Catawba Brewing Partners with Pisgah Area SORBA on Small Batch Hoppy Kölsch

Catawba Brewing taps a Small Batch Hoppy Kölsch (5.4 percent ABV) on Thursday, July 6, at all Catawba locations. This classic ale gained notoriety as the local beer of Cologne, Germany, where it has been brewed since 1906. Although it was never mass-produced on the scale of Germany’s famous bottom-fermented lagers, the style enjoyed a renaissance post-WWII, peaking around 1980. It has returned to favor again in recent years due to increased exports and American craft interpretations.   

Catawba’s Hoppy Kölsch is light in both body and appearance, crisp and effervescent, with a hint of ale-type fruitiness. It features a traditional malt bill of Old World Pilsner malts, lending a soft sweetness. Catawba brewers make a subtle nod to the American palate by hopping the beer a bit more aggressively than their German counterparts. Noble hops, Tettnanger and Hallertau Mittelfrüh, balance the malt character with floral, earthy notes and provide the beer’s characteristic dry finish.

Catawba’s Hoppy Kolsch is a collaboration with Pisgah Area SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association). $1 from each pint will be donated to this non-profit organization to maintain trails in Pisgah National Forest, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, and DuPont State Forest. SORBA representatives will be at Catawba’s Asheville South Slope location on the release day at 6pm.

About SORBA:

The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) is the largest non-profit mountain biking organization in the Southeast. Members work with land managers in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee to create trails and trail systems for mountain bikers and other users to enjoy. Through advocacy, education, and recreational opportunities, SORBA carries out its mission to promote land access, trail preservation, and new trail development in order to enhance mountain bike touring, racing, fun, and fellowship for all mountain bicyclists in the southeastern United States.