Short order: Small Batch Fest, Burial expands, save the date for Dine In For Life

The first signs of spring in Asheville: flowers, birds and the blossoming of beer events.

Hi-Wire has announced it will hold its fourth annual NC Small Batch Festival on April 3 at its Big Top taproom. To cut the crowds in a time when the pandemic is still in effect, the brewery will host two entirely seated 3-hour sessions from noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.

What hasn't changed is the innovation that goes on behind Hi-Wire's events. For this one, the brewery asked more than 20 state beer makers to create a small one-off-batch of beer strictly for the festival. You can see the list of what's on tap for the fest on Hi-Wire's Instagram. 

Tickets include a 3-hour table reservation, ⁣⁣⁣a preselected small-batch flight and full table service for beer and food. Guests will be required to stay seated throughout the event. Tickets start at $50, and can be found at bit.ly/ncsmallbatch2021.

Dine In For Life, take two

Save the date: For the second year in a row, WNCAP's Dining Out For Life goes indoors, April 29, to become Dine In For Life.

On that day, plan to support local restaurants as well as WNCAP, which offers critical regional HIV prevention, care and harm reduction services.

Before 2020, restaurants donated 20% of their sales to WNCAP. But last year, said WNCAP development and communications coordinator Michael Poandl, that all changed — at least for the time being. For now, WNCAP does not ask restaurants to donate.

"Dine In For Life sort of flips the model of Dining Out For Life in the sense that, instead of restaurants supporting us, we want to support them," Poandl said. "We want to drive traffic to participating restaurants that have supported WNCAP and other local nonprofits for years — in some cases, decades."

Still, the pandemic has pushed demand for WNCAP services to an all-time high, Poandl added. Over the past year, requests for emergency financial assistance, food delivery, and harm reduction services have skyrocketed as community resources have dried up.

That adds extra import to DIFL this year.

View the full list of participating restaurants at wncap.org/about/difl/. Make a donation to WNCAP at https://bit.ly/3vH97to.

Donations to WNCAP through April 30 will be automatically entered into a raffle for an Asheville “staycation,” a private film screening at Grail Moviehouse or a $500 cash card, courtesy of Mosaic Realty.

You can also post a selfie with your DIFL meal and tag @wncap to be entered into the raffle.

More restaurant news:Perpetual motion: Asheville restaurant owner harnesses momentum to thrive through pandemic

Burial Beer Co. expands

In case you missed it, Burial Beer Co. has an expansion in the works at its flagship South Slope taproom. Burial recently took over the the adjacent former Asheville Hardware's 13,000-square-foot space at 10 Buxton Ave., with plans to build a rooftop deck and bar.

The property acquisition also allows the brewery to expand its barrel-aging program and showcase its Visuals natural wines, made with Mendocino grapes and pressed and bottled in Asheville. 

Chris McClure, director of brand for Burial, said the brewery plans to release at least a half-dozen wines this year. The Visuals line also includes natural wine spritzes, naturally fermented ciders and vermouth.

McClure said the expansion will have a restaurant element as well, but the details of that are unclear, as is the exact timeline of the expansion.

Once complete, the new expansion will also give Burial more elbow room for packaging and otherwise meeting the needs of its nationwide shipping program.

More to come on this project over the next few months.

__

Mackensy Lunsford has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has been a staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times since 2012. Lunsford is a former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.

Reach me:  mlunsford@citizentimes.com.

Read more: Subscribe to the Citizen Times here. Subscribe to my newsletter here.