soft beer pretzel bites craft beer

Baking with Brews: Soft Beer Pretzel Bites

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In the world of snack foods, pretzels rank high on the popularity list as a long-time favorite. They’re simple (just a combo of water, flour, and salt), delicious, and don’t disappoint when it comes to variety. Some come in pinwheel shapes, some come stuffed with peanut butter, and you’ll even find some smothered in chocolate, but for this recipe, we’re taking it back to the OG — the soft pretzel. 

Thanks to German immigrants, these delicious, doughy knots came to America around 1710, so we’ve been enjoying the glorious pretzel (in its various shapes, sizes, and flavors) for over 300 years.

Here at Hi-Wire Brewing, we have a love for beer and pretzels, so we’ve combined them in this tasty recipe. Following in the German tradition, we bring you chewy, gooey, soft beer pretzel bites that will knock your socks off.

soft beer pretzel bites craft beer

Homemade Small Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ¾ cup Leisure Time Lager or Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted 
  • 2 ½ cups bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt

craft beer ipa hi-wire brewing

Alkaline bath

  • 7-8 cups water
  • ½ cups baking soda

Topping

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • Pretzel salt

Instructions

  1. Add the sugar, beer, and yeast to a mixing bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes then stir in the butter, flour, and salt. Mix until it forms a ball.
  2. Either with an electric mixer or by hand, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
  3. Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly oiled. Oil the top of the dough and cover the bowl with a cloth. Place in a draft-free area for 1 to 2 hours until it has almost doubled in size.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each section of dough into a log 15 inches long. Cut the logs into 1-inch sections and place them on the baking sheet. Cover the dough bites with a towel and let rest for 20-30 minutes. They should get slightly puffy.
  5. Preheat oven to 450°. Place the water and baking soda in a large 8-quart pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. Working in batches of about 15 dough bites at a time, place the dough bites in the boiling baking soda bath for 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon or strainer and let them drain on a rack. Transfer them to the baking sheet.
  7. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush over the tops of the pretzel bites. Sprinkle with pretzel salt.
  8. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe credit 

craft brewery asheville

If you’re throwing a party or looking for a great game day snack, we highly recommend combining these soft pretzel bites with our Hi-Wire beer cheese. You won’t regret it. 

Hi-Wire Announces Plans for Knoxville, TN Taproom

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Continuous and strategic growth has been imperative to the overall success of Asheville, North Carolina’s Hi-Wire Brewing. Established in 2013, Hi-Wire has expanded its distribution footprint to over 6 states and is proud to announce it will be opening its fourth retail taproom in Knoxville, Tennessee in summer 2019.

Located just across the Tennessee River from downtown, in hip South Knoxville, the 10,187 square foot taproom will be a part of a mixed-use building at 906 Sevier Ave. Hi-Wire will have the entire 2nd floor to themselves including a 455 occupant taproom, two outdoor decks – one of which is a rooftop with views of downtown Knoxville – and 24 taps. The space will be game and activity heavy, featuring two soccer pool tables, table tennis, shuffleboard, foosball, and more. The bar’s 24 taps will feature Hi-Wire’s full line-up of beers, including year-round, seasonal, specialty, sour, and one-offs, as well as wine, local cider, and guest taps from neighboring Knoxville breweries.

Co-owner, Adam Charnack notes “Knoxville and Asheville are, to us, like cousins. They’re both small mountain cities with strong outdoors, food and drink cultures. We’ve been selling our beers in Tennessee for about three years, and it’s the state in which we saw the largest growth in 2018. Being able to bring the “Asheville Hi-Wire” experience to Knoxville and to Tennessee seems like the natural next steps in growing our relationship. We are committed to deepening our ties to the community and to the state while providing the best and most innovate beers to loyal, tried-and-true fans.”

Hi-Wire is partnering with S2 Construction for the space buildout and worked with Tim Duff with Realty Executives Commercial as the leasing agent for their Knoxville taproom. Construction is scheduled to be completed summer of 2019. Hi-Wire will be regularly updating their website and social media with formal announcements regarding construction, hiring, and opening date.

Hi-Wire Brewing Collaborates with Highland Brewing

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Two of Asheville, North Carolina’s most beloved breweries are teaming up! Highland Brewing Company and Hi-Wire Brewing have joined forces to create Plum Nectar, a dry-hopped Berliner Weisse with plums. Tart and refreshing, Plum Nectar blends aromatic citrus and tropical fruit notes from Azacca hops with the juicy and sweet character of 17 pounds of plums per barrel.

This Berliner Weisse is the result of a collaboration headed by brewers Sarah Gulotta of Hi-Wire and Katie Smith of Highland, who crafted the idea through connections with the Pink Boots Society. Gulotta was excited for an opportunity to work with Asheville’s original craft brewery. “It’s awesome to work with Highland – the beer culture in this town started with them, and they’ve been so supportive of Hi-Wire. I love when local breweries work together – it’s all about celebrating our community here in Asheville. Also, Highland has been very supportive of women in the beer industry, so it was fantastic to work with another female brewer.”

The excitement is mutual, with Smith saying, “I had a blast collaborating with Hi-Wire on this beer! Starting with recipe development alongside Sarah all the way to spending the day brewing at their Big Top location. Our goal was (is) to create a deliciously tart Berliner Weisse with a slight spicy rye note to pair with the deep rich flavor of the plums.”

Inspired by Sarah and Katie’s involvement with the Pink Boots Society, Highland and Hi-Wire will donate one dollar from each draft pour of Plum Nectar sold at the release parties at each brewery on October 17th to the non-profit. The Pink Boots Society assists, inspires and encourages women beer industry professionals to advance their careers through education.

Plum Nectar will be available on draft and in 4-packs of 16oz cans featuring Highland’s signature mountain-scape with Hi-Wire’s “clean color-blocked” specialty branding. Look for it in Hi-Wire’s and Highland’s taprooms on October 17th and throughout North Carolina in mid-October.

New Year-Round Beer: Hop Circus Rotating IPA Series

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Hi-Wire Brewing is pleased to introduce the Hop Circus IPA program, an experimental hop series exploring the endless spectrum of hop flavors and aromas, to their line-up of flagship beers, with the first release from the program hitting shelves in October 2018.

The Hop Circus IPA Series is an homage to Hi-Wire Brewing’s original launch of what is now their Speciality Program. Pushing the limits through hop exploration and creative ingredients, it is Hi-Wire Brewing’s goal to bring a new IPA to the market every three to four months. Each release from the Hop Circus IPA Series will feature different combinations of hops, fruit, or adjuncts, keeping the program fresh and interesting.

Co-owner Chris Frosaker notes “our best selling beer is Hi-Pitch Mosaic India Pale Ale, which is a traditional West-Coast Style IPA. We have also been having a blast with our Hazy&Juicy&Hoppy&Fresh series, which rotates some of our favorite hops in a Northeast IPA style. With the Hop Circus series, we get to meet in the middle by experimenting in the wide range of IPA styles, but keeping the beer at a more affordable price point.”

The first release from the Hop Circus IPA Series is a Tropical White IPA (6% ABV). Blending tropical sweet tart flavors from mango and pineapple, with dank white grape and citrus notes from Hallertau Blanc and Citra. A heavy-handed portion of flaked wheat rounds out the flavors in this bright and silky brew. Available in 6-pack 12oz cans and draft, this beer, and all releases from the Hop Circus IPA Series, will see full distribution in Hi-Wire Brewing’s entire footprint.

Hop Circus will be an addition to Hi-Wire Brewing’s current line-up of flagship beers including Hi-Wire Lager, Bed of Nails Brown, Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA, Lo-Pitch Juicy IPA, and Hi-Wire Gose.

Hi-Wire Brewing Announces Plans for Durham, NC Taproom

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Durham, NC has always been a dream destination for Hi-Wire Brewing owners Chris Frosaker and Adam Charnack. Alive with an eccentric culture, a booming music and arts scene, endless boutique restaurants, and an active political community, Durham, NC has always seemed like a natural fit for the Asheville, NC-based brewery.

Yep, that’s right folks, Hi-Wire Brewing will be opening its third taproom, currently referred to as the “Durham Fun Zone,” in Downtown Durham in late 2018. The taproom will be located at 800 Taylor Street at the Golden Belt campus. Golden Belt is an historic 320,000 square foot mill that once housed textile and tobacco facilities, and is the only remaining 1900s-era conversion opportunity of its kind in the area.  

Hi-Wire’s new taproom will consist of 8,844 square feet of interior space, as well as a 1,678 square foot outdoor covered patio and beer garden. Dubbed the “Durham Fun Zone,” the space will be game and activity heavy, featuring full-sized shuffleboard courts, soccer pool tables, table tennis, and more. The bar’s 24 taps will feature Hi-Wire’s full line-up of beers, including year-round, seasonal, specialty, sour, and one-offs, as well as wine, local cider, and guest taps from neighboring Durham breweries. Space will be dedicated to a potential pilot brewing system in the future.  

Strategic growth has always been a part of the Hi-Wire vision. Co-owner, Adam Charnack reflects on where Hi-Wire Brewing started just five years ago and notes, “the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Triangle is Hi-Wire’s second-largest market behind Western North Carolina, and one of the first we ever distributed to. We’ve felt for some time like it’s a second home to us, and we’ve been looking for ways to root ourselves in the community. So while a taproom outside of our two primary breweries wasn’t necessarily part of our Day-One-Business-Plan, we’ve realized how important it is both for Hi-Wire and for our fans to have more ways to connect with the brewery. We’ve been looking for the right opportunity for some time now, and feel as though we’ve really nailed it with our new Durham spot. Hopefully our customers will appreciate and understand our commitment to the area, and either take their love of Hi-Wire to the next level, or, if they’re not really familiar with us just yet, get to know Hi-Wire for the first time – both in our new taproom but also at bars, restaurants, and retail outlets in the community.”

The goal is to open by end of October 2018, but as we all know, construction can have a mind of its own. With that in mind, Hi-Wire Brewing will be regularly updating their website and social media with formal announcements regarding construction, hiring, an opening date, etc. For the most up to date information, please visit hiwirerewing.com or follow them on social media at @hiwirebrewing.

NC Small Batch Festival

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Hi-Wire Brewing will be hosting their 2nd Annual NC Small Batch Festival on Saturday, March 10th from 1:00PM-5:00PM at their Big Top Production Facility and Taproom in Biltmore Village | 2 Huntsman Place.  

The festival will feature 21 North Carolina craft breweries that have brewed a small, one-off-batch, that can not be found in the market. No styles are off-limits as long as it is a one-off product. Hi-Wire’s Brewery Operations Manager, Ben Jutras, notes “this is one of (his) favorite festivals. It is a great opportunity to showcase North Carolina craft breweries and all of the talent we have in this state. We look forward to seeing what everyone came up with and share the craft with new and old friends alike.”

The awesome line-up of participating breweries includes Archetype Brewing Company, Birdsong Brewing, Boojum Brewing Co., Burial Beer Co., Catawba Brewing, Crank Arm Brewing, Free Range Brewing, Homeplace Beer Co., Innovation Brewing, Lexington Avenue Brewery, New Anthem Beer Project, Newgrass Brewing Co., Pisgah Brewing Company, Resident Culture Brewing, Steel String Brewery, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Thirsty Monk Brewery, Trophy Brewing Co., Wooden Robot, and Zillicoah Beer Co.

Guests can expect food from Foothills Local Meats, beats from local band The Chris Cooper Project, and delicious beer. Entry is $10 and includes two beer tokens and commemorative tasting glass. For more information visit our facebook page @Hi-Wire Brewing or website at www.hiwirebrewing.com.

 

Hello, Kentucky!

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We’re so excited to announce our distribution launch into the entire state of Kentucky via Dauntless Distributing beginning Saturday, February 17 with roll-out events scheduled through February 22 in Louisville & Lexington.

Michael Minton, Owner of Dauntless, notes “ Hi-Wire has mastered the balancing act of offering great value and high quality with their diverse lineup of ales and lagers. They’ve also invited the inquisitive imbiber to their “side show” of sour ales and barrel aged beers. This dynamism allows them to appeal to the ever-growing-wider spectrum of drinkers in Kentucky without compromising their precise yet evolving point-of-view. Dauntless is extremely excited to introduce Hi-Wire to The Bluegrass State for the above reasons and how they jive with their dedication to strong, transparent, and communicative relationships with wholesalers. True partnerships are imperative in today’s craft beer universe; Hi-Wire and Dauntless share a mutual understanding and respect for this fact.”

