Now that North Carolina finally has cocktails to-go, here are 14 place to get a drink
In the world of cocktails to-go, life is better stirred than shaken.
That’s the advice of longtime Triangle bartender Shannon Healey, owner of Alley Twenty-Six in Durham and co-owner of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill.
Cocktails are generally the marriage of vibe and spirit. For cocktails to-go, customers provide the vibe with bars providing the spirit.
Just a few days before Christmas, Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order allowing bars and restaurants in the state to prepare and package mixed drinks to-go. There are very specific rules for ordering a cocktail to-go, including only one drink allowed per person and, obviously, it can’t be opened until one is safely home.
Because there’s that time between preparation and imbibing, Healey said stirred drinks like a Negroni or Manhattan should hold up better than shaken ones, like a margarita or whiskey sour.
“The stirred cocktails work the best,” Healey said. “They’re more bulletproof.”
To-go cocktails have been given the green light in most states, a bit of liquor law latitude intended to bring in extra revenue to the reeling bar and restaurant industry. Healey said it’s a small step forward, given the ordering limits, but a step forward nonetheless.
“I’m excited about cocktails to-go,” Healey said. “It’s a baby step; it’s not the answer to all our problems. But at this point what we need is as many answers as possible. I joke we’re on a very strict 10-day pivot schedule.”
Healey said the hardest thing to give up with cocktails to-go is control, that the final hand that serves the drink isn’t his own, meaning the consumer may have to pop it in the freezer or give it a final shake before drinking.
“Just like chefs have been reticent to put certain dishes in a takeout container, bartenders are the same about cocktails,” Healey said. “You’re losing a certain amount of control. You’re kind of leaving half the technique to someone else.”
Here are a few of the top Triangle bars and restaurants doing cocktails to-go:
Acme
110 E. Main St., Carrboro. 919-929-2263 or acmecarrboro.com.
Look for: Three-week aged eggnog and stirred classics like a Manhattan and Vieux Carre.
Alley Twenty-Six
320 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. 984-439-2278 or alleytwentysix.com.
Look for: A cooler stocked with grab and go cocktails, including a pre-made Negroni, Manhattan and barrel-aged Martini. Also available, frozen cocktails to-go when the bar is open.
Bar Virgile
105 S. Mangum St., Durham. 919-973-3000 or barvirgile.com.
Look for: Pouches of sangria or the B.A.M., which stands for the ultimate margarita.
Bittersweet
16 E. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-977-3829 or bittersweetraleigh.com.
Look for: A smokey and spicy Old Fashioned and a lineup of coffee cocktails, including an espresso martini and the Thicc Mint, with vodka, espresso, chocolate milk and mint.
Blind Barbour
3055 Medlin Drive, Raleigh. blindbarbour.com.
Look for: This Raleigh bar is taking to-go orders via Instagram direct messages, with plenty of options for bourbon lovers.
Chido Taco
2330 Bale St., Raleigh. 919-594-1930 or chidotaco.com.
Look for: Margaritas, of course.
Garland
14 W. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-833-6886 or garlandraleigh.com.
Look for: The Magdelena, a smokey, tamarind margarita.
Haymaker
555 Fayetteville St., #115 Raleigh. thehaymakerraleigh.com.
Look for: “Cousin Eddie’s” eggnog, made with almond milk, cream, brandy, sherry and spices.
Jack-Tar Diner
202 Corcoran St., Durham. 919-682-5225 or jacktar-durham.com.
Look for: A very special, one-year aged eggnog, plus brunch classics like a Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria.
Kingfisher
321 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. kingfisherdurham.com.
Look for: Practically any cocktail the heart could desire. Kingfisher’s online ordering system lets drinkers choose from nearly all the classics, which are then made to order for pickup.
Poole’s Diner
426 S. McDowell St., Raleigh. 919-832-4477 or ac-restaurants.com/pooles
Look for: Glass bottled cocktails, including a white Russian and a Last Word, made with gin, lime, Chartreause and Luxardo.
Que Chula
140 W. Franklin St., #110, Chapel Hill. 919-903-8000 or quechulatacos.com.
Look for: A wide variety of margarita options, plus michelada mix served with a Tecate.
Sidebar
215 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-588-3063 or sidebarnc.com.
Look for: All your favorites, including a house margarita and stirred classics like a Manhattan, Negroni and a Cosmopolitan.
William & Co.
616 N. Person St., Raleigh. 919-335-3165 or facebook.com/WillcoBar
Look for: This bar in the Person Street corridor is offering its full printed menu to-go.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Now that North Carolina finally has cocktails to-go, here are 14 place to get a drink."
