Complex and varied, vermouths are becoming more than just a cocktail component. Local wine shop owners say the fortified wine is gaining popularity as a standalone beverage.
Small bites: Pepperpalooza features treats with heat
Peppers take center stage for the inaugural Pepperpalooza, hosted by the West Asheville Tailgate Market. Also: Lookout Brewing Co. throws its annual wild game potluck; The Red Rocker Inn hosts a barbecue and bluegrass dinner; and more.
Some brick-and-mortars in the Asheville food and beverage scene are going mobile
It’s common for food truck owners to aspire to one day transition to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but sometimes that dynamic is reversed.
Top Shelf Views: Asheville bartenders talk about Prohibition-era cocktails
Today, Prohibition-era cocktails evoke thoughts of adventure and an acceptable (read: nonlethal) amount of danger. Many modern-day bars re-create the ambiance and drinks recipes of a century ago, using legal, quality ingredients.
Wine bars carve a niche in Asheville’s beverage scene
Asheville’s handful of wine bars have developed a scene for wine lovers that provides drinking experiences that are flavorful, fun, educational (if that’s wanted) and — most of all — unpretentious.
The natural wine movement gains momentum in Asheville
Produced with a focus on sustainable farming practices and low-intervention fermentation, natural wines are increasingly finding their way onto local wine lists and retail shelves.
Top Shelf Views: Local drinks wizard opens up about DIY limoncello
The classic Italian lemon liqueur is as easy to make as it is refreshing.
Asheville Cocktail Week highlights sustainability in craft and career
The nose-to-tail concept is finding application outside the culinary world; sustainability-minded bartenders and mixologists are applying the “whole beast” approach wherever possible in the creation and preparation of mixed drinks. But for those in the high-stress career of bartending, sustainability extends further, into a concern for health and well-being. This year’s Asheville Cocktail Week — […]
Find Your Spirit Fest highlights N.C. distillers
The surge of interest in spirits and cocktails means that there is more than one local event in April exploring the world of alcoholic beverages. While Asheville Cocktail Week (see separate story) is an eight-day happening dividing its focus between those within the food and beverage industry and the general public, the inaugural Find Your […]
Top Shelf Views: Asheville spirit lovers talk about tequila
The liquor distilled from blue agave has a rich history, and aficionados would argue that the best tequilas rival the quality of high-end European brandies.
Top Shelf Views: Asheville drinks aficionados talk about Irish whiskey
Like their neighbors to the northeast, the Irish distill spirits from barley and water. But they’ve created a product that’s sweeter, less earthy and eminently more drinkable than scotch.
Top Shelf Views: Asheville bartenders talk about two-ingredient cocktails
Local bartenders say satisfying cocktails with complex flavor profiles don’t necessarily require a long list of ingredients.
Top Shelf Views: WNC bar owner talks about brandy
Within the world of brandy, there is a wide array of choices; the finest have a subtlety that rivals the best from any spirit category.
WNC’s craft distilling industry is growing despite legislative hurdles
Although the number of craft distilleries in Western North Carolina has increased significantly in recent years, business owners say state legislation is still hampering the growth of burgeoning industry.
Top Shelf Views: Asheville restaurant bars focus on dessert cocktails
When considering a dessert drink, “traditionally, most folks would probably think of a sweet cocktail,” says Jayson Landers, operating manager at Italian eatery Strada and its Social Lounge. “But there’s really a wide spectrum.”
Year in review: Creative new cocktail bars
Several bars focusing on the creative end of mixed drinks opened in Asheville in 2018.
Top-shelf views: The sweet side of cocktail making
Making syrups for cocktails is a fun and forgiving process that encourages experimentation.
Top-shelf Views: Asheville bartenders talk about bourbon
It’s bourbon whiskey that best deserves the appellation of “the quintessential American spirit,” says Casey Campfield of downtown bar The Crow & Quill. “There’s a poetic allure to the history of bourbon that really appeals to me.”
Top-Shelf Views: Asheville event planners talk about batch cocktails
Mixing up a large quantity of cocktails ahead of a gathering can streamline drinks service while showcasing a host’s creativity.
Top-Shelf Views: Asheville bartenders talk about absinthe
Local bartenders dispel myths about the legendary “green fairy.”
Small bites: Celebrity chef dishes up paella
District Wine Bar hosts a paella and Spanish wine fundraiser for Asheville Music School. Also in this week’s Asheville food news, GO Kitchen Ready students present their Showcase Dinner, the Acornucopia Project offers a nut foraging class, Hickory Nut Gap Farms hosts Sausage Fest, Marshall gets ready for its second Fermentation Festival and much more.