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Where to Drink Cocktails in Nashville Right Now

11 cocktail dens getting buzz around Music City

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Nashville’s bar scene is having a renaissance, boasting more choices than ever for great cocktails, beer, and wine. With trendy haunts mixing up complex concoctions filled with hard-to-pronounce ingredients alongside reliable destinations pouring up the standards, it’s a great time to be thirsty in Music City. Below, Eater shines the spotlight on Nashville’s newest, buzziest bars to check out this season.

Know of something new and exciting that should be on our radar? Email Eater Nashville at nashville@eater.com.

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Tiger Bar

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Taking over the former Walden space in East Nashville, Tiger Bar is what happens when P.T. Barnum gets his hands on a modern-day saloon. The retro circus-themed bar comes courtesy of the Pearl Diver crew — you can enjoy your freezer martini or cotton candy-topped negroni in one of the booths fashioned to look like a sideshow railcar before diving into high-touch snacks like the Panisse & Caviar, a chickpea fritter topped with crème fraîche and caviar.

Golden Pony

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Situated in East Nashville’s Highland Yards complex, Golden Pony is a comfy, mid-century modern hang where it seems everyone knows your name (or soon will). Whether you’re hunkering down in a booth with friends, cuddling on a couch with a date, or posting up solo at the bar, order up one of the agua frescas with your choice of spirit and pair it with the hot honey cheese toast or some of the buttermilk breaded fries.

Schulman's

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Named in honor of David “Skull” Schulman, the local behind Skull’s Rainbow Room and the pioneer of Nashville’s authentic dive bar scene, Schlman’s is a tried-and-true dive bar with dart boards, a jukebox, and an old-school cigarette machine that dispenses cartons. The drink menu is tightly curated and includes a martini, a negroni, a frozen margarita, and the Frozen Fernz with rum, Fernet, coconut, and mint. The bar — which also offers fried bologna sandwiches and fried pickles for munching on — is open seven days a week until 2 a.m.

Reunion

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The Vandyke Bed and Beverage is no more. In its place: Reunion, a high-end dive bar and restaurant from the Tusk Brothers (Never Never) located in Five Points. The U-shaped bar on the ground floor is surrounded by plants, funky wallpaper, and tufted green banquettes perfect for munching on flatbreads, smash burgers, and Japanese fried chicken sandwiches while sipping on signature drinks like the Atlantic Sour with rye, port, Angostura, and lemon.

Grandpa Bar - Coffee & Cocktails

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An unassuming coffee clatch serving up steaming lattes and pastries by day, Grandpa’s is all about the nightcaps after the sun sets, turning into a cozy bar scene in the evening with Old Fashioneds, espresso martinis, and antique furniture to enjoy them on. The menu at this Marathon Village spot is balanced out by a few local beer and non-alcoholic options.

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery

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Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery recently completed a full-scale renovation to expand the mercantile shop, add an onsite restaurant, and update the interiors. Part of those updates include a full-service bar offering flights of Nelson’s products and cocktails crafted with the distillery’s bourbons and whiskeys, as well as their new house-made vodka and gin. Try the Cold Fashioned, a frozen twist on the classic Old Fashioned.

Bar Continental

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Sean Brock recently swapped out his mid-century supper club in Downtown for Bar Continental, a hi-fidelity record bar and lounge inspired by the Japanese “kissas” that gained popularity in the 1950s. The reimagined space features two distinct bars — The Wolf Bar and The Onken Bar — in addition to the main dining room, where vintage McIntosh and Tannoy speakers allow guests to listen to one of the bar’s 5,000 records while dining on burgers, sipping on beer, and the occasional prime rib — a shout out to Bar Continental’s predecessor.

Four Walls

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Before settling into dinner at Yolan, you’ll want to stop by the Joseph’s newest cocktail bar for interesting drinks in a visually arresting space: picture hide on the walls, fringe hanging from the ceiling, and a long blood-red, Rosso Levanto Italian marble bar. The cocktail menu here features nine different negronis and a selection of kicky aperitivos — like cheddar farfalle crisps and Nashville hot corn nuts — to tide you over until your next meal.

The Late Great at Virgin Hotels Nashville

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Virgin Nashville’s new speakeasy-style space, The Late Great, is an eclectic, yet comfy, space adorned with folk art paintings, country music memorabilia, love seats, and couches. The bar focuses on savory drinks — like the White Lightenin’ made with vodka, cucumber, lemon, Greek yogurt, and dill — developed by Hope Rice, who formerly collaborated with the bar at Audrey. In lieu of shots, the menu also features “pocket cocktails,” miniature-size versions of classic drinks that are ideal for sampling without committing to the full-size version.

Blind Barber

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During the day, Blind Barber is a classic three-chair barber shop offering haircuts, shaves, and styling along with a complimentary cocktail to go with your service. After hours, this New York-born speakeasy turns into a funky 70’s-inspired speakeasy outfitted in gold trim and accents with velour booths, a spacious dance floor, and an expansive bar serving cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks.

