Tate’s Craft Cocktails

Cool local spot. I like the variety of drinks. Continue to return out of convenient location. Would like to see more wine selections.

So Tate’s may have a bit of a bad rap. It’s on Trade Street and definitely gets busy on the weekend. The bouncer smartly noticed the distinguished white stripe in my beard and waved me on without checking my ID.
Inside was a fairly mixed crowd. Yes it was loud but there was good energy and music in here. Met and chatted with a couple of people that work for a local pharmaceutical company. Had a couple laughs and some good drinks. What more can you ask for?!
The bartender made me a killer fresh pineapple Daiquiri. Apparently it was on special for only $ 7. Pretty damn reasonable for a craft cocktail.
For those not interested in cocktails, they have beer on tap and a selection of wines.
If I am not mistaken, these are the same owners as The Honeypot which has a solid reputation with locals for having great food.

My husband goes to Winston-​Salem for work sometimes and since I work from home mostly, I can tag along and work from the hotel. We look forward to getting drinks at Tate’s in the evenings. Wednesday eve is his favorite as most of the whiskey is half off. It used to be ALL whiskey but they have removed some whiskies from that list. Still a killer deal. Tuesday they have live music too.
I think every city needs a place like Tate’s. There is beer and wine (I think wine) but most importantly, craft cocktails. They are not just a bottled syrup «mix» with a spirit. You are actually getting a made for you, crafted by hand cocktail. You can see the house made syrups and mixers on the bar (maraschino cherries too) and they get inspiration from other cocktail bars like Employee’s Only in NYC. Next to each cocktail in their impressive menu it shows what type of glass it is served in. The last beverage I had there was a tiki drink called the Double Dragon which certainly did the trick for me considering the heat of summer is right around the corner. They bartenders have always been supper accommodating and helpful in matching up a cocktail to a mood I might be in.
They also do flights if you are so inclined. I had one with Aquavit, a Virginia whiskey and Plantation pineapple rum.
I just don’t think you can go wrong here in my experience. They also have a few spots outside for sitting. I believe you can order food from next door at the Honey Pot as well.

I’ve lived in Winston for about a year now and I’ve been to Tate’s a half dozen times, mostly on special occasions because it’s difficult to justify spending $ 10 – 12 on a single cocktail. This past weekend I had some family visiting from out of town, so I decided to take them to Tate’s.
I handed my ID to the doorman perched on a stool out front. When he continued to examine it after a good minute and a half, I just assumed he didn’t know what he was doing. However, he then informed me that my NC driver’s license — the same driver’s license that a Forsyth County sheriff has taken from me to write up a car accident — was fake. I’m 27.
He started going on and on about how there are supposed to be some sort of shadows under my eyes. I was dumbfounded. Not only have I never heard this as I’ve used my license nearly every weekend for the past year, but this punk kid was making serious criminal allegations against me. When my mom-who’s in her 60s-​insisted I was of age, he accused her of lying. Finally, another doorman came and looked at my license and assured this kid (a portly fellow who barely looked 21 himself) that it was real. I asked to see the manager and asked for his opinion. He also confirmed that it looked real. He said the kid had not been trained, but did not apologize. I wasn’t looking for anything free — there was no way we were going to stay — but an apology would have been nice.
I won’t be back and I intend to actively discourage my friends and coworkers from going to Tate’s — at least until I hear they’ve hired a more competent staff. The drinks are fine. In a cost-​benefit analysis, I would choose to go to Tate’s 1 time out of 20. I can’t guarantee they’ll let you in, regardless of your age, not to mention how insulting it is to be accused of illegal wrongdoing. If you want your craft cocktail served with an ounce of respect, I recommend Quiet Pint.

This place doesn’t create what I would consider craft cocktails, they make really great specialty cocktails.
Its a cool place to grab a drink, on any other night than Wednesday (college night). The bartenders are not overly friendly or helpful. The make a good old fashion and have a decent selection of whiskey.

Place is awesome. Cool vibe and lots of top shelf options.

