Wedding DJ at Dram & Draught – Winston-Salem in Winston-Salem, NC

The Space

This is the sixth of what grew into seven Dram & Draught bars across North Carolina, following the original Raleigh location that opened in July 2016, with sister bars in Greensboro, Durham, Cary, Wilmington, and Charlotte. After a soft opening in February, this Winston-Salem location opened to the public the weekend of March 31, 2023, inside the Bailey Power Plant complex, with an entrance that sits right next to the building’s iconic smokestack.

Every Dram & Draught bar is built around a specially designed bar counter so everyone seated at it can see each other, with the layout adjusted slightly for each location. Here that means a 31-seat bar with liquor shelving that runs floor to ceiling, set inside a building shaped by its former life as a tobacco power plant, now part of the Innovation Quarter in what used to be Winston-Salem’s manufacturing district.

Capacity & Layout

The location seats 184 people inside and adds another 22 seats on an outdoor patio, for a combined capacity of 206 across the two spaces. That split gives a couple two distinct zones for a private event: the main indoor bar with its 31-seat counter and general seating for the bulk of the guest list, and the patio for guests who want a quieter conversation or fresh air away from the bar.

With cocktails making up about 80 percent of sales here and whiskey the single biggest seller followed by tequila, the room is built around bar service rather than plated dining, which shapes how a couple should think about a reception here: this suits a cocktail-hour or standing reception format better than a seated banquet, with the bar itself as the centerpiece rather than a rented-in setup.

Amenities

The bar carries the full Dram & Draught whiskey program, more than 300 bottles from around the world, alongside 15 beer taps that lean heavily on North Carolina craft beer and nine wines available by the glass or bottle. A private barrel program also runs here, with a whiskey unique to this location aged in its own barrel and served in old-fashioneds, a detail a couple could build a signature cocktail around.

The space is wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly, useful for a couple who wants a pet included in a smaller event, and private events are available by arrangement. Regular hours run Monday through Thursday from 4pm to midnight, Friday from 4pm to 2am, Saturday from 2pm to 2am, and Sunday from 2pm to midnight, though a private buyout would be scheduled separately with the venue.

Location & Getting There

The bar sits in the Innovation Quarter’s Bailey Power Plant complex, a former tobacco manufacturing site now redeveloped into downtown Winston-Salem’s dining and entertainment district, with street-facing windows and a patio in Bailey Park. Smith Reynolds Airport is the nearest airport for guests flying in, keeping travel short for anyone arriving from out of town.

We have worked an event at this bar before, and the space calls for a DJ setup scaled to a bar rather than a ballroom: the indoor room is compact with hard surfaces and floor-to-ceiling shelving that reflects sound at close range, so volume needs to stay controlled for a 184-seat interior, while the street-facing patio in Bailey Park is open air and needs its own speaker coverage to keep guests outside connected to the same music.