“Downtown Winston-Salem, ten years ago—even five years ago—was nothing,” says Matt Ceneviva, bartender and part-owner of Tate’s Craft Cocktails. We are sitting outside the bar on a stretch of road in the heart of the old tobacco town that’s a testament to how much has changed. A bustling sushi restaurant, an independent movie theatre, and a popular brewery are all located within a few blocks. And then there’s Tate’s, behind us, where standard-issue liquors share shelf space with cutting-edge syrups and infusions. “We want to be here when this is one of the best food towns in North Carolina.”
Tasked with creating a comforting cocktail for the short, cold days of late fall, Ceneviva chose to combine two classics. “A cup of chamomile tea and a Sazerac are both contemplative drinks,” he says. “As it gets colder, you start to turn inward a little bit. I see this cocktail as a companion of sorts, something you can spend time with.”
