ASHEVILLE – The drinking mecca that is Asheville’s South Slope is getting an exciting new addition to its already bustling scene. Asheville Brewing Company, a longtime leader of Asheville’s beer world, today announced Ninja Spirits, an exciting new distillery project which will be adjacent to their outdoor music venue, Rabbit Rabbit. 

One of the area’s first breweries, Asheville Brewing has long been a leader in what is often referred to as “Beer City USA.” The brand is now making the move into the spirits sphere with the simultaneous launch of two brand platforms: Ninja Spirits will produce a line of traditional spirits, with their wheat based Vodka releasing first. The Buckminster Cocktail Co. will offer a line of bottled and canned cocktails, with an Old Fashioned releasing first in 750 ml bottles.

For their move into the spirits sphere Ninja Spirits teamed up with one of the forefathers of the Asheville cocktail scene, Chall Gray. “We love cocktails and spirits, but we’ve never attempted to do them at a high level until now,” said Mike Rangel, President of Ninja Spirits and Asheville Brewing Co. “Chall was a perfect fit for this. He’s elevated the Asheville cocktail scene in a number of ways, and we’re excited to create some fun products together.” Gray’s award-winning bar Little Jumbo was recognized as one of the “Best Cocktail Bars in the South” by Garden & Gun magazine, among other accolades.

Future Ninja Spirits releases will include a Gin, a locally inspired liqueur, and numerous other offerings. The Buckminster line also has numerous releases in the pipeline. Later this summer the Hello Friday, a spicy combo of bourbon, ginger ale and bitters that’s been a long-time best-seller at Little Jumbo, will be available in cans at North Carolina ABC stores and at the company’s facility in downtown Asheville.

Plans are also in the works for a large tasting room and cocktail bar at the venue, with details to be revealed later this summer on that concept. Asheville residents and visitors have long had a plethora of beer options in the Western NC mountain town, but with this news and other new entrants to the market Asheville may start to forge a new reputation for its distillery choices in the years to come.

Source: Ninja Spirits