Nightcrawler — a roving pop-up that combines owners Alexyss Kaneubbe’s and Chris Mumford’s love for cocktails, coffee, beer and wine — has found a home by collaborating with coffee shop Farewell on Southside Avenue.
Every Thursday through Monday, 6 p.m.-midnight, Nightcrawler will bring its signature brand of libations to the Farewell space after the coffee, plant and natural wine store closes.
“Being able to be Farewell’s late-night identity allows us to finally have a space where we can curate a menu, set the lights and interact with people the way we’ve always wanted to,” Kaneubbe and Mumford offered in an email response. “It’s the same amazing location and building with a nighttime vibe and an expanded menu offering cocktails and boozy coffee, of course.”
Before teaming up with Farewell, Nightcrawler found temporary homes at Strange Magic and Eda Rhyne Distilling Co. “We were only able to bartend at events when people asked us to,” they write. “So it’s a huge deal for us to be able to have a little space and call it our own while also working to bring cocktails to the daytime flow of Farewell.”
While past pop-up spots were temporary, the legion of fans from the local service industry scene and beyond are anything but. The impetus behind creating Nightcrawler, the owners say, was to “bring a spot to Asheville that offered pretty much everything we love about the service industry into one solid place; [to open] a bar for bartenders that people visiting can also be very stoked on.”
Ties to the service industry run deep for Nightcrawler. Mumford was the general manager, beer buyer and bartender/barista at The Brew & Brew in Austin, Texas, before moving to Asheville last year with Kaneubbe. She works at Pollen, a coffee and flower shop where she’s formed friendships and connections she says are critical to Nightcrawler’s success.
The two hope to eventually open their own place for Nightcrawler but are thankful for the current arrangement with Farewell.
“This opportunity is something that allows us to see proof of concept, let people get an idea of who we are, what we are like and what we have to offer,” writes the duo. “Hopefully … it could open up doors for us to be able to have our own space.”
Farewell is at 11 Southside Ave. Follow Nightcrawler on Instagram at avl.mx/d7m for additional information.
Ugly sweater bar crawl
Bar Crawl USA hosts the seventh annual Asheville Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl on Saturday, Dec. 16, 3-9 p.m.
Participants are encouraged to deck themselves in an ugly holiday sweater before meeting at Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive for registration and a crawl kickoff party. The crawl stops at Banks Ave Bar, Capella on 9 Rooftop Bar, The One Stop and Claddagh Restaurant & Pub, ending at Scandals Nightclub for the official crawl after-party.
Tickets costing $17 per person grant participants a bar crawl koozie, a holiday lanyard with a map of the participating bars, discounted drinks at participating locations, DJ entertainment at multiple bars, holiday livestream trivia with prizes and a chance to win a $100 cash prize through a giveaway at the crawl’s after-party. A photographer will be taking pictures of the group throughout the crawl.
VIP tickets for $22 also include an official ugly sweater drawstring bag and one complimentary beer at Banks Ave Bar.
Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive is at 161 Biltmore Ave. Visit avl.mx/d7p for tickets and additional information.
Holiday markets are coming to town
Two distinct holiday markets are coming to Asheville breweries this weekend.
The first will transform Hi-Wire Brewing’s River Arts District Beer Garden into a Weihnachtsmarkt, or German-inspired holiday market, on Saturday, Dec. 16, noon-5 p.m. Shipping containers at the brewery will become stalls for vendors to decorate and sell their goods.
The Haus Heidelberg food truck will serve authentic German dishes during the event, and Blunt Pretzels and Mount Patisserie will provide baked goods. Hi-Wire will offer Glühwein, a traditional German mulled wine.
On Sunday, Dec. 17, noon-9 p.m., New Origin Brewing will host its second annual Christmas Market. A variety of pop-up vendors will offer holiday-themed products and gifts for the season. New Origin will brew a winter beer to be released during the event, and 900 Degreez Pizza will offer a themed Christmas special.
Kids (and adults) can have their picture taken with Santa Claus, Greenhouse will run a flash tattoo pop-up, Mount Patisserie will sell doughnuts, and a “make your own s’mores” station will be available.
