SUMMER SIPS: Discovering Cape Fear’s Best Summer Drinks
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Summer on the Cape Fear Coast is made for slow evenings, good company, and a perfectly crafted drink in hand. From rooftop lounges and waterfront patios to hidden gems serving up creative seasonal pours, the region’s cocktail scene continues to bring fresh flavors, local ingredients, and unforgettable experiences to the table. In The Summer Sip List: Who’s Shaking the Best Summer Cocktails?, Cape Fear Living uncovers the destinations raising the bar on summer sipping—highlighting the bartenders, signature creations, and unique atmospheres that make each stop worth a visit.
Q&A with Jillian Lipscomb Bressler
What makes C-Suite Lounge unique and how does that influence the way you approach your summer drink program?
We’ve created a space where our guests can enjoy expertly crafted cocktails in an upscale and stylish setting while still feeling relaxed and welcome. C-Suite Lounge is unique because we’ve always wanted it to be more than a place to grab a drink. It’s about the full experience — the atmosphere, the cocktails, the music, the people, and the service. - We are dog-friendly, and our bar seats are, hands down, the most comfortable around.
Tell us about your summer cocktail menu.
While we offer a variety of handcrafted cocktails, our flavored mules and mojitos are consistently the go-to favorites this time of year. We love incorporating seasonal ingredients like fresh citrus, berries, mint, and tropical fruit flavors to create cocktails.
What is the signature C-Suite Lounge cocktail of the season?
If we had to choose one cocktail that best represents our summer program, it would be our Strawberry Mojito. It’s everything guests look for in a summer cocktail. It’s fresh, vibrant, and incredibly refreshing.
Why is C-Suite Lounge a Must-Visit on our Summer Sip List?
Whether you’re looking for a pre-concert cocktail, a relaxed evening with friends, a date-night destination, or a place to catch major sporting events on screen, the lounge offers an experience that feels intentionally curated rather than rushed. The cocktail menu features signature drinks inspired by classic recipes alongside seasonal favorites, beers, wine, and mocktails. Throughout the summer, guests can also take advantage of weekly drink specials, themed cocktail promotions, and game-day watch parties.
geC-Suite frequently showcases major sporting events and downtown happenings, making it an easy addition to any weekend itinerary. We are also less than 3 blocks from the Live Oak Concert Venue and the Wilson Center. For those planning celebrations, networking events, birthday gatherings, or private parties, the lounge is also available for private rentals and customized experiences.
Summer “sip-to” Songs.
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Q&A with Co-Owner Jamie Alfalla
What makes Concorde Espresso Bar unique and how does that influence the way you approach your summer drink program?
The whole concept is built around the Concorde jet and the golden age of first-class travel—from the airplane room to the Sky Lounge mezzanine overlooking the floor below. By day it’s a serious coffee bar; after 3 p.m. it becomes a craft cocktail lounge. We treat every drink like a flight, so summer was the moment to lean all the way in: bright, tropical, built for the heat, and meant to be photographed.
Tell us about your summer cocktail menu.
On the coffee side, our iced summer menu runs Salted Coconut Cream, Raspberry Danish, Blackberry Vanilla Matcha, and Amaretto Chai—served over silky Korean-style snowflake ice, with nitro oat-milk lattes pouring straight from the tap.
The cocktail lineup is where the season shows:
Watermelon Martini — Watermelon Cîroc, cold-pressed watermelon, lime, organic watermelon Johnny Pop
Cherry Brazilian Mojito — rum, coconut, muddled mint, Fabbri amarena cherries
Flor de Sangre — el Jimador reposado, blood orange shrub, pink peppercorn, hibiscus
Garden of Eve — Lunazul Blanco, cucumber, green tea, lemon, apple
Apricot Martini — vodka, Lillet Blanc, Giffard Apricot, dry Curaçao
What is the flagship drink of the season?
The Watermelon Martini. It’s triple-watermelon—Cîroc, cold-pressed juice, and house syrup—finished with a real watermelon popsicle that slowly melts into the glass. It’s the most summer thing we make, unmistakably ours, and the drink people photograph before they taste it. If one pour defines the season, it’s that one.
Why is Concorde Espresso Bar a must visit on our Summer Sip List?
Because you don’t just grab a drink—you board a flight. Reserve a seat, order something built for the season, and take in the room. With our downtown spot on Front Street and the second terminal on Market Street, there are now two Wilmington gates to do it from. Equal parts great coffee, great cocktails, and an experience worth the photo.
Three summer “sip-to” tracks?
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Q&A with Operations Manager Hannah Chiaradio
What makes G-Prime unique and how does that influence the way you approach your summer drink program?
G·Prime is built on a simple idea — bring the same level of care we put into our prime cuts to every part of the experience, including what's in the glass. We're a steakhouse, but we're also a destination, situated in one of the most vibrant beach towns on the East Coast, and that location shapes everything. Our guests are coming from a day on the water, to celebrate a special ocassion, or to just enjoy a night out, so our summer cocktail program is designed to match that energy — bright, refreshing, and rooted in seasonal ingredients, while still carrying the same precision and quality you'd expect from the rest of the menu. We treat cocktails as their own craft, not an afterthought, using fresh juices, house-made syrups, and seasonal produce to create drinks that feel as elevated as they do easy to sip.
Tell us about your summer cocktail menu.
Light, fresh, and built for summer — our cocktail menu this season leans into soft, organic flavors and sun-washed colors without leaving the classics behind. We're giving nostalgic favorites a summer pop, creating something that feels both familiar and completely of the moment.
What is the flagship drink of the season?
The White Linen Margarita is our summer in a glass — cucumber juice, elderflower, fresh lime, and tequila, finished with a salt rim and mint sprig. It's soft, bright, and elegant without trying too hard. It encapsulates everything that summer is.
Why is G-Prime a must visit on our Summer Sip List?
G·Prime offers something most spots in town can't — a true indoor-outdoor experience with a terrace that captures golden hour over Wilmington, paired with a cocktail program that's just as thoughtful as our food. It's the kind of place where you can start with a citrus-forward seasonal cocktail, watch the sun go down, and transition seamlessly into a world-class steak dinner. For someone planning the perfect summer night out, G·Prime delivers atmosphere, craft, and quality all in one place — making it less of a single stop and more of a full evening.
Three summer “sip-to” tracks?
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