Thirsty Monk reopens downtown Asheville location with new Delirium Bar in basement

Thirsty Monk reopened its flagship Downtown Asheville location in Jul with a new “Delirium Bar” in the basement, featuring the many iconic beers of Belgium’s Brewery Huyghe and Abbey Averbode. The “Delirium Bar” at Thirsty Monk will feature the world-renowned beers Delirium Tremens, Delirium Nocturnum, La Guillotine, and incredibly rare Belgian rotating offerings unique to Asheville, along with Thirsty Monk Brewery’s Belgian style beers and cocktail-inspired Holy Water Hard Seltzers. 

Downtown Asheville visitors can look forward to a fun European pub atmosphere with eclectic decor highlighting the Monk’s own Asheville roots and tarot influence, and a festive splash of Belgian humor in the lower-level bar, whose namesake is an homage to the iconic Belgian pink elephant. 

“What a freaking year it has been,” says Thirsty Monk CEO Barry Bialik. “Since the world was essentially put on ice back in mid-March 2020, Thirsty Monk has had to completely reinvent itself as a diverse modern beverage company. Our focus has been on improving our award-winning Belgian style beers and doubling down on our Holy Water Hard Seltzers.” 

With more than a year of downtime, Thirsty Monk has had the opportunity to completely freshen up its landmark 120-year-old Downtown Asheville building with cosmetic and functional upgrades. “The Downtown Monk looks better than it ever has,” says Bialik, “and our freshly refinished century-old wood floors are like brand new white sneakers just waiting for our fun-loving patrons to spill a little beer on. We can’t wait to serve our Asheville friends and visitors once again.” 

The basement bar adds to Thirsty Monk Downtown’s feel as a premier destination with three unique experiences in one building. Top of The Monk, one of Asheville’s most beloved craft cocktail bars will continue to offer some of the finest tipples in town curated by long-term manager Kala Brooks, who has assumed the role of General Manager. Thirsty Monk Brewery’s Patton Ave. Taproom will feature a full lineup of the brewery’s Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales, along with the Holy Water Hard Seltzer lineup and classic pub cocktails curated by Brooks. The new Delirium Bar will be the place to experience some of the finest Belgian beers in the world, perfectly poured in a true Old World setting, surrounded by a medley of monks and elephants. 

In addition to the company’s alcoholic beverage focus, Thirsty Monk has opened up two quick service food locations over the past year: Tasty Greens, a Design-Your-Own Salad and Grain Bowl restaurant in Biltmore Park, and Holy Water Sushi and Hard Seltzer Brewpub, Asheville’s first Hard Seltzer Taproom, featuring hand-crafted sushi rolls in South Asheville’s Gerber Village.