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Highland Brewing Company announces the release of Slow Crush, Tart Spritz Ale, as the latest addition to the brewery’s year-round offerings this May.  The regional brewery is celebrating their 25th anniversary milestone with innovation, as evidenced by the release of this refreshing tart spritz ale, unlike any other in Highland’s year-round portfolio. Slow Crush is the brewery’s sessionable fresh take on kettle soured beers and their first to launch in a 16-ounce can format.  Inspired by the incredibly popular cocktail Aperol Spritz, Slow Crush features all-natural ingredients that mirror the Italian aperitif – botanicals like gentian root, cinchona bark and hibiscus flowers. These ingredients are then accentuated by the character from flaked rye and citrus-forward American hops like Citra and Amarillo – a very craft spin. At 5-percent ABV and 20 IBUs, this beer is effervescent with a refreshing acidity that makes a perfect libation for any occasion.  Highland’s R&D Brewer, Trace Redmond, said, “This is a dynamic time in the industry and at Highland. We are exploring what Highland beer can be and creating beers that are different from anything we have ever done before. Slow Crush refers to the tradition of gruits and aperitifs and the way that …

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Love chili? Get ready to stuff yourself. For the fourth year in a row, an epic chili battle royale is coming to downtown Hendersonville. The fourth annual vegan Chili Cook-Off kicks off on Sunday, March 10th at 2 p.m. at Sanctuary Brewing Company (SBC), with all proceeds benefiting the amazing animals of local nonprofit Sweet Bear Rescue Farm.  The event will feature delicious chili entries from chefs, restaurants, and home cooks across the region. From sweet and spicy to wildly hot, from beans and veggies to beefy Beyond Meat, the chili varieties run the gamut. Attendees will get to taste each and every one, then vote for their favorite. With the help of special guest judge Dr Garth Davis, those who make the three top chilis will score Sanctuary Brewing Company gift cards and other prizes. Anyone is welcome to enter; contestants just need to bring a regular size crockpot of their most amazing vegan chili creation with a creative name and an ingredients list. (No animal products, but any other creative combination goes as far as ingredients!). All proceeds from this mouthwatering competition will benefit Sweet Bear, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal sanctuary founded by Sanctuary Brewing Company owners Lisa …

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Punch Brothers Begin March Tour Performing Music from Grammy Award-Winning Album, All Ashore “A deeply meaningful and downright gorgeous record.” —Boston Globe “There’s no one better at merging the past and the present.” —Rolling Stone “An album of rich instrumentation and understated beauty that reveals deeper nuances on each and every listen … Both forward-thinking and imbued with an appreciation of the traditional sounds of America.” —Independent   Punch Brothers, who recently won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for their 2018 release All Ashore, begin a spring tour of the United States; label-mate Gabriel Kahane joins as special guest along the way. The tour begins at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY on March 14, and includes shows all along the East Coast and into the Midwest, with stops in New Haven, CT; Pittsburgh, PA; Asheville, NC; Athens, GA; and more, culminating at the Savannah Music Festival on March 30. Additionally, Punch Brothers join Chris Thile’s other longtime band, Nickel Creek, for the first time on May 8 at Carnegie Hall, as part of Thile’s season-long Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair residency at Carnegie Hall. Released last year on Nonesuch Records, All Ashore is the band’s first …

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Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is excited to announce that their mobile clinic has spayed and neutered more than 1,000 dogs and cats since the program launched in November 2018. The mobile spay/neuter clinic was founded to serve communities throughout western North Carolina who may otherwise not have access to local and affordable spay and neuter services. Through this new, lifesaving resource, Brother Wolf anticipates spaying and neutering approximately 6,000 dogs and cats in 2019. No-Kill community development is an integral part of Brother Wolf’s work, and launching the mobile clinic has helped advance their partnerships with other regional animal welfare organizations. Audrey Lodato, Director of Animal Care, says “Our goal is to provide the crucial services that these organizations and their communities may not otherwise have access to. By preventing unwanted litters, we can prevent thousands of animals from ever entering the overcrowded shelter system in the first place. Shelters should serve as resource centers first and foremost to provide their communities with the tools they need. That’s exactly what the mobile clinic does.” In addition to serving animals in their home community of Buncombe County, Brother Wolf’s mobile clinic also travels to Transylvania, Rutherford, McDowell, and Haywood counties, with …

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