CRAFT COCKTAILS COMMANDING CENTER STAGE.
GONE ARE THE DAYS OF NASHVILLE'S DRINKING SCENE BEING KNOWN SOLELY FOR HONKY-TONKS, BOOT-STOMPING, AND BEER DRINKING. AS NASHVILLE ROSE TO BECOME ONE OF THE NATION'S NEWEST "IT CITIES" SO DID IT'S CLASSY-COCKTAIL GAME.
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EAST NASHVILLE HAS STAPLED ITSELF AS A SPIRIT-STIRRING STANDARD OF QUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES' CRAFT COCKTAIL COMMUNITY. THE REVOLUTION GAINED ITS MOMENTUM FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF EAST'S FOX BAR AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE. THEIR INTIMATE, TEN-TABLE, DIMLY-LIT DEN STILL HOLDS A PLACE AS ONE OF NASHVILLE'S BEST KEPT SECRETS. WHETHER YOUR SIGHTS ARE SET ON ONE OF THEIR DOZEN MONTHLY OLD FASHIONS OR YOU CHOOSE TO TRUST THE SKILLS OF ONE OF THEIR HIGHLY-CAPABLE MIXOLOGISTS- ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GO WRONG. JUST DOWN MAIN STREET YOU'LL FIND TWO WANDER FAVORITES- PEARL DIVER AND CHOPPER. BOTH OFFER A RETRO COCKTAIL LOUNGE SETTING WITH A TIKI TWIST. PEARL DIVER'S PATIO PROVIDES THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR ONE OF THEIR MANY WEEKLY EVENTS OR A COZY HIDE AWAY IN ONE OF THEIR MID-CENTURY CABANAS. NO TRIP ACROSS THE RIVER IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A CUSTOM-CRAFTED COCKTAIL AT NASHVILLE'S FAVORITE NEW YORK TRANSPLANT- ATTABOY. DON'T GO LOOKING FOR A LIST OF OUR FAVORITE DRINKS THERE THOUGH- THERE'S NO MENU. AFTER A QUICK SURVEY OF YOUR DRINKING PREFERENCES, ONE OF THEIR GAME-CHANGING CONNOISSEURS WILL MIX YOU THE PERFECT DRINK TO FIT YOUR MOOD.
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DOWNTOWN ALSO BOASTS A HOST OF CRAFTY SPOTS WORTH TACKING ONTO YOUR BOUJEE BAR CRAWL. WITHIN STUMBLING DISTANCE OF LOWER BROADWAY YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM THE EVER-CHANGING MENU AT SOBRO'S BAR SOVEREIGN, THE ADULT PLAYGROUND AND PATIO OF PINEWOOD SOCIAL, OR A TRUE SPEAKEASY STYLE AT MIDTOWN'S PATTERSON HOUSE.
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REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU CHOOSE TO SETTLE YOUR SPIRIT FOR THE NIGHT- NASHVILLE'S CRAFT COCKTAIL SCENE IS BOUND TO LEAVE YOU COMING BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN (AND ALWAYS READY TO GREET YOU WITH SOMETHING NEW.)
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PICTURED LEFT: CLASSIC OLD FASHIONED, COURTESY OF THE FOX BAR AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE
All roads lead to
the honky tonk highway.
WHAT ONCE WAS THE FIRST (AND ONLY) STREET RIVERBOAT CAPTAINS USED TO GET INLAND FROM THE CUMBERLAND RIVER, BROADWAY HAS NOW TAKEN ON A MORE NEON-LIT NIGHTLIFE NATURE. THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN HONKY-TONK IS CREDITED TO NONE OTHER THAN TOOTSIE'S ORCHID LOUNGE. HATTIE LOUISE "TOOTSIE" BESS BEGAN SERVING SPIRITS AND SONGS IN 1960. HER LOVE FOR CULTIVATING THE YOUNG ARTISTS OF THE NEARBY OPRY COUPLED WITH HER PASSION FOR SERVING CHEAP, COLD DRINKS MADE TOOTSIE'S THE LEGENDARY WATERING HOLE THAT IT IS TODAY. IT'S NOT RARE TO FIND A COUNTRY SUPERSTAR TRACING THEIR ROOTS BACK TO THIS ICONIC SPOT. FROM GARTH BROOKS AND WILLIE NELSON TO DOLLY PARTON AND PATSY CLINE- NO COUNTRY HIT-MAKER HAS PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THIS REVERED RAIL.
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THE THREE-TIERED HONKY-TONK LAYOUT TOOTSIE'S PATENTED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO STILL REMAINS A POPULAR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS AMONG THE NEWER GLITZ AND GLAMOUR BARS OF BROADWAY. WHETHER YOU THROW 'EM BACK AT ONE OF NASHVILLE'S NEWEST "STAR BARS" LIKE LUKE BRYAN'S 32 BRIDGE, BLAKE SHELTON'S OLE RED, OR ALAN JACKSON'S GOOD TIMES BAR OR STICK TO THE COUNTRY CLASSIC AT TIME-TESTED TAPROOMS LIKE BOOTLEGGERS, ROBERT'S WESTERN WORLD, OR ACME FEED AND SEED- YOU'RE BOUND TO FIND SOMETHING TO ENJOY.
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THE HONKY-TONK VIBE CAN'T BE CONFINED TO JUST ONE AVENUE THOUGH. BRANCHING OFF WEST OF BROADWAY YOU'LL FIND THE COLLEGE STUDENT LADEN DEMONBREUN HILL WITH ITS ALL-DAY DRINK SPECIALS, "CRAFT" BEER BREWERIES, AND PENNY ARCADE STYLE HAUNTS.
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IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE UP THE PLAYLIST HOWEVER, WE RECOMMEND SLIDING INTO NASHVILLE'S ORIGINAL SPEAKEASY QUARTERS- PRINTER'S ALLEY. AN EVENING OF PROHIBITION-STYLE COCKTAILS SHOULD ALWAYS BEGIN AT THE RESERVATIONS-RECOMMENDED SKULL'S RAINBOW ROOM AND STEAKHOUSE AND END WITH BOOGIE AND JAZZ AT BOURBON STREET BLUES. THE NIGHT LIVES ON LONGER HERE AS VISITORS AND RESIDENTS SING THEIR TROUBLES AWAY AT MS KELLI'S KARAOKE AND WHILE OTHERS USHER IN THE MORNING WITH A HOT DOG AND (HOPEFULLY) A WATER AT DADDY DOGS.
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WHEREVER YOU FIND YOURSELF WANDERING FOR A DRINK- WE ALWAYS REMIND YOU TO TIP YOUR MUSICIANS, BARTENDERS, AND TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
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PICTURED RIGHT: TOOTSIE'S ORCHID LOUNGE.
