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Charlie & Debbie

New Cocktail Lounge And Speakeasy Coming To Rock Hill

Author Charlie & Debbie

My “Must Visit” list for our Sunday Funday wineries/breweries/cocktail lounge adventures is seemingly growing by the day.  Just a week or so ago, I told you about the Great Wagon Road Distillery opening in Waxhaw.  And now, news comes of not one, but two new spots coming to Rock Hill, South Carolina.  In Spring of next year, in beautiful Old Town Rock Hill, The Kounter Lounge and Elsie’s speakeasy will open.

Rob Masone is a renowned chef and already owns and operates Kounter, a popular Rock Hill restaurant.  According to the Rock Hill Post and Courier, both of the new establishments will occupy what is now the Edwin Jones office downtown.  And the two will be very distinct and different.  “This will not be a standard bar,” Masone said. “I’m not opening a bar. That’s not what we’re doing. We’re doing a high-end cocktail lounge. Upstairs is going to be very swanky, very fun and funky.”

Both The Kounter Lounge and Elsie’s will serve as tributes to Masone’s family.  His parent, Hank and Alice lived and were very active in the Rock Hill community.  Elsie’s is named for his grandmother.  The halls and stairways of The Kounter Lounge and the speakeasy will have walls adorned with photos and memories of these people Rob Masone holds dear.

For years, downtown Rock Hill could be described as dark and desolate.  Now, with places like Kounter, and now The Kounter Lounge and Elsie’s Speakeasy, it’s fast becoming quite the scene.

Rob Masone’s Kounter Lounge and Elsie’s Speakeasy are set to open in Rock Hill in spring of next year.

Happy Hour Trends Reveal North Carolina's Favorite Cocktail

The pandemic changed the way Americans drink. But you probably didn’t need me to tell you that. When we were all stuck at home it seemed like any hour could be happy hour. And recently consumer trends show that to be the case. According to Top Agency, happy hour bar visits have increased 54% compared to pre-pandemic statistics.  This statistic comes from a study conducted by Top about cocktail trends in the contiguous United States. The study also looked at the favorite cocktail in each state and well North Carolina, we certainly are not unique.

TopAgency looked at the most popular cocktails in each state and the margarita took that title in 22 of 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii were omitted). I have to say that comes as a bit of a surprise. Don’t get me wrong I love a good margarita, but I very rarely will order one outside of a Mexican restaurant or beach bar. But a lot of people in landlocked states must be! Other popular cocktails were Pina Coladas (again who is ordering these not at the beach?), Martinis, and Blood Marys.

One additional statistic Top Agency tracked the states that have the most bar visits per 100K inhabitants. And neither North or South Carolina was near the top of that list. The winner? North Dakota. I haven’t visited the Dakotas and I’m sure they are lovely places but I’m not surprised as I don’t think there are significant options for things to do.

How was this data collected?

The TOP Agency data team analyzed digital commerce trends in 2022. They used a combination of GPS tracking data from bars and a survey of 1,000 Americans, to determine the frequency of visits to these establishments and the most popular cocktails in the United States. Keep reading to see the states with the most bar visits as well as each state’s favorite cocktail. Cheers!

  • Bar Visits Per 100K Inhabitants

  • 1. North Dakota

    22.4

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

  • 2. Nevada

    21.4

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 3. Wyoming

    20.6

    Favorite Cocktail: Old Fashioned

    Old Fashioned

  • 4. Arizona

    19.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 5. Colorado

    18.8

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 6. Florida

    18.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 7. Wisconsin

    18.0

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 8. Montana

    17.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Cosmopolitan

    Cosmo

     

  • 9. Michigan

    16.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 10. Minnesota

    16.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 11. South Dakota

    15.6

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 12. Oregon

    15.0

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 13. Rhode Island

    14.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 14. Ohio

    14.2

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 15. Illinois

    14.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 16. Washington

    14.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 17. Nebraska

    13.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 18. Iowa

    13.6

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

  • 19. Pennsylvania

    13.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 20. California

    13.3

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

  • 21. Delaware

    13.0

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 22. Kansas

    12.9

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 23. Idaho

    12.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 24. Missouri

    12.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 25. Indiana

    12.4

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 26. South Carolina

    12.3

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 27. Massachusetts

    12.2

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

  • 28. New Hampshire

    11.8

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 29. Connecticut

    11.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 30. New Mexico

    11.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 31. Texas

    11.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 32. Tennessee

    10.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 33. New Jersey

    10.4

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 34. New York

    10.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

  • 35. North Carolina

    10.0

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 36. Maryland

    9.9

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 37. Oklahoma

    9.7

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 38. Louisiana

    9.6

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 39. Georgia

    9.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 40. Virginia

    8.9

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 41. West Virginia

    8.9

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 42. Maine

    8.3

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 43. Utah

    8.3

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 44. Kentucky

    8.2

    Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

    Margarita

  • 45. Vermont

    8.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 46. Alabama

    7.6

    Favorite Cocktail: Pina Colada

    Pina Colada

  • 47. Arkansas

    6.1

    Favorite Cocktail: Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary

  • 48. Mississippi

    5.5

    Favorite Cocktail: Martini

    Martini

Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.

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