Creative cocktails: Tate’s seasonal sips combine art and science – Winston-Salem Journal

He started bartending in 2018 and found his way to Tate’s in 2020, a year like no other. Bowman’s philosophy revolves around fresh ingredients and experimentation (“get lost and discover”) and ideas from the everyday. “When I started at Tate’s, my interest wasn’t in what was already behind the bar (the bartending mentality of New York). My brain was thinking about the strange sweet smelling flowers in my backyard and how I could make a tea out of them to use in a cocktail.

This “West Coast bartending and cocktail mentality” is firmly stamped as the bar’s current concept with an emphasis on fresh and unique produce (imported beets, pears, serrano peppers, morel mushrooms, etc.) uncommon to North Carolina. Think “Chopped,” the TV cocktail show.

Founded in 2010 by John and Holly Tate, the bar began with the intention of being a classic New York-style bar with an emphasis on classic drinks. “It was a time when the world of craft cocktails wasn’t as popular as it is now, and it was much harder to find a place with experienced bartenders and advanced skills,” says Bowman. Tate’s soon gained national attention with recognition from Imbibe (Top 10 Places in the South for Classic Cocktails, Top 100 Bars in the South, and more) and Garden & Gun.

“At one point we were one of two places to get a fancy cocktail, and all of a sudden there were tons of bars offering elaborate cocktails.” So, for a while, they shifted to simpler cocktails, embracing a more college-oriented crowd, but the Tate has lost “the soul of what really drew people to Tate’s in the first place,” says Bowman.

“We’ve gone back to our roots and embraced the desire for high-end craft cocktails found nowhere else, with unusual ingredients that introduce people to new flavors. “People come to Tate’s specifically because of our certain level of quality drinks, because of our almost unmatched fresh ingredients, and everything is made by hand (a professional brewer makes juices, syrups and toppings daily).

“We come up with cocktails that we want to drink and things that we’re deeply excited about, and that ends up on the menu. We are fully dedicated to thoughtful, passionate cocktails made with the highest level of love, quality and craftsmanship.”

Nostalgia in a glass. This cozy drink is described as a “dessert, old-fashioned s’mores” and is made using house-made double chocolate crème de cacao, washed down with fat rum or whiskey and topped with toasted marshmallow foam. For fun, top the drink with a graham cracker teddy bear.

The art of deception. Can you drink apple pie? Fall fruit pie fans might think so when they try the Pied Piper. “I wanted to use tape where I shouldn’t,” smiled Bowman. “PP tricks people into believing they are tasting a sweet spiced apple pie when it contains none of those ingredients.” The cocktails feature a complex tan of ginger, almond, lime, banana, cocoa, cinnamon, aged rum, single malt scotch with some classic New Orleans-style bitters and garnished with grated nutmeg. The milk clarification process removes tannin flavors and color, resulting in a sweet and silky smooth dairy-free cocktail oddly reminiscent of apple pie.

Easy on the eye. The Pointer’s Spritz was created by Bowman as a low-alcohol cocktail option and to replace its summer sister, the Aperol Spritz. The drink is made from fresh grapefruit juice, homemade citrus/cardamom, salt, sparkling water and Punt e Mes (an Italian bittersweet aperitif with a fortified red wine base). Punt e Mes translates to “point and a half” – one point sweet and half a point bitter. Garnish with pronounced orange zest and cinnamon/citrus flavor.

Back to Tequila Sunrise. Pure beauty in a glass describes Chateau Sunset, a fun, flirty drink that pairs complex ingredients with simple instructions. “With the use of French Bosc pears and the end-of-year mood, the name felt like a fitting tribute,” Bowman said. The cocktail is made with Reposado tequila infused with toasted fragrant jasmine rice, Bosc pear puree with malic acid and fresh Chai syrup. Top with a slice of dehydrated pear for garnish.

Sweet & Smoky. This Smoked Pomegranate Old Fashioned Cocktail was inspired by a love of Chinese drinks and a desire to make a “smoky” Old Fashioned without actually smoking, and uses bourbon, apple brandy, smoked pomegranate and Lapsang Souchong tea. Brew Lapsang Souchong, a Chinese black tea, with pomegranate to create a deliciously sweet and smoky syrup perfect for a Winter Old Fashioned. Sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds for color.

If the Oxford Comma doesn’t transform a man who claims he doesn’t drink gin, I don’t know what will. This highly creative and ambitious gin drink is unlike any other. To make the drink, you’ll need mulled wine syrup, lemon/lime juice, cranberry/rosemary gin, bitters and egg whites. The drink is not only aesthetically pleasing; it’s dessert in a glass. It’s best made for a crowd.

There’s no way you can forget it. This unique and refreshing drink is more than its catchy name. The Phogetta Bout Made with sesame-washed gin, pho syrup, lime, ginger and rice wine vinegar. Perfect for any meal and a particularly good addition to Asian cuisine.