Only place in town for great cocktails. Large selection, rarely have something that wasn’t awesome. Service is friendly, though busy. Don’t expect to be waited on, but do expect some fun drinks.

This review is solely based on my experience last night. Results are not typical.
I’m always looking for Tate’s to be open & I always miss it, thanks to working weekends. So, I was really very excited to see that it was open last night. We strolled in around 12:40 after checking out a few other bars in the area.
Sat down… waited …no hello, hey, how are you? Would you like to see a menu? I didn’t see a menu at the bar so I got up & got one myself from a nearby table.
One of my friends asked the bartender if they had food to which she said very loud & clear that the only place that served food past 11 was Finnegan’s.
The menu looked different than the one I usually see so I asked if it was the only menu they had. This is the bartenders response «Yes, this is a bar not a restaurant.» Wow, really? I really felt offended because I frequented this bar quite often about a year ago and I’ve always had EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. Unfortunately this was not the case last night.
I actually had to ask my friends to please give the place a try another night. It’s really lame to be the one introducing everyone to a place that have never been & you’re always ranting & raving about it & then someone gives you horrible service.
The bar back & my drink were the highlight of the night. Now, I totally understand that it was kind of late, but there were plenty of other people at the bar so there was no need for the shity service.

The place makes fine cocktails but PLEASE DO NOT GO! YOU WILL GET RIPPED OFF! See pictures attached.
I went on a Friday night and ordered an old fashioned. When I received my drink (for over $ 10) it came with a huge ice cube. In fact, the drink only constituted ¼ of the glass. I asked the bartender if this is how they normally serve they’re drink, and he rudely answered yes and simply changed the ice cube. They charge exorbitant prices and give you no booze. See attached pictures.

Great food, cocktails & service. Atmosphere is classy but not fancy, and I love that there’s no TV (people always end up looking at the TV instead of each other). There’s an upstairs area with a couple of couches that tends to be less crowded if you want more privacy. Oh, and Wednesdays are ½ priced whiskey.

I love going to Tate’s with my husband as it’s the only place in Winston that has artisan cocktails, and the bartenders take great pride in their mixology skills. The only downside is the bathroom. My husband said that it was totally disgusting. I also wished they served food a little later.
Now for the drinks,
I had a raspberry fizz which is served with rock candy. Not only was it pretty, but it was delicious too. My husband had some bourbon that our bartender highly recommended. He also took the time to chip a cube of ice into a sphere for my husband’s drink. Not really sure of the purpose, but it looked cool.
Overall, I think Tate’s is a great place to grab a cocktail. Will definitely go back again.

If you are looking for a place that serves amazing craft drinks and specialty liquor beverages look no further. Tates has impressive bartenders who know how to make a huge variety of drinks and the atmosphere is great to start a night of partying or stopover before dinner. I recommend my wife’s favorite… the Blackbird Julep or mine… the Long Island Iced Tea.

If you want to try and feel like you’re in another town (somewhat on the inside upstairs) and enjoy a specialized craft cocktail then go to Tate’s.
This is the place to go for an inventive and different cocktail that you would get anywhere else in town. They offer seasonal drinks that are delicious and know the flavor profiles do they can suggest exactly what you need. Even if you don’t.
I’ve never been disappointed with the service or my drinks.
The patio offers a comfy couches and chairs. It’s a nice atmosphere on the street, but if you don’t care for cigarette smoke then I suggest you stay inside.
The bathrooms are cool too, they have anything a girl could need. Hair ties and lots of other girlie things.
Can’t wait to go back!

