Hi Wire Brewing

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale ships

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale has joined the brewery’s seasonal lineup, replacing Contortionist Black IPA.

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale is a Belgian-style ale, brewed with Czech Saaz and Styrian Golding hops.

“The main goal of this beer,” stated Continue Reading →

Spotlight: Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Strong Ale

This 11.3% fruited beast is Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Strong Ale. It ships mid-December, 2015.

Jonathan Parks, Hi-Wire’s specialty head brewer grew up in Miami, where mangos and papayas out number the people in the city. (Completely made up fact, btw)

Continue Reading →

Hi-Wire Smoked Mexican-style Lager released

Hi-Wire Smoked Mexican-Style Lager is now available from the Asheville, North Carolina brewery.

If you are asking yourself, Mexican lager? Is that a thing? Technically. The lager style is dominant in Mexico. Corona, a lager, dominates in the world’s export market. Continue Reading →

Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Coming Soon

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Oak Fermented Tart Wild Ale

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Oak Fermented Tart Wild Ale is one of two beers debuting in the brewery’s new Single Barrel Series on April 1st.

The brewery’s South Slope location has become a wild and sour beer playground, now that the new production location is open just minutes away.

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Oak Fermented Tart Wild Ale is a wild ale brewed with cherries and raspberries, then aged in oak. The beer is a part of a dual bottle release, alongside Dark Saison.

Johnathan Parks, Head brewer of Hi-Wire’s specialty beer program, mentions that these initial releases will be different from what you’ll expect from the sour program in the future.

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Oak Fermented Tart Wild Ale is limited to 120, 750 mililiter bottles. Available solely at the South Slope tap room at 2pm on April 1st.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Cherries, Raspberries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Limited.
Release: 4/1/16

4.8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Dark Saison kicks off new series

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Dark Saison will be one the brewery’s first entries into their Single Barrel Series on April 1st.

After the new production brewery (The Big Top) was completed last year, Hi-Wire announced that the original South Slope (downtown Asheville) location would become a sour/wild brewery. Early 2016 would reveal what is to come from the change.

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Dark Saison is brewed with dark malts, and aged in oak with Brettanomyces yeast.

“The main purpose of the new series is experimentation,” says Head Specialty Brewer, Johnathan Parks. “These beers are very different from what you are going to see from our larger upcoming wild and sour program.”

Hi-Wire Single Barrel Dark Saison is limited to 120, 750 mililiter bottles. Sold at the brewery’s South Slope tap room at 2pm on April 1st.

Style: American Wild Ale (Oak Aged)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Release: 4/2/16

7.8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, New Releases

Hi-Wire Raspberry Wheat Wine available February 12th

Hi-Wire Raspberry Wheat Wine will be available on February 12th, 2016.

A new release from the downtown brewery (now known as the South Slope Specialty Brewery) Hi-Wire Raspberry Wheat Wine is a 13% strong ale brewed with 300 pounds of raspberries, aged 4 months in red wine barrels.

This robust ale exhibits fresh raspberry and fruit sweetness up front, and fades into a tart, tannic bitterness imparted by big-oak flavors reminiscent of red wine.

Hi-Wire Raspberry Wheat Wine will be on sale starting February 12th, at the downtown brewery

Style: Wheat Wine (w/ Raspberries. Wine Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: 2/12/16

13% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing

Hi-Wire is going all sour and wild at their original brewery

Asheville, North Carolina’s Hi-Wire Brewing Company is turning their downtown location into a sour and wild beer facility.

Last year, Hi-Wire opened a new, 27,000 square-foot production facility just a few miles from their original downtown location. The expansion has allowed the South Slope Speciality Brewery downtown to release special one-off beers, and special experiments. That won’t change anytime soon, except things are going to a get more funky the original party pad.

“The specialty brewery allows us to be more nimble and create beers more spontaneously than the production brewery,” said Holgate. “We have the flexibility to innovate, to become a brewery doing something different. And, we can’t think of anything gutsier as a brewery than to specialize in both craft lagers and sour beers.”

Hi-Wire’s Luke Holgate and Jonathan Parks will run the sour and wild facility.

The brewery has already ordered more barrels for this new undertaking. Expect the first sour offerings to be released in summer, 2016.

Image via Hi Wire Brewing 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, New Releases

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale ships

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale has joined the brewery’s seasonal lineup, replacing Contortionist Black IPA.

Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale is a Belgian-style ale, brewed with Czech Saaz and Styrian Golding hops.

“The main goal of this beer,” stated Luke Holgate, Hi–Wire Brewing’s Head Brewer, “was to match the yeast profile to the hop profile. And I believe we really accomplished that with this beer.”

Instead of bringing out another dark beer for warmer temperatures, the brewery decided spring should bring something fresh. Hi-Wire Death Defying Spring Ale is hitting shelves now in 12 ounce bottles and draft until March, 2016.

Style: Belgian-style Pale Ale
Hops: Czech Saaz, Styrian Golding

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Jan-March
Release: Mid-January, 2016

6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Hi Wire Brewing, New Releases

Spotlight: Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Strong Ale

This 11.3% fruited beast is Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Strong Ale. It ships mid-December, 2015.

Jonathan Parks, Hi-Wire’s specialty head brewer grew up in Miami, where mangos and papayas out number the people in the city. (Completely made up fact, btw)

“I love bright tropical fruit flavors,” said Parks. “I grew up in Miami where mangos and papayas grow everywhere. When I smell this beer, it reminds me of home.”

Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Strong Ale is ready to drink now but the does mention proper cellaring will smooth the edges of this beer. Available in 22 ounce bottles mid month.

Beer Street Journal tasting notes: This beer maybe be 11.3% alcohol by volume, but it drinks like a 6% beer. Mango and papaya is subtle, but a nice touch to the finish. Pre-game hard with this one. 

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Mango, Papaya)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: December, 2015

11.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, New Releases

Hi-Wire Smoked Mexican-style Lager released

Hi-Wire Smoked Mexican-Style Lager is now available from the Asheville, North Carolina brewery.

If you are asking yourself, Mexican lager? Is that a thing? Technically. The lager style is dominant in Mexico. Corona, a lager, dominates in the world’s export market. It is one of the world’s most consumed beers. So really it’s a reference to the style the country is known for.

Hi-WIre’s edition includes a touch of oak-smoked malt.

This beer blends the crisp mouthfeel and dry finish of a Mexican lager with the complexity of smoked malt. Oak-Smiled wheat malt and beechwood-smoked barley malt are combined with Saaz, Perle and First Gold hops to create a smooth and refreshing smokehouse-inspired lager.

Hi-Wire Smoked Mexican-style Lager is available in 12 ounce bottles and draft for a limited time.

Style: Lager
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: Late November, 2015

4.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay