Asheville Beer Week returns this Fri., May 27 through Sun., June 5, and our city is brewing with special tastings, fun competitions, and educational events. For the rare Ashevillians who are beer-averse, there are also sake and cider-focused events.

Ready to drink it all in? We put together a cheat sheet so you have ideas of where to go for WNC’s largest annual celebration of craft beer.

If you love tasting fresh flavors…

Just Brew It | Sat., June 4 | 2-6 p.m. | Pisgah Brewing Company, 150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain | $30 Just Economics membership required for entry | This homebrew competition, showcasing 40+ homebrewers, allows unlimited sampling of ~100 beers, including traditional IPAs, lagers, sours, and stouts.

If you enjoy friendly competition…

Beer and Bratwurst Stein Hoisting Contest | Fri., May 27 | 7-8 p.m. | Catawba Brewing - South Slope, 32 Banks Ave. | Free | Enjoy brat specials from The Deli Llama and see how long you can hold a full one-liter beer stein with a straight arm as part of a traditional Bavarian strength competition.

If you’re a lifelong student of craft…

Lifting Lucy Presents- A screening of One Pint at a time | Fri., May 27 | 4:30-7 p.m. | $20 | New Belgium Brewing, 21 Craven St. | In partnership with GrindFest, Lifting Lucy Foundation will screen a film about the various journeys BIPOC entrepreneurs have embarked upon in craft beer. There will also be a special release of the Equity Over Everythang coffee milk stout.

Off Topic: Paths to Equitable Inclusion of BIWOC in Beer | Sun, May 29 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Burial Beer Co., 40 Collier Ave. | Free to watch, $10 for tasting | Learn how to support Black, Indigenous, and BIWOC in the beer industry events through this panel + guided beer tasting curated by Lifting Lucy Foundation.

An Evening with Beer Author, John Holl | Tues., May 31 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Highland Brewing Co. | Free or $20 for small bites | Take part in a public podcast taping featuring a discussion with John Holl and Oscar and Leah Wong about Holl’s new book “The Craft Brewery Cookbook.”

Locally-based Ben's Tune Up is one of about ~20 sake breweries nationwide. | Photo via Ben's Tune Up

Wanna steer clear of beer?

American Craft Sake Festival | Sat., May 28 | 2-6 p.m. | Ben’s Tune Up, 195 Hilliard Ave. | $40+ | Sample sips from craft sake breweries across North American and learn from brewers across the continent at the largest gathering of North American sake brewers in the country.