Located in West Asheville in one of the area’s oldest, historic buildings is the bartender-owned and operated Golden Pineapple of Asheville, NC. This unique location, situated in the Haywood Road corridor, is open daily—except for Wednesdays— and serves the best cocktails, wine, beer, and even late-night food in the region.
The Golden Pineapple’s building sat vacant for several years before being reborn as this retro cocktail spot. Serving as a recording studio, pharmacy, and then deli in years past this unique landmark is thankfully once again bustling with new life and is eager to offer interesting takes on cocktails, always served with hospitality. This neighborhood bar has a welcoming, open-door policy, with no pretension. Guests can enjoy a glass of wine, a shot, a beer, or a specialty cocktail.
The Golden Pineapple is generally open to the public but can be rented out for private properties in certain situations. This festive atmosphere and unique setting create a great place to host a party or get together with friends and family. In addition, throughout certain times of the year, mainly the holiday season, the Golden Pineapple features what is called the Miracle at the Golden Pineapple. During this time, the bar features whimsical drinks, all professionally developed, with nostalgic energy befitting the holidays that make a perfect addition to a holiday party.
The owner describes the bar’s vision for the way guests will feel when visiting as follows:
“We don’t want people to feel like it has to be a special occasion to have a craft cocktail, it’s not a precious thing; it’s casual and fun.”
In other words, this is a unique stop that has been described as a friendly, inviting atmosphere that is overall casual and cool in nature. There is also music featured on occasion. The Golden Pineapple is also described by past guests as reasonably priced and good casual entertainment.
On that note, it’s worth looking at some of the must-try offerings that are featured at this unique Asheville stop. When you stop in, you must try:
House Cocktails
Obviously, as a leader in specialty cocktails, you can expect to enjoy some of the best concoctions imaginable at the Golden Pineapple. Some of the house cocktails include the Hell Knows, which consists of pineapple, espadin mezcal, cardamom, lemongrass, and overproof Jamaican rum. Another option is The Golden Pineapple featuring overproof rum, rye whiskey, apache, amaro, lime, and almond orgeat. The Princess Peachy is another guest favorite and includes ginjo sake, Japanese yogurt, and peach.
Food
In addition to some amazing cocktails, beer, and wine, the Golden Pineapple also serves food and serves it late! You can get everything from a Simple Salad with herbs, blueberry vinaigrette, and breadcrumbs, to a Celery Root Reuben served with celeriac pastrami, Swiss chess, Russian dressing, and kimchi served on rye bread, to an entire pizza and smash burger.
Snacks
If you would prefer to just have a bit of something along with your drinks, The Golden Pineapple has you covered on that front as well with their snack options. You can try their Fried Bloomin’ Kimchi, with vegetarian kimchee, the Deviled Eggs, served with four halves, rice seasoning, bulldog sauce, and katsuobushi, or the specialty hot and numbing Spice Peanuts, featuring Sichuan peppercorn, chilis, and five spice.
Wine, Beer, and Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
As you might imagine, the Golden Pineapple also offers plenty of options when it comes to wine, beer, and non-alcoholic cocktail drinks. There are plenty of varieties of both red and white wines that can be bought by bottle, glass, or a half liter. There are also plenty of whiskey options as well as bourbon and more.
Insider Tips:
-There are many vegan food options for guests with restricted diets at the Golden Pineapple.
-Guests rave about the tasty small plates that pair perfectly with the Golden Pineapple’s many drink options.
-The last call for the kitchen is 11:30 pm.