My girlfriend and I love going to Tates. The drinks are amazing and the atmosphere is comfortable and laid back. She absolutely loves the Blackbird Julep. I’m a gin kinda man and I haven’t had a bad drink here yet.
I will say, fellas, if you aren’t comfortable enough with your masculinity, get a beer. You might end up drinking out of some pretty feminine glassware depending on what you order. But please, don’t let this limit your choices. I’ve had some really good drinks here out of a martini glass with some fruity garnish hanging off the side and tipped it back like a boss. Just jump down and bang out a couple of pushups between drinks at the end of the bar and feel that testosterone come surging back! I’m not judging you, bro.
The drinks are a bit expensive but they are made with love, fresh ingredients and they’re super consistent. This is what a bar is supposed to be like. You can go to Tates knowing that your favorite drink is going to be made the same way and taste just as delicious as the first time you ordered it.
Sure, you can go to Single Brother’s on Trade for a little cheaper but I think Tates is more consistent. Don’t get me wrong, I like Single Brothers for what it is but I prefer Tates. If you want to have a couple drinks and unwind, maybe bring a lady friend and have a conversation, go to Tates. If you want to get drunk, a little loud and talk about climate change or the plight of the American literary scene, go to Single Brother’s.

This is a great cocktail spot. We have an annual Boxing Day event. When we are in town, we have it at Tate’s. I am looking forward to having Boxing Day at Tate’s this year.

Went here last night for a get-​together with a group and it was great! Bartenders were fantastic, friendly and quick. The drinks were, as always, beautiful. Still loving this place. Got a straight up martini — good stuff. Big, fat olives. Wishing they had blue cheese olives. Blackberry Julep that a friend ordered was just gorgeous, topped with fresh fruit. Can’t go wrong here.

Try the Uncle Jalapeño if you like your cocktails extra spicy. I loved it! Apparently they sell food but every time I have visited they have «just quick serving» and last time right after I was told that by a waitress I watched as she took the order of the group directly to our left. I did not say anything as I had just came from dinner at District and I hate unnecessary conflict, but it was kind of complete BS. Good thing I always come for the drinks and not for the food/​service.

I can’t believe I have not reviewed Tate’s before. I have been there a few times and have always enjoyed the interesting and thoughtful selection of cocktails. The bartenders here are mixologists and the area behind the bar looks a bit like a science lab, with containers of infused liquors and bitters and other flavorants for them to work with.
In my most recent visit I had a Campari-​based cocktail with a cedar-​infused Campari. It definitely had a woodsy note to it. Just a little something extra to make the trip here worthwhile.
My wife had a Pimm’s Cup, which was tasty, although we were both a bit disappointed that they did not muddle the mint or cucumber and so none of those flavors became part of the cocktail. The drink was attractive, but if the mixologists read these reviews, please consider muddling!

I had a fantastic experience at Tate’s this past Thursday. This place has been on my «to-​visit» list for almost a year.
I was surprised to see that they had a small food menu. Although, online, they had different things on the food menu than they did when I walked in. Mostly, they had burritos/​tex-​mex options and a few were vegetarian.
We ordered the «salsa» sampler and the black bean nachos. The nachos were fantastic and the salsa plate wasn’t bad. One thing I didn’t like is that the salsa sampler didn’t have any salsa. Also, the menu said it came with guacamole, and we didn’t get that at all. I’m assuming that may have been a seasonal thing, but it would have been nice to know so I wasn’t expecting guacamole. The «salsa» was definitely pico… it still tasted good, but it wasn’t salsa!
Aside from that, I really loved the atmosphere. The playlist was really great, and had a lot of acoustic covers on it. The women’s bathroom was super nice. It is a single toilet, but on a little table, the staff/​management has arranged everything you could ever need on a night out: hair-​ties, hair spray, tampons, mints, and a few other complimentary goodies. I’ve never seen a bar bathroom so nice in my life. Our waitress was super down-​to-​earth too.
The drinks were something I would definitely come back for. I got the blackberry julep which is their most popular drink. I gathered from the menu that this place really does have craft cocktails, complete with bitters and shaken in a cool little shaker at the bar.
I want to come back here for a night out!

Try the Old Fashioned… or the Caipirinha… or the Blackberry Julep. or ANYTHING ELSE there. This is a great little bar in downtown Winston-​Salem, right beside The Honey Pot. Classic bar with the dark wood and dark inside.
I never got the bartenders name but he was very friendly and discussed several points of the job, made recommendations to me about certain other kinds of Scotch whiskey, etc.
If you are looking for a great drink and a great place to drink it look no further.