Asheville: Sake City USA?!

asheville sake city usa

Beer City USA, to Bee City USA, to Sake City USA! I like how it sounds. Asheville is now setting the stage to make that happen. Great food demands a great drink! Sake is something that we usually only enjoy when we are eating Japanese, Korean, Thai and Chinese food; but all of that is about to change. Several locations are now open in the Asheville area where Sake is one of the key offerings. Blue Kudzu is leading the way with the fourth micro-sake brewery in the USA. This is BIG!

Since Sake has landed in Asheville North Carolina, businesses are taking advantage of this great opportunity. We stopped by the grand opening party at Blue Kudzu Sake in the River Arts District and enjoyed a night of friends, food, beer, and Sake of course. Asian influence as a whole is spreading in the Asheville and Western North Carolina community as Oriental families are realizing the quality of life we offer and the peaceful diversity this city brings to the table.

Other places in the area that are part of the Asheville Sake Revolution are Ben’s Tune Up in downtown Asheville, and Native Kitchen & Social Pub in Swannanoa, just minutes east of Asheville. And this is just the beginning. I already envision many Asheville area restaurants incorporating select Sake options in their menu; especially once Blue Kudzu starts brewing! Stop by these locations and try some. You will love it. Kanpai!




Asheville Drinks and Cocktails

asheville drinks cocktails

Here is a quick photo collage of some Asheville Drinks and Cocktails from plenty of area restaurants, meetings and celebrations. Where is your favorite places to grab a drink; whether a brew, cocktail, or glass of wine? Tell us below so we are more prone to stop by and check them out. Also, see the Asheville “Drink Me” page on AskAsheville.




Asheville Brewery, Blue Kudzu Sake Co., Breaks New Ground

Blue Kudzu Sake Co., set to be the fourth micro-sake brewery in the entire United States, is getting ready to set up shop right here in Asheville, North Carolina.  This locally owned small business will focus on producing small batch, hand crafted, artisan sake.

What is Sake? It is a fermented beverage consisting of water, rice, yeast and koji, a mold that converts rice starch into sugar. Sake is brewed like beer, but has a higher alcohol content more like wine, and is one of the most natural beverages on Earth.

What is Blue Kudzu? Blue Kudzu will be a manufacturer of bottled and draught organic craft sakes, right here in Asheville, NC. Owners, Mary Taylor, Cat Ford-Coates, and Mitch Fortune, long time bar and restaurant fixtures in the Asheville scene, will start their business as a small production craft brewery, with a tasting room and retail store-front. Under the tutelage of Mountain Biz Works, these small business owners are ready to break ground launching a whole new brewing industry.  The products they intend to offer will be local, certified organic, gluten free, vegan, and  kosher, as well as sulfite free and macrobiotic (for certain product lines.)

What began as a discussion about sake over a dinner party a little over a year and a half ago, is about to blossom into a full fledged sake brewery right here in Beer City, U.S.A.  The thing is, they need your help.  Currently Blue Kudzu has launched a kickstarter campaign (a publicly supported fundraising platform) to help them secure the additional funds they need to get the project off the ground.  Blue Kudzu has investors lined up to back the project, but they need some additional capital, via community support, to secure the funds.  Blue Kudzu plans to open their doors in the spring of 2013, bringing fresh local sake to the Asheville area.  For more information, or to see how you can help, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/63560432/blue-kudzu-sake-company




Asheville New Years Eve Party 2009 – Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

Posted By: Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

Hosted By: Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge

When: Wednesday Dec 31, 2008at 3:00 PM

Where: Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge 7 Rankin Ave Asheville, NC 28801 United States
No cover – free champagne toast at midnight… but remember, if you want to be there when the ball drops, come early and stay (our capacity is 49). Party in the new year like you should!

You can RSVP or contact them at Rankin.Vault@gmail.com or go to http://www.rankinvault.com/



Friends eat lunch @ The Flying Frog Cafe

It used to be the “New French Bar”, but now “The Flying Frog”, is one of the Downtown Asheville hot spots to have Sunday brunch, lunch or dinner any day, and a very nice place for evening cocktails and laughs with friends. Their lower level “underground” restaurant (below this main level) is a very private and great place to eat. Food… great, Service… great. It is located on the corner of Battery Park Ave and Haywood St. www.flyingfrogcafe.com