We always love grabbing a few craft cocktails, and it just so happens that many of Asheville’s top mixologists have created brand spankin’ new sips for us to enjoy in time for spring. So grab a mask, head out, and hit up these spots — no special occasion necessary.
🍹 Chai Pani, 22 Battery Park Ave.
Want a drink that tastes like a garden in a glass? Have a Lavender Lemonade Mojito, which incorporates white rum, lavender-infused simple syrup, hand-squeezed lemon, mint, and soda water for a libation that looks almost as bright + refreshing as it tastes.
While you can’t go wrong with any of the spring cocktails from this bar + lounge located inside the Hotel Arras, we’re especially partial to the Rough Draft (second from the left), which features green chartreuse, lime, maraschino liqueur, cucumber + fresh pineapple juices, and habanero-infused tequila.
🍹 Fork Lore, 43 Town Square Blvd.
Their entire spring cocktail menu looks divine, but the Cherry Blossom — made with sake, Cointreau, fresh lime, and cranberry — is uniquely delicious.
🍹 Hemingway’s Cuba, 15 Page Ave.
Ready for three words that are lovely alone, but magical when combined? I’m talking about the pink peppercorn Paloma. Made with tequila, Campari, Triple sec, house-infused pink peppercorn agave, and sparkling pink grapefruit juice, it brings new meaning to the phrase “pretty in pink.”
Looking for a sweet + refreshing drink to usher in the spring? Try the Windemere, a classic Pisco sour blended with A Death in the Afternoon, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite cocktails that marries absinthe and Champagne. Its sophisticated flavors are unlike anything you’ve ever had before.
🍹 Jargon, 715 Haywood Rd.
You may think you’ve had a pineapple margarita before, but not really. Jargon’s, with plata tequila, rich orange liqueur, agave, fresh pineapple + lime juices, turmeric, and lava salt, is a sublime shock to the senses.
🍹 Pillar Rooftop Bar, 309 College St.
Aside from having arguably the best cocktail name maybe ever, Pillar Rooftop Bar’s It’s About Figgin’ Thyme is made with gin, thyme-infused honey, fig marmalade, and lemon for a cocktail that balances sweetness with a touch of tart for a supremely sippable concoction.
🍹 Posana Restaurant, 1 Biltmore Ave.
Want a drink that’s spicy, smoky + stimulating? Unintentional alliteration aside, Posana’s Lone Cowboy — with mezcal, Aperol, lime juice, grapefruit, and smoked salt rim — fits the bill in the tastiest way possible.
Made with aged rum, Campari, banana liquor, Lillet Rosé, and black salt, RosaBees’ Always Money in the Banana Stand cocktail is like a vacation in a glass. And for all you Arrested Development fans out there, it might just take your mind away from the mountain of cash your son accidentally set on fire.
The vinyl-themed cafe and bar inside Citizen Vinyl has unveiled all- new menu items for spring, including its Nothing Without Intention cocktail, featuring Aperol + tepache (fermented pineapple), it’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before — and trust us, you’ll want another.
🍹 Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr. #3141
It’s well-known that Smoky Park Supper Club turns out dishes that are consistently delicious with unexpected flourishes, and its cocktails follow suit. The Play It Right features aged rum, Velvet Falernum (a Caribbean cocktail ingredient infused with citrus + spices), ginger orgeat, bitters, and fresh carrot and lime makes imbibing feel positively luxurious.
🍹 The Madness, 275 Smokey Park Hwy., Ste. 251
Officially open since April, this newcomer slings sushi + burgers (often together), as well as some fine libations, including the signature Madness G & T made with Japanese gin, basil, rosemary, and creme de violette for a cocktail that’s a little bit herbaceous, a little bit floral, and a whole lot of delicious.
