Participate in the Best Bloomin’ Beverage Contest!

Spring is here, and we’re celebrating with the Best Bloomin' Beverage Contest, a fun and festive way for Downtown Asheville’s cafes, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and breweries to show off their floral-inspired creations!

The People’s Choice Award winner will be announced at the Community Concert on May 29, the culmination of Asheville Beer Week, so get your beverage ready for the spotlight! This is a chance to showcase your creativity and attract more customers while celebrating the season of bloom.

Enjoy a floral-inspired drink at any of the following establishments and vote for your favorite here!

• Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ
  Featured Beverage: Dilly Dahlia
  Description: A bright and refreshing mix of Ketel One Botanical, Disaronno, grapefruit, lemon, and Sprite. Floral and citrusy with a hint of almond sweetness.

• Boomer’s Bourbon and Cocktail Bar
  Featured Beverage: Violet Whisper
  Description: A house-made Lavender Spritz that’s delicate, floral, and perfect for a soft spring evening.

• Chai Pani
  Featured Beverage: Golden Hour Sour
  Description: A golden-hued gin sour infused with warm Indian spices—fennel, fenugreek, and turmeric—balanced with aquafaba for a silky finish.

• Chestnut
  Featured Beverage: The Hungry Caterpillar
  Description: A lush and layered drink with Oak & Grist Genever Gin, Montenegro Amaro, local honey, citrus, and a crown of passionfruit foam.

• Cúrate Tapas Bar
  Featured Beverage: Suelo y Pétalos
  Description: Crafted by bartender Cesar Morón, this springtime tribute to his daughters blends Dewar's White Label Scotch, Domaine de Canton, Cynar, hibiscus and pink peppercorn syrup, lemon, and edible flowers. Lightly smoky, floral, and full of heart and balance.

• Creperie Bouchon
  Featured Beverage: Garden Party
  Description: A floral and effervescent delight with Local Chemist Gin, St. Germain, Crème de Violette, lemon, and a splash of pink bubbly.

• Gemelli
  Featured Beverage: Flower Drop
  Description: Smirnoff vodka meets elderflower and house-made hibiscus-lemon balm syrup, finished with a grapefruit twist. Floral, bright, and lightly tart.

• Malaprops Cafe
  Featured Beverage: Carnival Instincts
  Description: A rich and aromatic coffee creation made with Counter Culture espresso, cardamom rose syrup, and your choice of milk—served hot or iced for any spring mood.

• Noble Cider and Mead
  Featured Beverage: Pomegranate Rose Mead
  Description: A juicy, floral mead made with pomegranate, rose hips, and rose petals. Sweetened with wildflower honey for a well-balanced sip that celebrates spring blooms.

• One World Brewing
  Featured Beverage: Spring Pilsner
  Description: A crisp, dry-hopped Pilsner brewed with Audacia hops and local Riverbend malts. Notes of berries, purple flowers, and dried stone fruit. Crushable and refreshing! (ABV 4.7%, IBU 28)

• Pack’s Tavern
  Featured Beverage: Blackberry Basil Smash
  Description: Hendrick’s Gin, muddled basil, and house-made blackberry sour mix (with honey and citrus) come together in this herbaceous and fruity spring sipper.

• Pulp
  Featured Beverage: Violet Femmes
  Description: Four Roses Bourbon meets Crème de Violette and Crème de Cassis, brightened with lemon juice and a touch of simple syrup. Bold, floral, and beautifully balanced.

• Roll Up Herbal Bar
  Featured Beverage: Something Floral
  Description: This alcohol-free creation tastes like spring in a cup. Delicate rose and juniper are mixed with cucumber lime agua fresca, a dash of dragonfruit powder for color, and a dusting of rose petals and buds.

• Strada Italiano
  Featured Beverage: Blossom & Blaze
  Description: Smoky Lunazul El Humoso tequila paired with hibiscus-agave syrup, lemon, and a salt rim. Floral, semi-sweet, and bold with a kiss of smoke.

• Twisted Laurel AVL
  Featured Beverage: Blushing Botanist
  Description: Bacardi and Crème de Violette muddled with mint, lime, and blueberry. Fresh, fruity, and slightly tropical.

• Well Played Café
  Featured Beverage: Miyabi: Matcha Fizz
  Description: Give a toast to spring growth with Dobrá’s Matcha Natural, Cultivated Cocktail’s Highway 9 Gin, and Edna Ryne’s Appalachian Fernet. Herbal, fizzy, and full of life.

• Zelda Dearest Hotel’s Wine and Roses
  Featured Beverage: Velvet Bloom
  Description: Yuzu gin and chamomile dry vermouth softened with an orange blossom honey milk-wash. Smooth, velvety, and sophisticated.