Press Release

DURHAM, N.C., March 29, 2023 – Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and JB Duke Hotel, two distinctive hotel properties located on Duke University's campus, are hosting a Be Our Guest Bartender Series, inviting the Triangle area’s top mixologists to showcase specialty cocktail creations to hotel guests. Throughout the month of April, visit the Inn’s Bull Durham Bar each Wednesday and JB Duke Hotel Lobby Lounge each Thursday from 4-6 p.m. to meet guest bartenders and savor the signature flavors present in their one-of-a-kind cocktail creations. With creative beverages ranging from a smoky Mezcal Old Fashioned, to a crisp and citrusy White Lotus, to the Veneto Valentine as a riff on the classic Italian Negroni, the following professionals are leading the Be Our Guest Bartender Series spring lineup:

• Wednesday, 4/5 and Thursday, 4/6 – Jessie Rossabi, The Willard
• Wednesday, 4/12 and Thursday, 4/13 – Josh Gagne, The Haymaker
• Wednesday, 4/19 and Thursday, 4/20 – Will Bryant, The Parlor at Heights House Hotel
• Wednesday, 4/26 and Thursday, 4/27 – Kat Binkley, Killjoy

The guest cocktail creations will be available on the Bull Durham Bar and Lobby Lounge menus the week following each bartender’s on-site visit. The hotel properties will attribute 10% of proceeds from the specialty drink menus as part of a donation to each bartender’s local non-profit organization of choice.

“We are thrilled to offer hotel guests and Durham community residents alike a unique experience to enjoy masterfully crafted, limited-edition cocktails in our tranquil, timeless bar spaces,” said Daniel Lotz, area director of operations for the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, JB Duke Hotel and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center and hotel manager at the Inn. “The Be Our Guest Bartender Series is designed to celebrate the vibrant food, beverage and hospitality offerings available throughout the Triangle while shining a spotlight on the mixologists elevating the local bar scene and the causes that are most important to them."

Guests are invited to extend their visit to the Inn’s award-winning Fairview Dining Room to try the latest seasonal menu at the AAA Four Diamond restaurant, which boasts thoughtfully crafted, locally sourced dishes that can be enjoyed in the restaurant or outside on the property’s expansive patio, with views of the 18-hole championship Duke University Golf Club. Located just across the street from the Inn, the JB Duke Hotel’s light-filled spaces and contemporary furnishings accompany sweeping views of the surrounding Duke Forest. The Lobby Lounge offers a full dinner menu with small plates, entrees, soups, salads, sandwiches and sweet treats. A peninsula bar, chic décor and lush seating areas create an ideal atmosphere for intimate conversations or small gatherings with friends. Reservations are not required for the Be Our Guest Bartender Series.

For more information, follow the Washington Duke Inn and JB Duke Hotel on Instagram at @washingtondukeinn and @jbdukehotel.