber Ale
- Preachers & Pimps, Rum & Bourbon Barrel Belgian Quad
- Bourbon Barrel “Olde In and Out” American Barleywine-style Ale
- D.B., Bourbon Barrel Double Brown Ale
- O.D.B., Bourbon Barrel Double Brown Ale aged on in-house roasted coffee
- Billy Badass, Bourbon Barrel Belgian-Style Dubbel aged on Cherries
- Whiskey Business, Whiskey Barrel Sour inspired Ale
Needless to say, you won’t want to be late to the party to try these out. By the way, Rebel Kettle’s 4:30 Thursday release also looks fantastic. It’s called Pulp! Mango Sour IPA. Considering how well Rebel Kettle does both sours and IPAs, it’s one you’ll probably want to check out.
Bubba Brews Brewing Company is one step closer to making its downtown Hot Springs taproom a reality. Owner Jonathan Martin tells me he’s received conditional approval from the Arkansas Beverage Commission to sell beer at the new location, which is going into the former Bank of America building at 528 Central Ave. Opening day for the new taproom is still tentatively set for early summer. As for right now, you can try out Bubba Brews’ 2017 verison of Hop Wolf, a 9.1 percent imperial IPA. That one has been kegged and is going to various restaurants around Central Arkansas.
Diamond Bear has been enjoying quite a bit of success with its new Small Batch Series on Friday evenings. This Friday, brewer Jeremy Whitehead is releasing Texas Tea, a 7.5 percent ABV pecan oatmeal stout. Whitehead describes this one as dark and roasty, with plenty of body and malt. It’s not a bitter beer at only 39 IBU, but the flavor is strong nonetheless. That release is set for Friday at 5 p.m. at the Arkansas Ale House.
This Thursday is the regular beer dinner between Stone’s Throw and The Southern Gourmasian. This one features dishes like Japanese Pizza and Popcorn Two Ways among its five courses, all paired with a different Stone’s Throw brew. Tickets for the event are on sale now. The for #NewBrewFriday, Stone’s Throw is releasing Jar the Floor, a peach saison named for the upcoming play at The Rep, which premieres in April.
The third Tuesday of the month is tomorrow, which means Audubon Happy Hour at Flyway Brewing in North Little Rock. This happy hour will be special, with the release of Audu-Blonde, an easy drinking 4.7 percent ABV blonde ale. When you purchase a pint of Audu-Blonde, Flyway will donate $1 to support Audubon Arkansas’ conservation efforts. The happy hour event will also feature Flyway’s buffalo chicken nachos.
It’s a banner week for Buffalo Brewing at The Water Buffalo, as eight of the taproom’s 16 taps are dedicated to its own beers. That could expand to nine this week with the release of Buffalo Brewing’s new blonde ale. Also this week, you’ll be able to find Blood Eagle Brewing’s Sitra Cadabra and a few other hard-to-find beers from around town. I’m told that owner Nolen Buffalo is working on getting Buffalo Brewing beers distributed around town, so soon you may be able to find them at your favorite restaurant.
Do you have some beer news you would like to share with us? Email me at steve@rockcityeats.com.
