Meet the Couple Behind Winston-Salem’s Unique Bar

From the stages of New York to cocktail bars in Hong Kong, David Bowen and Maddie Fox have used every part of their journey to create easytalk, Winston-Salem’s unique bar.

August 19, 2026

The Backstory

David’s and Maddie’s story started at UNCSA’s School of Drama, where they met. After graduating in 2015, they spent several years acting and bartending in China and New York City, experiences that would eventually shape their own bar.

• “Hong Kong is an incredible international melting pot of all sorts of different cultures,” David said. “We were rolling into these bars at 22, just having our minds blown by these theatrical experiences. So we really fell in love with the industry and cocktails and bars.”

When the couple moved back to Winston-Salem in 2020, they started their own bartending business, Ginger Fox Beverages, and opened a pop-up cocktail bar in Village Juice’s original location.

• Fun Fact: In 2022, David became the Mixologist of the Year at the NC Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown! He now judges the competition every year.

The Bar

David and Maddie opened easytalk as a dual-concept bar after Claire, the owner of East of Texas, approached them about opening a location at Walnut & Broad.

• Easy | Fast, casual, and low-key. It serves classic cocktails and a rotating seasonal menu with new additions weekly.
  • Try It: David’s favorite drink is the Hot Grill Summer, one of their seasonal drinks made with tequila, mezcal, watermelon, lime, agave nectar, cilantro, and spice.

• Talk | Where things get more interactive. Experiences include:
  • Bartender’s Choice | Tell the bartender what you’re in the mood for, and they’ll build a custom drink on the spot.
  • Tasting Flights | Custom-built and not limited to one spirit; you can design a flight around a theme, like “smoky.”
  • Drinking Games | Order based on a dice roll or card pull, or try the Equal Parts game, where the bartender mixes three spirits and you guess what’s in the glass.
  • Sunday School | A weekly cocktail class that’s perfect for people who enjoy making their own drinks.

The differences between the easy and talk bars reflect David’s and Maddie’s personalities. David measures out every ingredient to the gram, while Maddie loves improvising drinks.

Your First Visit

Interested in checking them out? We asked David and Maddie what they’d recommend for a first-timer.

• Start with a drink from the easy bar, plus a bag of chips from the international chip selection.
• Move to the talk bar for Bartender’s Choice, and then order from the Bar Bites menu, like loaded tater tots or Hong Kong bubble waffles.
• Close out with a tasting flight or one of the drinking games!

Looking for even more local bars to visit? Check out our guide!