CHARLOTTE — When Catawba Brewing’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time (5.7 percent ABV) made its debut in 2012, no one could have predicted the phenomenon it would become by its 10th annual release. At the time, brewing with peanuts was virtually unheard of in a craft beer era in which brewers were less adventurous with adjuncts as compared to 2021 standards. What started as a small scale tribute to a friend’s young son has evolved into the brewery’s most anticipated Specialty Series release with growing demand for the beer every year.
The legendary “PB&J sandwich in a glass,” Peanut Butter Jelly Time (5.7 percent ABV) makes its return to the Catawba menu on Friday, April 2nd – which happens to be National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. An online pre-sale at shop.catawbabrewing.com continues through Thursday, ending at midnight. The beer will be available for pick-up or purchase at tasting rooms when the doors open at each location on Friday. The brewery has planned Covid-responsible festivities in accordance with CDC and North Carolina guidelines.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time starts as a light brown ale with a touch of wheat in its malt bill, providing the bready base for the star ingredients – real raspberry puree and whole roasted North Carolina peanuts. The beer will be available on draft and in 4-pack 16oz cans. Find it at all five Catawba tasting rooms, the Palmetto Brewing tasting room in Charleston, and in 5-state distribution.
Continuing a tradition started in 2018, the release party for Peanut Butter Jelly Time will include three specialty variations of the beer. PB&J flavors for 2021, in addition to the original Raspberry, will include Strawberry-Rhubarb, Grape, and the debut of Orange Marmalade. PB&J Strawberry-Rhubarb is available in 4-packs for its third consecutive year with limited distribution. Small Batch draft-only PB&J Grape and Orange Marmalade were brewed in Catawba’s Asheville and Charlotte brewhouses, and will be sold exclusively in their tasting rooms. A special PB&J flight will be offered while supplies last, and new PB&J merch items and glassware will be available for purchase starting on Friday.
SMALL BATCH BEER RELEASE:
Before the PB&J main course arrives, Catawba taps “Where My Peeps At?” (6.2 percent ABV) on Thursday, April 1st. Billed as a Peep S’mores Porter, this decadent Easter dessert beer will be available at all Catawba and Palmetto locations. Brewed with 8 specialty grains, this pastry-style Milk Porter sandwiches its adjuncts with an underlying nutty sweetness reminiscent of honey-made graham crackers. It then piles on pillowy marshmallows (shaped like baby chickens) — with additions of vanilla and lactose. Finally, it was aged on crushed cacao beans provided by French Broad Chocolates, drenching the whole thing in campfire chocolatey goodness.
CATAWBA WILMINGTON NOW OPEN:
Catawba opened their new Wilmington restaurant and tasting room with live music and giveaways on Sunday. The Grand Opening of Catawba Wilmington represents the culmination of over two decades in the NC craft beer business for the Pyatt family, North Carolina natives, who have long dreamed of expanding the family business from the mountains to the coast. “We’ve been actively evaluating locations for some time and have come to love the beer scene and lifestyle in Wilmington,” said Billy Pyatt, Catawba’s CEO and co-owner. “We felt we could really integrate and contribute there.” Now the new location celebrates its first week in business with its first Peanut Butter Jelly Time release on Friday.
About Catawba Brewing Company:
Catawba Brewing Co. has been an industry leader in Western North Carolina’s craft beer scene for two decades. The company was founded in 1999 by WNC natives, the Pyatt family, who were inspired by their weekend homebrew hobby. From humble beginnings, the business has grown exponentially to become a major craft beer supplier across five states. Catawba now operates breweries and tasting rooms in four NC cities – Morganton, Asheville, Charlotte, and Wilmington – embracing a hybrid wholesale/retail strategy. With the 2018 acquisition of Palmetto Brewing Co. in Charleston, SC, the Pyatt family hobby has spawned one of the Southeast’s largest and most diverse craft brewing entities. Learn more at www.catawbabrewing.com