The twist on top

High point: Top of the Monk will develop spirit-forward cocktails on the third floor of Thirsty Monk downtown.

In 1905, at a certain bar in Albuquerque, every drink was served with a fried oyster, according to Chall Gray's research.

While Top of the Monk, the bar Gray helped open last week, won't serve fried oysters, it will offer what Gray calls "companion bites," snacks that accompany every drink by default. Think a prosciutto-wrapped, lemon-dill breadstick alongside a Seelbach (bourbon, Cointreau, bitters and sparkling wine).

"You're not going to come up to the Top of the Monk for a meal, but you'll have a little bite that comes with the drink," Gray says.

This kind of coordinated pairing is more than a century old, he adds.

Top of the Monk is owned by Barry Bialik, proprietor of the Thirsty Monk craft beer bar, which has three locations throughout Asheville (and a fourth in the works). The cocktail concept occupies the third floor of the Thirsty Monk's downtown location and includes a deck with mountain views. Gray says he can see as far as Candler on clear days.

Bialik announced his plans for a liquor bar more than a year ago. Since then, the project's focus has shifted from flights of liquor served neat to pre-Prohibition cocktails. While many bars accentuate the mixers, Top of the Monk will develop spirit-forward cocktails. The opening menu features the Saratoga Cocktail: cognac, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Peychaud's bitters and Angostura bitters.

Half of the menu is devoted to classic drinks selected from the bartenders' research. "Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Corpse Reviver, those are some well-known examples, but there are hundreds and hundreds of classic drinks out there," Gray says. "One of the things that has always been our focus at the Monk is educating the customers."

The remaining portion of the menu will showcase the bartenders' creativity. Modern concoctions include The Bustier — gin, Cocchi Americano, St. Germain and rhubarb bitters.

Try each drink while you can, Gray adds. The bar's menu changes just like the tap lists at the Thirsty Monk. "There won't be anything on the menu all the time," he says. "At the Monk, we tapped almost 1,500 beers last year. We're going to be changing our cocktail list every week."

If Gray's name sounds familiar, that's because he's also the producer for the Magnetic Theatre, which last winter closed its River Arts District location and its companion restaurant/bar, the Magnetic Field. (The theater company continues to perform at other venues.) Magnetic Field’s cocktails were recognized widely as some of the best in town.

But don't expect the Magnetic Field’s drinks at Top of the Monk. "There's echoes here and there," Gray says. "Top of the Monk is thoroughly a Thirsty Monk project."

Top of the Monk, 92 Patton Ave. (on the third floor), opens Wednesday through Saturday at 4 p.m. Weekdays, it closes at midnight. On Friday and Saturday, it closes at 1 a.m. For more information, visit monkpub.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “The twist on top

  1. Goob

    Sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try some new cocktails and look out over the mountains.

Leave a Reply to Goob ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.