Hi-Wire Brewing to Open Tiki Bar and Speakeasy in Asheville

From Hi-Wire:

ASHEVILLE, NC – Hi-Wire Brewing, known for crafting unique and approachable craft beers, is excited to announce the opening of ‘The Tiki Easy Bar,’ a new tiki bar and speakeasy hidden behind Hi-Wire’s South Slope Specialty Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina. The tropical-themed bar is set to open to the public in July 2023.  zzubreebym

"I have become obsessed with tiki bars and drinks since the Covid-19 pandemic began,” said Chris Frosaker, co-owner of Hi-Wire Brewing and the driving force behind Hi-Wire’s new concept. Frosaker continued, “Our world seems to be getting crazier every day, and I love the escapism a tiki bar provides, where you can enter a new world and forget about your day-to-day life with a strong drink in hand.” Combining this new passion with some newly-acquired space at the craft brewery’s original location, ‘The Tiki Easy Bar’ was born.

The Tiki Easy Bar aims to be Western North Carolina’s only true tiki bar, transporting visitors to an island oasis filled with danger, mystery, and lots of rum. Expect traditional tiki décor, one of the largest rum selections in the state, and a rotating tiki-only cocktail menu with more than thirty varieties of tiki drinks.

The speakeasy’s menu combines a slew of classic tiki cocktails, modern tiki drinks designed in-house, and a selection of island-inspired mocktails. Chris Frosaker’s go-to drink will, of course, make an appearance or two. “I am obsessed with the Mai Tai, which happens to be the most misunderstood and bastardized cocktail in history,” said Frosaker. To celebrate the co-owner’s passion for a proper Mai Tai, The Tiki Easy Bar will feature two Mai Tai options at all times, and every Monday, bartenders will experiment with rums from around the world paired with a variety of curacao liqueurs for the bar’s ‘Mai Tai Mondays.’

Hi-Wire Brewing is no stranger to opening new, fun-filled drinking establishments with soon-to-be eleven locations across the Southeast and Midwest dedicated to serving Hi-Wire’s award-winning craft beers. However, The Tiki Easy Bar will be unlike anything the brewery has done before with exotic jungle décor, tiki drink concoctions, and a secret entrance. “What is related, though, is one of our company’s non-negotiables of creating fun – The Tiki Easy Bar will definitely not be short on fun," said Frosaker. With mesmerizing flames and occasional lightning and thunder, this Asheville oasis will transport thrill-seeking explorers to paradise and leave them filled with wonder and enticing island nectar.

The tiki bar will occupy a 2500-square-foot space through the back door of Hi-Wire’s South Slope Specialty Brewery, an area of the building that has not been previously open to the public. "We have operated our South Slope brewery as a specialty facility since 2016, making the bulk of our beer down the street at our Biltmore Village Production Brewery," said Frosaker, “but when our landlord decided to retire last summer and offered us the chance to purchase the building where Hi-Wire first started ten years ago, it was a no brainer to cement our roots where it all began.”

To access The Tiki Easy Bar, guests must venture through tanks and barrels of the brewery until they uncover the secret passage which will lead them through the jungle to an island oasis beyond. There will not be an exterior sign on the building pointing the way, so only adventure-seekers and curious cocktail-lovers will discover the bar’s secrets hidden behind the brewery.

The Tiki Easy Bar is set to become one of the most innovative and exciting additions to the Asheville drinking scene, attracting visitors from around the region. The bar will open in the summer of 2023 and will be located at 197 Hilliard Ave, Asheville, N.C. Frosaker teased, "We’ve put a lot of thought and planning into every detail, from the décor to the drink menu, and we can’t wait for people to discover it for themselves."

Construction of The Tiki Easy Bar has already begun. For information on the buildout and job openings, visit tikieasybar.com and follow The Tiki Easy Bar on Instagram and Facebook.

About Hi-Wire Brewing

Hi-Wire Brewing is known for producing approachable and balanced lagers and ales, most notably Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA, Lo-Pitch Hazy IPA, and Mountain Water Easy Drinking Ale, and it boasts an award-winning sour and wild ale program. Founded in Asheville, N.C. in 2013, Hi-Wire has locations in Asheville, Birmingham, Ala., Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati (April 2023), Durham, N.C., Knoxville, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., Nashville, Tenn. (May 2023), and Wilmington, N.C. and is proud to pay a Living Wage to all of its employees. Hi-Wire Brewing’s Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup award-winning beers can be found on draft and in exclusively 16-ounce cans across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Virginia, and Indiana. To learn more about the company, visit hiwirebrewing.com.