Social Lounge

Asheville, North Carolina, US

Mix a Melpomene & Thalia cocktail in #ABiteToEat with Social Lounge, Asheville.

How did you get started?

We were originally Sazerac's, Asheville's first craft cocktail bar. It was New Orleans theme, with a heavy focus on the rooftop. We decided to change concepts and become Asheville's first lounge, moving the center of attention to our cocktails and our ever-changing small plates.

Where are you located?

We are located in the center of Downtown Asheville.

What are your specialities?

We're known for our Thalia's and Old Fashioneds. The Thalia has been on our menu for several years; guests constantly reminisce about a drink they had here years ago, started with a t...

Very often you'll hear "Well, you gotta try their Old Fashioned, it's the best in town." Technically our Old Fashioned is a "New Fashioned", made with muddled orange and luxardo cherries. A traditional Old Fashioned is liquor only.

Lastly, we have chocolate covered bacon. We've had chocolate covered bacon as long as we've had the Thalia, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

What's your personal favorite thing on the menu?

My personal favorite drink is the Melpomene. Jalapeno, tequila, citrus... It's sweet and spicy, light and refreshing. Anyone I tell to try it falls in love with it.

What's on the stereo?

Unless we have a DJ or a band we use Pandora, and we change the music depending on the mood that day. Our usual channels are Talking Heads, Glass Animals, PInk Floyd, and LCD Soundsystem. Who wants to listen to the same thing everyday?

Where else should we visit in your area?

I asked a few people "If you had someone visiting you, and you could only take them to one place, where would it be?" and I got some interesting answers. A few seriously said our sister restaurant Strada Italiano. One said "Well first I'd check to see if there was a cool show going on at the Orange Peel", another said "Oh no! I'm not the one to ask, I never go anywhere! The Parkway! I'd take them to the Parkway!" We have two votes for the Biltmore Estate, a few restaurants such as Wasabi and Zambras, and the most interesting answer I received was "A Escape, I did that last night and it was AWESOME!!" which is a room that you and other participants are locked inside and have to escape withing a set time-frame. I've seen it advertised on facebook, but it's new and I haven't gotten around to checking it out yet. There are so many different things to do here, I would have to tailor the "one spot visit" to exactly what I thought the one visiting would like best.

Do you host any special events?

We rent our space for special events such as parties, if that's what you're asking. We also hold special events such as food and beer pairings, cigar pairings, fun classes, awareness parties...We had a mustache party with Kettle One for MoShave November, for Men's Health Awareness. Next week we are a part of Paint The Town Red with American Red Cross where 6 bars downtown on Fat Tuesday are showcasing a "sip and a bite" with guest bartenders competing for tips that all go to disaster relief. Our bar is going to be the most fun, though.

Is there anything else you'd like us to know?

Social Lounge is 3-Star Green Certified, which means everything that can be composted or recycled is, and all paper products are made from recycled material. Did you notice our plastic candles? We're not that tacky, the smoke from wax candles actually causes indoor air pollution. And they're rechargeable, so we create less waste. Our floors upstairs are bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource. Most of the wood you see is reclaimed wood. All of our to-go containers are compostable. Little things add up, and we are proud to be a part of the big picture.