Distillery expands with East Asheville tavern, more changes to come
ASHEVILLE - Time, patience and hard work are paying off for a homegrown distilling company.
Cultivated Cocktails, a local family-founded and operated distillery, is in the next stages of improving its production systems, revamping its online market, and upgrading its newest distillery and tasting room in East Asheville – the sister location of its downtown tasting room.
“This is a more community-oriented location and downtown is a bit more tourist-driven,” said Leah Howard, who owns the business with her husband, Taylor Howard, and his father Wendell Howard.
Cultivated Cocktails, established in 2012, released its first product from its collection of premium, barrel-aged spirits and liqueurs in 2017.
Like its products, Cultivated Cocktails is aging well to become a stronger business, and it’s making an impact in the community and craft beverage industry with more planned for 2024.
Inside Cultivated Cocktails Distillery and Tavern
In 2019, Cultivated Cocktails’ Downtown Shop and Tasting Lounge opened, then, in 2021 relocated to a larger storefront suite two doors down at 25 Page Ave., Suite 103.
Last October, Cultivated Cocktails Distillery and Tavern opened at 161 Charlotte Hwy, Suite A ― a commercial space estimated at 10,000 square feet, including the tasting room, kitchen and distillery spaces.
The downtown tasting lounge and retail store is 3,500 square feet.
The new East Asheville tasting room allows for hosting larger private and public events, like the Cultivated Experiences group tastings. A section of the building has been designated for the distillery’s barrel-aging, bottling and labeling production.
Leah Howard said the neighborhood distillery and tasting room has become a go-to for neighbors in East Asheville and nearby Fairview, and that's in mind when cultivating unique experiences for guests.
The larger, full bar allows for an extended menu of Cultivated Cocktails’ spirits and other local brands, beer, cider, wine and more.
The Hibiscus Heartbreaker, a popular choice on the handcrafted specialty cocktails menu, is made with Cultivated Cocktail's Shades of Rosé Gin, peach and sage syrups, lemon juice, smoke and salt bitters, and finished with a honey drizzle.
Mountain Madre, which has a downtown kitchen and agave bar, partnered with the distillery to offer regular food service at the new site. The extensive menu of Mexican cuisine features empanadas, quesadillas, salads, burrito bowl, tacos and more. Vegan and vegetarian options and a kid’s menu are available.
“This is a hearty, filling option for food, which is great for if you’re going to drive here and have some cocktails,” Leah Howard said.
Activities and entertainment will soon be introduced with Skee-Ball and simulation games in consideration.
Both downtown and East Asheville locations are dog and family-friendly.
The story of Cultivated Cocktails
Leah Howard said the vision for Cultivated Cocktails was to build on Asheville’s status as a craft beer mecca to make it a craft beverage mecca by diversifying the industry with distilled spirits.
Distilling is primarily at the original production facility at 204 Charlotte Hwy, Suite D., which is open by appointment only.
Each Cultivated Cocktails product, name and design reflect the family and Asheville, and share origin stories on its labels.
The distillery’s inaugural spirit was the Hazel 63 Rum, an aged rum made with fine select molasses and finished with French and American Oak and named after Taylor Howard’s great uncle, Hazel Pink Howard. The label features a 1963 Cadillac which the family still owns.
The Hwy 9 Gin, a small batch gin with notes of several citruses, references Taylor Howard’s favorite route to ride his motorcycle.
“That will take you all the way down to the area his grandmother grew up in and all the way back up to this area ― just the connections between the family,” said Leah Howard, who said the Howard family has roots across the Asheville and Shelby areas.
Shades of Rosé Gin, a classic barrel-rested gin, was inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who has local ties, and his quote, "Here's to alcohol, the rose-colored glasses of life."
Asheville Coffee Liqueur, made with Madagascar bourbon vanilla, uses a homemade recipe by Taylor Howard’s grandmother.
“She used to put it in our stockings at Christmas and we finally got the recipe out of her,” Leah Howard said. “She’s very proud of her coffee liqueur and we are, too. It’s our bestseller.”
Each bottle has an illustration of a hawk on its label, representing Leah and Taylor Howard’s nine-year-old son, Hawkins.
What’s next for Cultivated Cocktails
Soon, barrels of spirits will be rolled in for aging, and bottling and labeling systems will be installed at the East Asheville distillery, which will be used for hosting distilling education programming, too.
On April 22, Cultivated Cocktails will host “Meet the Distiller Cocktail Hour” with Head Distiller Reel Adams from 4:30-8:30 p.m. and a Cultivate Your Cocktail Class from 2-5 p.m. at the tavern. Reserve a spot at cultivated-cocktails.com.
Cultivated Cocktails’ spirits are sold at the downtown and East Asheville tasting room and ABC Stores. The company’s upgraded online store will relaunch later with distribution planned to extend across 28 states and further still.
Cocktail kit subscriptions are available, too.
Visit Cultivated Cocktail’s website and follow the distillery and taproom’s social media accounts for announcements on live music, comedy and trivia nights, vendor markets and fundraising events.
Cultivated Cocktails Distillery and Tavern
Where: 161 Charlotte Hwy, Suite A, Asheville.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
Cultivated Cocktails Downtown Shop & Tasting Lounge
Where: 25 Page Ave., Suite 103.
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
12-8 p.m. Sunday.
Info: For more, visit cultivated-cocktails.com and follow @cultivatedcocktailsdistillery and @cultivatedcocktails_eastavl.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Cultivated Cocktails settles into East Asheville with upscale tavern
