New bar to raise a glass with local spirits is now open in South End Charlotte
A new spot to drink locally made spirits is now open at The Winnifred in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood.
Oaklore Distilling, which opened in Matthews in 2022, has been working for a while on opening Oaklore Bar & Bottle Shop in partnership with the team at nearby Orosoko Sound Bar.
“Oaklore Bar & Bottle Shop is here! We’re in our soft opening with full hours starting this week!,” the Oaklore team posted Tuesday on Instagram.
Food will be available from Orosoko’s “O-ToGo” window across the street, with “East” and “West” Latin and Asian fare including pork belly steam buns and al pastor tacos.
The Matthews distillery opened by friends Matt Simpkins and Thomas Bogan uses North Carolina grains to make a variety of spirits, including whiskey, vodka, rum and gin.
“Enjoy craft and classic cocktails with Oaklore’s award-winning spirits, plus full bottles for purchase from the retail bottle shop, including whiskeys, vodka, gin, rum, cordials, bitters and mixers all crafted locally with care,” the bar’s Instagram said.
“We’re extremely excited to bring another refined, yet comfortable, concept to the neighborhood and introduce as many people to the Oaklore brand as possible. With the bar and bottle shop together, we not only serve cocktails featuring the distillery’s hand crafted spirits, bitters and mixers, but we can also sell a customer their favorite bottle to enjoy at home,” Solandra Hospitality partner Greg Pappanastos told CharlotteFive via email. “Construction will start on a private tasting room in the adjacent space in the next two weeks. The tasting room will also open up as an extension of the bar when not in use. A canopy with additional signage and an expanded patio with seating will be built by spring 2026,“ his message said.
The bar’s planned list of flavorful cocktails includes:
- The Gold Standard - Oaklore bourbon, Disaranno, Montenegro, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, Angostura bitters
- Sage and Lore - Oaklore bourbon, Oaklore orange bitters, lavender syrup, Angostura bitters, sage leaf
- Queen City Bloom - Oaklore gin, lemon juice, hibiscus syrup, egg whites, soda, dried hibiscus
- Midnight Oak - Oaklore bourbon, creme de cacao, Montenegro, chocolate bitters, luxardo cherry
- Ol’ Southender - Oaklore bourbon, Oaklore old fashioned syrup, Oaklore orange bitters, Angostura bitters, orange peel
- Twin Barrel Smash - Oaklore bourbon, Oaklore rye, Oaklore Swizzle, honey ginger syrup, lemon juice, lemon wheel
- Bodrum Smoke Show - Oaklore bourbon, Amaretto, orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, Aquafaba
Oaklore Bar and Bottle Shop
Location: 1425 Winnifred St #103, Charlotte, NC 28203
Instagram: @oaklorebar
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