The Hi-Wire Brewing RAD Beer Garden is at 284 Lyman St. Visit avl.mx/d7n for additional information. New Origin Brewing is at 131 Thompson St. Visit avl.mx/btn for additional information.
Holiday cookie workshop
Rabbit Hole will host a hands-on cookie-making, baking and decorating event on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2-4 p.m.
Workshop participants will be guided through the process of forming cookies from dough and decorating prebaked cookies with a variety of icings, sprinkles and other edible decorations. Tickets ($40 per adult or parent-and-child pair) include hands-on learning for several varieties of cookies and decorative styles. Each attendee will leave with two dozen mixed cookies.
“While participants will not be making dough from scratch, as recipes require the dough to be refrigerated ahead of forming and baking, they will be provided with recipes if they wish to make more at home,” says Alice Oglesby, garden and public relations manager for Sunny Point Cafe and Rabbit Hole.
Rabbit Hole is at 9 State St. Visit avl.mx/wordcapi for tickets and additional information.
Ugly sweater yoga with mimosas
Funky Flow Yoga hosts a holiday-themed yoga class at plēb urban winery on Sunday, Dec. 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m., taught by Mandy Przywara. Przywara is an RYT 200, a registered yoga teacher who has completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training. This will be her third year offering the event at plēb.
The class is suitable for both yoga beginners and experienced practitioners. Attendees are encouraged to wear their ugliest holiday sweaters or any other piece of themed, cozy attire for the class. Przywara’s yoga poses will themselves include a holiday twist. Mimosas, plēb wines and nonalcoholic beverages will be available for sale at the bar.
“The event falls a week before Christmas, right in the thick of holiday prep, planning and shopping,” says Przywara. “We all get so bogged down in those preparations and the stress that comes from the holidays, so I wanted to create a fun event that would allow folks to destress. Our timing is very intentional.”
Attending the class costs $10 per person. Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes before class begins to claim a mat space.
“I hope that folks will walk away from this event feeling relaxed and rejuvenated in a sort of ‘calm before the storm’ way,” says Przywara.
plēb urban winery is at 289 Lyman St. Visit avl.mx/d7l for tickets and additional information.
New CEO at Cúrate
Cúrate has announced the appointment of Susan Aplin as its new CEO.
“The ownership team and I are thrilled to welcome Susan to the team,” says chef Katie Button in a news release. “As Cúrate continues to grow, we know that the addition of an experienced and thoughtful leader is going to prove effective in achieving our vision for the business.”
Aplin brings over 30 years of experience in both the gourmet food and e-commerce industries to the role. She has held executive positions with large, global companies such as Williams-Sonoma Inc., The Gap, Bambeco, Sports Authority Inc., Staples, Bill Me Later and the World Trade Center Institute. Before joining Cúrate, Aplin served as co-CEO of Asheville’s Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn.
“I look forward to strengthening the position that Cúrate has earned in the restaurant space and taking it to the next level in the direct-to-consumer, CPG [consumer packaged goods], travel and wine industries,” says Aplin in the news release. “I am excited to lead Cúrate restaurants and lifestyle brands into the next chapter of [their] legacy.”
Cúrate is at 13 Biltmore Ave. Visit avl.mx/d7k for additional information.
Collab beer for a cause
Chai Pani Restaurant Group founder and chef Meherwan Irani has teamed up with Monday Night Brewing brewmaster Peter Kiley to release a limited-edition beer. The beer is part of Monday Night Brewing’s Chef Series, which celebrates chefs while pledging a portion of sales to charity.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance to food service workers.
Kiley devised the beer – a wheated rice lager with turmeric ― to reflect Irani’s heritage and complement the flavors and spices of his Indian cuisine at restaurants such as Chai Pani and Botiwalla. Wheat is the predominant grain in northern India, while rice is the leading grain in southern India. The turmeric adds notes of earthy, floral and citrus flavor. This beer is now available at all Chai Pani Restaurant Group restaurants as well as Monday Night Brewing locations throughout the Southeast.
Chai Pani is at 22 Battery Park Ave. Botiwalla is at 697 Haywood Road. Visit avl.mx/d7o for additional information.
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