Piggybacking off of Capulet’s almost-immediate success, Rosebud will carve out its own lane: a sophisticated midcentury-mod cocktail haven drawing inspo from Japanese culture and ethos, while honoring classic cocktails, multigenerational nostalgia and quality service. Layer in a hi-fi sound system and weekly vinyl DJs, and the mix lands as a distinctive cohesive space tuned to a rhythm Raleigh hasn’t quite heard before.
“Having the opportunity to respect what Ashley [Christensen] and all the great bartenders, including Zack, have done here—keeping what they did well and putting our own new spin on it—it’s really cool to have,” says Shanahan. “This was one of five bars before—now it’s one of 500, it seems.”
Writing a new chapter in local F&B lore, the bar will focus on classic cocktails crafted to perfection—no frills, no smoke and mirrors. “The precision is going to make us different,” maintains Shanahan. Leaning further into Asian influence, an omakase flight will anchor the menu, spotlighting three bevs (one of which may be NA or low-proof) curated ahead of time by the bar team and rotating monthly.
A nod to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, “Rosebud,” like Capulet, also reflects the local hospitality entrepreneurs’ background in filmmaking and love of cinema while diving deeper into the film’s central theme of nostalgia. That throughline comes to life in retro furniture sourced from Shanahan’s vast 10-year collection, an extensive vinyl selection, layered decor and even the Japanese denim workwear-inspired employee uniforms.
“If Peregrine is like an art gallery and Capulet is a sexy museum, then Rosebud is an analog archive vault,” emphasizes Shanahan. “It’s a very Americanized version of Japanese ethos—still rooted in respect, where everything is an homage.”
Photo by Sean Junqueira
While certain aspects of Rosebud will echo Fox’s iconic past, the basement bar will be almost unrecognizable upon completion—more cinematic set piece than neighborhood watering hole. The exposed brick walls will be covered with wood paneling and cream curtains; the OG black leather booths have been traded out for five different “living rooms” (separated seating areas with a couch, two chairs and a coffee table); and the bar is getting a glow-up from Raleigh Reclaimed, including a black marble bartop. A larger living room, curtain and neon rose will frame the front entrance, lending the space a moody, almost Xanadu-like glow.
Born and bred Raleighites, Shanahan and Opperman’s resurrection of a Downtown icon reflects their hope for DTR’s continued growth. “I’ve seen the ebbs and flows of DTR since I was a kid—and I don’t think you just can give up on a place that you’ve grown up loving and has shaped you,” says Opperman. “Creating new, exciting concepts around Raleigh is really important. That creative energy existed once here—and it’s dying to come back.”
Rooted in Raleigh’s past but built for now, Rosebud carries the city’s creative cocktail spirit forward—pouring something it didn’t know it was missing. @rosebudraleigh
“We’ll never abandon Downtown Raleigh or Raleigh in general—we just have so much hope for it. Now we’re hoping to create something that will bring people back Downtown.” —Robby Opperman
Mixing up drinks, making music and meeting people is the MO of this Little City Brewing barman.
A well-written lyric and a melody should transport you—as should a good cocktail, according to Little City Brewing crackerjack bartender, manager and musician Reginald (Regi) Wilson Jr.
“There’s always a mood set by the music that’s happening,” says Wilson. “And cocktailing is a lot like music.” Putting his knack for cocktailing and tunes together, Wilson creatively concocts drinks and names them after song lyrics—think Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar High” (natch), “Run and Tell That” (of Hairspray fame) and Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” (the latter two of which he created)—and, trust us, the drinks are as good as the songs.
A veteran mixologist now in the game for eight-plus years, Wilson cut his teeth as a busser in a NYC resto before working his way up to bartender, then moved to Manhattan’s Garfunkel’s Speakeasy to learn mixology.
“At my first job, we would have sit-downs and everyone would make a cocktail on the spot so we could decide which ones might go on the menu,” explains Wilson. “I learned a lot from the people there. They set the standard for what service should be like.”
Wilson moved from the Big Apple to Raleigh—when his fiancee got accepted to Duke University—and, a few months after wandering into the fateful bar on NYE, joined the Little City team in April 2021… and hasn’t looked back since.
The popular industrial-chic brewery and taproom—part of the ever-popular Local Icon Hospitality portfolio—attracts locals and visitors alike And, call it old-fashioned, but one of Wilson’s favorite aspects of bartending is the people. During his years behind the bar, he’s met folks on vacation, fellow service professionals, young adults celebrating 21st birthdays, his now fiancee and even Cyndi Lauper (!).
“Bartending is a good way to talk to people,” says Wilson. “It gives you a way to have conversations and create connections.” And when drinks and music are involved, connections are bound to happen.
When he’s not behind the bar at Little City, you can find the self-proclaimed creative strumming the guitar, playing the alto saxophone and singing. He adds he’s often been inspired to pen lyrics about his patrons, their stories and the things he’s observed while he’s working. So, who knows… he may just have a song about you!
As Wilson looks ahead, he wants to deepen his savvy in the realm of service—whether its music, cocktailing or culinary school—and one day he dreams of opening a restaurant and high-end cocktail bar that doubles as a live music venue. We’ll cheers to that!littlecitybrewing.com
Run & Tell That
2 blackberries, muddled + 1 blackberry for garnish
1/2 oz. demerara sugar
2 oz. bourbon
2 dashes Angostura
1 dash Peychaud’s
Lemon wheel
Absente
Stir all ingredients except the blackberry, lemon wheel and Absente together, then strain into a rocks glass over a big cube. Douse a lemon wheel in Absente and place atop a large rock. Place blackberry atop lemon wheel. Flame garnish and serve.
Dram & Draught raises the bar (and tells you how tipsy you’ll be) by adding ABV to its menu.
We’ve all been there… mixed drinks, as delicious as they are, can catch up with us pretty quickly (here’s looking at you, hangovers). But what if we told you that you could choose the perfect cocktail based on your evening plans—be it casual drinks with your boss and colleagues or thirsty Thursday with your squad?
Enter Dram & Draught. While Raleighites already know it for its selection of whiskeys, wines, handcrafted cocktails and draught beer, it’s now become the bar in town that also lists the ABV (alcohol by volume) of each drink on its menu (!). This means customers can better pace themselves throughout the evening (or, let’s be honest, have an idea of how quickly they’ll start feeling tipsy).
“I spoke to a friend of mine about it before we did it… and she was like, ‘I would love to know that because sometimes I go out and have three drinks, and I’m fine, and sometimes I go out and have three drinks, and I can barely stand up. And I don’t know why,’” says Dram & Draught founder and co-owner Kevin Barrett.
As far as Barrett is aware, Dram & Draught is Raleigh’s only bar that includes ABVs on its menu. But it is starting to become a trend around the U.S.
Barrett and co-owner Drew Schenck got the idea from Sother Teague’s podcast, The Speakeasy, where they learned Teague, who is also an author and the beverage director of New York’s Amor Y Amargo cocktail bars (as well as the founder of BATCH, a new app for spirits professionals and enthusiasts), includes drinks’ ABVs on his menus.
“I know a good idea when I hear one,” says Barrett. “You can have an Old-Fashioned or a Manhattan or something boozy, then have a couple lower-alcohol drinks, then go back to the Manhattan… and that way you can just extend your night.”
Oh, and for those of you looking for vegan-friendly drink options (since some cocktails include egg whites), you no longer have to question the bartender. Dram & Draught also started adding a (V) next to all vegan-friendly bevs on its menu—and let’s just say we’re very spirited about it.