Full Lexington and Louisville event list via Beer Pulse.

January 2018 Beer Releases

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Hi-Wire Brewing announced today their January 2018 beer releases including Death Defying India Pale Ale, a Cherry Flanders Red ale, and 12-pack cans of two year-round flagships.

On Saturday, January 6 at 12pm from their South Slope Sour & Wild Ale facility, Hi-Wire Brewing will be releasing a Cherry Flanders Red (6.2% ABV) ale for $18 per bottle. With a total fermentation time just under 22 months, Cherry Flanders Red is packed with cherries at eighteen pounds per barrel, giving it huge notes of dark fruit, red berries, and balanced acidity. Typically for consumers with an acquired taste, this American version of a Belgian classic on cherries is perfect for anyone looking to expand and explore their “wild side.” This beer will see limited distribution beginning in February.

Kicking off the Seasonal Program in 2018 for Hi-Wire Brewing is the easy drinking and hoppy Death Defying India Pale Ale (6% ABV). Malted oats soften the satisfying bite of dank, piney, and tropical Eureka and El Dorado hops, creating the perfect beer to assist with your quest from winter to spring. Death Defying India Pale Ale will be available on draught and in six-packs throughout Hi-Wire Brewing’s entire distribution footprint, as well as both of Hi-Wire’s taproom the first week of January.

Lastly, Hi-Wire Brewing will be adding 12-pack cans to their year round line-up including Lo-Pitch Juicy IPA (4.9% ABV) and Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA (6.7% ABV). Adding volume and diversity to their packaging line-up will allow Hi-Wire Brewing to reach a broader customer base with two of their top selling beers. Both sets of 12-packs will be available the second week of January and will see distribution in Hi-Wire Brewing’s entire footprint.

Big Plans for 2018

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Less than 5 years old, Asheville, North Carolina’s Hi-Wire Brewing plans to spend over $500,000 in a brewery expansion at their Big Top Production Facility beginning in January 2018 to meet an overall goal of increasing distribution sales by 56% in the upcoming calendar year.

Co-Owner, Chris Frosaker notes, “the equipment addition which will make the biggest impact is adding eight new 90 bbl tanks to increase fermentation capacity to 26,460 bbl per year from our current capacity of 18,900 bbl per year. We will also be adding a new canning line, stainless hard piping throughout the brewery, upgrading water infrastructure into the brewery, and adding numerous pieces of quality control equipment.”

Investments in new equipment has allowed Hi-Wire Brewing to revamp their year round beer lineup to include 12-pack cans of both Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA (6.7% ABV) and Lo-Pitch Juicy IPA (4.9% ABV). Chris Lutkowski, Director of Sales for Hi-Wire Brewing notes, “Cans are becoming more and more an accepted package by the consumer for their craft beer. With the active lifestyles our customers are engaged in, a lighter, more convenient container is definitely an item that our distributors and consumers have been asking for over the past few months. We believe there is a significant amount of business to be had in all channels by putting two of our most popular styles in a 12-pack can configuration and look forward to a very positive response from existing and new consumers alike.” Both sets of 12-packs will be available the second week of January and will see distribution in Hi-Wire Brewing’s entire footprint.

Along with adding 12-pack cans, Hi-Wire Brewing has streamlined their seasonal program and added a High Gravity 4-pack Series to their 2018 release calendar. The seasonal series has been re-envisioned to contain Hi-Wire’s best selling seasonals such as Aerialist Spring Lager and Zirkusfest Oktoberfest, while the High gravity series features some throwbacks, including Raspberry Wheat Wine and Tropical Golden Strong Ale.

2018 is going to be a wild ride for Hi-Wire Brewing and they look forward to sharing it with new and old fans alike. For regular updates on the expansion upgrades and progress, beer releases, and other upcoming news follow them on Facebook or Instagram @hiwirebrewing or please visit www.hiwirebrewing.com.