Marble Fox Brewing Company

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Located in the former Jackalope Brewing space, this family-owned brewery hails from a storied line of beer makers dating back to the late 1800s. Today, owners John Eibl Sr., John Eibl Jr., and Andrew Brophy are pumping out small-batch brews in the Gulch, with 16 different beers you can sample from their industrial-style taproom.

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Tiger Bar

Taking over the former Walden space in East Nashville, Tiger Bar is what happens when P.T. Barnum gets his hands on a modern-day saloon. The retro circus-themed bar comes courtesy of the Pearl Diver crew — you can enjoy your freezer martini or cotton candy-topped negroni in one of the booths fashioned to look like a sideshow railcar before diving into high-touch snacks like the Panisse & Caviar, a chickpea fritter topped with crème fraîche and caviar.

Golden Pony

Situated in East Nashville’s Highland Yards complex, Golden Pony is a comfy, mid-century modern hang where it seems everyone knows your name (or soon will). Whether you’re hunkering down in a booth with friends, cuddling on a couch with a date, or posting up solo at the bar, order up one of the agua frescas with your choice of spirit and pair it with the hot honey cheese toast or some of the buttermilk breaded fries.

Schulman's

Named in honor of David “Skull” Schulman, the local behind Skull’s Rainbow Room and the pioneer of Nashville’s authentic dive bar scene, Schlman’s is a tried-and-true dive bar with dart boards, a jukebox, and an old-school cigarette machine that dispenses cartons. The drink menu is tightly curated and includes a martini, a negroni, a frozen margarita, and the Frozen Fernz with rum, Fernet, coconut, and mint. The bar — which also offers fried bologna sandwiches and fried pickles for munching on — is open seven days a week until 2 a.m.

Reunion

The Vandyke Bed and Beverage is no more. In its place: Reunion, a high-end dive bar and restaurant from the Tusk Brothers (Never Never) located in Five Points. The U-shaped bar on the ground floor is surrounded by plants, funky wallpaper, and tufted green banquettes perfect for munching on flatbreads, smash burgers, and Japanese fried chicken sandwiches while sipping on signature drinks like the Atlantic Sour with rye, port, Angostura, and lemon.

Grandpa Bar - Coffee & Cocktails

An unassuming coffee clatch serving up steaming lattes and pastries by day, Grandpa’s is all about the nightcaps after the sun sets, turning into a cozy bar scene in the evening with Old Fashioneds, espresso martinis, and antique furniture to enjoy them on. The menu at this Marathon Village spot is balanced out by a few local beer and non-alcoholic options.

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery recently completed a full-scale renovation to expand the mercantile shop, add an onsite restaurant, and update the interiors. Part of those updates include a full-service bar offering flights of Nelson’s products and cocktails crafted with the distillery’s bourbons and whiskeys, as well as their new house-made vodka and gin. Try the Cold Fashioned, a frozen twist on the classic Old Fashioned.

Bar Continental

Sean Brock recently swapped out his mid-century supper club in Downtown for Bar Continental, a hi-fidelity record bar and lounge inspired by the Japanese “kissas” that gained popularity in the 1950s. The reimagined space features two distinct bars — The Wolf Bar and The Onken Bar — in addition to the main dining room, where vintage McIntosh and Tannoy speakers allow guests to listen to one of the bar’s 5,000 records while dining on burgers, sipping on beer, and the occasional prime rib — a shout out to Bar Continental’s predecessor.

Four Walls

Before settling into dinner at Yolan, you’ll want to stop by the Joseph’s newest cocktail bar for interesting drinks in a visually arresting space: picture hide on the walls, fringe hanging from the ceiling, and a long blood-red, Rosso Levanto Italian marble bar. The cocktail menu here features nine different negronis and a selection of kicky aperitivos — like cheddar farfalle crisps and Nashville hot corn nuts — to tide you over until your next meal.

The Late Great at Virgin Hotels Nashville

Virgin Nashville’s new speakeasy-style space, The Late Great, is an eclectic, yet comfy, space adorned with folk art paintings, country music memorabilia, love seats, and couches. The bar focuses on savory drinks — like the White Lightenin’ made with vodka, cucumber, lemon, Greek yogurt, and dill — developed by Hope Rice, who formerly collaborated with the bar at Audrey. In lieu of shots, the menu also features “pocket cocktails,” miniature-size versions of classic drinks that are ideal for sampling without committing to the full-size version.

Blind Barber

During the day, Blind Barber is a classic three-chair barber shop offering haircuts, shaves, and styling along with a complimentary cocktail to go with your service. After hours, this New York-born speakeasy turns into a funky 70’s-inspired speakeasy outfitted in gold trim and accents with velour booths, a spacious dance floor, and an expansive bar serving cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks.

Marble Fox Brewing Company

Located in the former Jackalope Brewing space, this family-owned brewery hails from a storied line of beer makers dating back to the late 1800s. Today, owners John Eibl Sr., John Eibl Jr., and Andrew Brophy are pumping out small-batch brews in the Gulch, with 16 different beers you can sample from their industrial-style taproom.

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