The Rose Room located on 2nd Street in downtown Macon, gears up to celebrate its two-year anniversary on May 1, 2026, with a big birthday party, a live DJ, and the launch of their new frozen drink machine.
The vision of the bar was and continues to be a “sophisticated, casual place where everyone is welcome,” Kate Long, co-owner of The Rose Room with her business and romantic partner Jon Sandlin, said. “While we’re a very casual place where you can just come in and have a drink by yourself, bring your computer, we also are a brick and mortar place where we want the community to feel like it is a space for them.”
There is something on the menu for everyone, including non-alcoholic drinks, she said. “We’re very intentional about everything on our menu.”
“This bar is the best bar in Macon and best cocktails in the state!” Courtney Everett wrote in a Facebook review in September 2025.
Sandlin plays a big part in designing menus and recipes, and currently clarifies two cocktails on the menu, which Long said is a tedious process where he mixes whole milk, liquor, and lime juice among a few other ingredients, curdles it, and then pours it through a filter system, making a clear cocktail.
She said something people might not know is “anything that says infusion or bitters or a syrup, likely Jon has made it from scratch.”
“Just what Macon needs! A swanky but laid-back bar with amazing & unique drinks,” Libby Robinson wrote in a 5-star Google review nine months ago. “Rose Room is also involved in the community, making it even more of a must-visit.”
The space has a mid-century modern monochromatic and cozy vibe when someone walks in, leading to moody pink lighting under the bar, with a surprising shift to a pink glitter-covered bathroom, Long said.
“It is just a really fun experience to go in and have your own little disco party,” she said. “I think moments like that are how we hope to surprise guests and give them just a little something fun that takes their mind off of the stressful world around us.”
Long said she and Sandlin are super lucky to have the staff they do, and that it feels like an episode of a sitcom with everyone being so connected.
“We’re really fortunate that we’ve just kind of stumbled upon these amazing folks,” she said. “It’s hard to put into words how people just come your way, but I really do think it has something to do with the energy you put out.”
Long went on to explain that the staff know their cocktails, and can recommend new drinks to customers.
“I absolutely love this beautiful place! The staff here have a heart of gold. Very friendly, very welcoming,” Erika Lynn wrote in a 5-star Facebook review in August 2025.
“We want everyone to walk away having had a really good experience and enjoyed what they had and feel like they got the quality for what they’ve paid for,” Long said.
