Let’s face it: A substandard (or merely ordinary) cup of coffee or tea just isn’t going to cut it in Western North Carolina. Infusion-savvy residents know where to find pu-er tea from Yunnan, “Dereje” heirloom coffee from Ethiopia, a pour-over iced coffee from Sumatra, and the best coffee- or teahouse for hunkering down with a book. In part, that’s because nearly every town and neighborhood — and even bicycle-powered pushcarts — give residents and visitors alike with their choice of high-grade coffees, teas and tisanes, as well as locally owned and operated roasting companies that bring us the best beans. In short, we have a thriving coffee-and-tea culture.
Here are a few highlights from the Asheville area:
- Business is buzzing: High Five Coffee Bar will be opening a second location on Rankin Avenue near the back door of Tops for Shoes in downtown Asheville. Dobra Tea will open its third regional tea shop in West Asheville off Haywood Road. (That’s right, its third: We do love our teas.) And one of the area’s newest shops, The Beehive Coffee Bar, has opened in Arden on Sweeten Creek Road.
- Waking Life Espresso‘s flash-brewed iced coffee is being distributed far and wide; look for it in local grocery stores or buy it by the growler at the coffeehouse’s West Asheville location.
- A sampling of our Best of WNC winners includes the BattleCat Coffee Bar, Green Sage Café and Izzy’s Coffee Den.
- Our readers note these establishments as the best coffee/teahouses in which to savor a good read: Dobra Tea, Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar, and Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe.
- If you like your beans freshly roasted, try these Best of WNC winners and nominees: Dynamite Roasting Co., Bean Werks Coffee and Tea, Mountain City Coffee Roasters, Asheville Coffee Roasters and Mountain Air Roasting.
- ExploreAsheville.com mentions these fan favorites too: Green Sage Café, The Dripolator Coffeehouse, Clingman Café, World Coffee Cafe and Old Europe.
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