The Imperial Life

I'm not even overly fond of bars and I love this place.  Well-designed - feels fancy yet comfortable and accessible.  Been there on 3 different occasions and always had great service, a great drink and a fun time.  Great addition for Asheville.

Great spot for cocktails. One of my favorite Old Fashioneds. Pricey, but the drinks are outstanding and plenty strong. The head bartender is talented.

After trying an app at Table during our food tour, they told us about Imperial Life upstairs. When they said they cure their own meats I knew we had to try it.

We went on a Sunday before dinner and were a bit surprised how empty it was. Nevertheless we took a seat at the bar and ordered up some craft cocktails. The bartender explained what was in the drinks and showed us how she made them. For the second round she made custom drinks for us depending on the flavors we enjoy. Me like!

We ordered the charcuterie with three meats and two cheeses and thoroughly enjoyed the flavors. Duck sausage, mortadella, and creamy cheeses were really tasty! And the pickled celery...Where can I get some?!?!

Really cute place to sit on a late afternoon and have a cocktail with cured meats!