Why We Keep Coming Back to Merchant + Trade — And Why You Should Too.
For the third year running, the 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition is returning to the 19th floor of Merchant + Trade in Uptown Charlotte. That is not a coincidence. That is a relationship built on two years of unforgettable nights and a shared standard of what hospitality in this city can look like when it is done right.
The venue
Nineteen floors above Charlotte. Four zones. One rooftop that changes everything.
Standing on the rooftop at Merchant + Trade, the Charlotte skyline is not a backdrop. It is a participant. From the 19th floor at 303 S Church Street in Uptown, the city spreads in every direction, and the energy of that view shapes how every conversation, every cocktail, and every moment on that roof lands differently than it would anywhere else.
The space is built for movement. Four distinct zones give guests the freedom to flow between different experiences without ever leaving the rooftop. The indoor bar offers shelter and intimacy. The outdoor terrace puts guests in the open air with the skyline at arm's length. The private terrace creates separation for those who want it. The lawn opens the space up entirely, turning a rooftop into something that feels closer to a destination than a venue. That flexibility is exactly why Battle of the Babes has worked here across two consecutive years. Eight competitors, hundreds of guests, and an evening that builds from the first cocktail to the final vote, all of it accommodated by a space that moves as naturally as the night does.
Indoor bar: Climate-controlled and cocktail-forward. Where the serious conversations happen.
Outdoor terrace: Open air, skyline views, and the energy of Uptown Charlotte at its most immediate.
Private terrace: Separated from the main floor for groups who want the rooftop experience on their own terms.
The lawn: The most open expression of the space. Where the room expands and the night takes over.
A bar program that was already doing what Battle of the Babes celebrates.
The reason Merchant + Trade works as a host for this competition is not only the space. It is the philosophy behind what is poured in it. The bar program is built around North Carolina-produced spirits, house-made mixers, and locally sourced produce. Every cocktail on the permanent menu reflects a commitment to craft, regional identity, and the kind of intentional sourcing that the competition's best entries have always embodied.
When a competition built around the artistry of women behind the bar is hosted by a venue that treats cocktail-making with the same level of intention, the alignment speaks for itself.
The rooftop kitchen adds another layer. Elevated bar bites designed to pair with the cocktail program mean that the food is not an afterthought. It is part of the experience, which is why heavy hors d'oeuvres from Merchant + Trade's kitchen have been included in every Battle of the Babes ticket since the competition found its home here. For guests sampling eight competition cocktails across an evening, the quality of the food in between is not incidental. It is what keeps the palate ready and the energy high.
Charlotte's craft beer scene also has a seat at the table. A rotating selection of beers brewed right in Charlotte sits alongside the cocktail program, reinforcing the venue's commitment to the local industry in a way that matches HoCo's own. This is not a corporate rooftop with premium pricing and generic programming. It is a local institution that has earned its reputation drink by drink, view by view, and night by night.
What this rooftop has already witnessed.
The 4th Annual Battle of the Babes brought the competition to Merchant + Trade for the first time. What happened that night decided to return for the 5th Annual straightforward. The venue held the energy, moved with the crowd, and gave the competitors and guests exactly the kind of stage the event deserved.
The 5th Annual raised the standard further. On September 28, 2025, a first-time competitor named Alley walked away with first place. Ky of Waterman made Battle of the Babes history by taking both the judges’ third-place award and the People's Choice in the same year, something no competitor had ever done before. Guests filled the deck, sampled all eight cocktails, voted, danced, and left with the kind of energy that only comes from a night that delivered exactly what it promised.
None of that happens without the right room. Merchant + Trade has been that room twice. On September 27, 2026, it holds the competition for the third time, and the weight of everything that has already happened on that rooftop makes the 6th Annual feel like more than an event. It feels like the next chapter of something that has been building since the first time those doors opened for Battle of the Babes.
The rooftop is ready. Are you?
A new class of mixologists is stepping behind the bar this September. Eight competitors. Eight original cocktails. The same 19th-floor rooftop that hosted two of Charlotte's most memorable nights in hospitality. Whatever they bring to the glass this year, they are doing it in a room that has already proven it can hold a moment worth remembering.
The competitor lineup will be announced soon. Follow HoCo to be the first to know who is competing and what they are pouring.
September 27, 2026 5PM – 9PM
Merchant + Trade, 303 S Church St, Charlotte
Every ticket includes:
Entry
All 8 competition cocktails
Heavy hors d'oeuvres
Swag bag
Entertainment and energy
Three years at the same rooftop is not a booking pattern. It is a standard. Come see what that standard looks like from 19 floors above Charlotte on September 27.
Battle of the Babes is one of the experiences HoCo builds to bring the hospitality community together around something worth celebrating. If your business is looking to partner with events like this or build its own platform in the Charlotte hospitality scene, the conversation starts here.
