Asheville’s rare beer bar to expand with a new location
The Whale owners to open third Asheville rare beer bar: What to know
Bar entrepreneurs Andrew Ross and Jesse Van Note’s latest endeavor will make exclusive and rare craft beverages accessible in the South Slope brewing district. The Whale: A Craft Beer Collective founders will open a third location in the city at 21 Buxton Ave., expected to open in early summer.
Van Note said The Whale offers an elevated beer experience without the pretension and with products to appeal to beer and nonbeer drinkers alike with a menu of alternative beverages like cider, seltzer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks.
Expansion Plans
Customers may receive guidance and education from the bar’s trained staff as they explore the diverse, rotating menu in a relaxed, fun, and inclusive environment. The Whale has five locations, including its original site in West Asheville and The Whale Outpost in the Haw Creek neighborhood in East Asheville. The two other bars are in Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina.
Growth in Downtown Asheville
Van Note said they’re excited to get into downtown after having been on either side of it in West Asheville and Haw Creek. “This is the block we met on, this is the block we came up with The Whale, this is the block where all our friends are and we spend a lot of time down here, so to be back on this block is a cool, full-circle great Asheville feeling,” he said.
Next stop: South Slope
The Whale South Slope will share a space with Green Man Brewery’s ghost kitchen, Green Man Eats, which serves the brewery’s neighboring taprooms and will provide food service for The Whale.
Ross and Van Note are keeping other details about South Slope under wraps for now but teased that it will have cool design aesthetics and surprises.
Unique Experience
Van Note said the South Slope location will be their most adventurous one yet, maintaining the curated “Whale vibe” with a high caliber of beverages at its core.
Ross and Van Note expressed gratitude for the support from Asheville and their excitement for the new venture.
What’s next for The Whale
The Whale and Burial Beer Co. have collaborated on a special Cold IPA, The Disease of Moral Greatness, to be celebrated with a themed music party at their locations across the Southeast.
The Whale South Slope
Where: 21 Buxton Ave., Asheville. Tentatively opening: Summer 2024.
Stories you may have missed:
- The Whale Outpost opening in East Asheville, offering rare beer, wine, mead, and more
- West Asheville business ranks on USA Today’s 10Best list of Best Beer Bars in the U.S.
- Asheville breweries win in prestigious international beer competition, World Beer Cup
