Louisville Beer Week 2024 is back with new events: What to know

The latest case for what’s cool about the craft beer community could be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Days after the storm ravaged Asheville, North Carolina, known well as a top craft beer town, Louisville breweries showed up to start fundraisers for those impacted.

Part of that stemmed from Hi-Wire Brewing, which has a home base in Asheville and opened a taproom in the Highlands neighborhood in 2021. They started a relief fund you can still donate to.

As the 7th annual Louisville Beer Week comes up, John Ronayne, co-founder of Louisville Ale Trail and organizer of the multi-day event, pointed this out.

“Beer people have each other's backs,” he told the Courier Journal.

Hi-Wire is one of the nearly 30 breweries participating in Louisville Beer Week, which consists of a mix of events, brewery collaborations, and special releases.

It’s also a time to celebrate the local craft beer scene, which this year comes with an “Everyone fits in Louisville beer,” theme. That goes for newcomers such as Trellis Brewing, 827 Logan St., and Hop Atomica, 1318 McHenry St.

“I really do think there’s something for everybody,” Ronayne said. “We’re very lucky in Louisville because pretty much every brewery you go into is making some of the best beer in the country.”

On that point, Ronayne said Louisville Beer Week will be releasing its first-ever puzzle, in which patrons can visit seven participating breweries to get a piece of the puzzle and share a photo of the finished product for a prize.

More information about that will be available by visiting louisvillealetrail.com. Read on for what else to know about Louisville Beer Week.

The seventh annual Louisville Beer Week kicks off Friday, Oct. 18, and runs through Oct. 27.

Along with several brewery events around town, Louisville Ale Trail will present two new experiences:

How to Brew Beer in 10,000 Years: Set for Oct. 22, this evening is for "history buffs and beer enthusiasts." It will be held at the Frazier History Museum, 829 W Main St., from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45.

Angel's Share: Several months ago, Angel's Envy got an idea with some area breweries to use the distillery's recently-empted barrels to make some barrel-aged brews. This tasting event is slated for Oct. 24, at The Shop, 2708 Frankfort Ave. Tickets cost $45.

For more information, visit louisvillealetrail.com.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].