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The Best Bars In Nashville The neo-Art-Deco The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club is small and chic, and it ticks all the right boxes for a date night out, or just an especially sophisticated night with friends. And they know this: in addition to its lengthy list of delicious individual cocktails (like the complex Twice Baked Old Fashioned with Japanese whiskey, cognac, and chamomile), the Fox has several large-format drinks so the whole table can get in on the fun. Order martini service for two complete with all the garnishes, or a squad of little rum drinks with the “Daiq(uiri) Snacks for Four.” The Fox straddles the reservation/walk-in line well—you can only make a reservation right when they open (5pm) and they save room for walk-ins the whole night.

An Eater’s Guide to Nashville Bars: Nashville is nothing if not a drinking town, and the bar scene here holds its own against other larger cities. There are plenty of places to grab a drink, from the city’s oldest dives to its newest watering holes. Head to Robert’s Western World for cheap beer and an old-school honky-tonk experience, or take in the speakeasy vibes at the Patterson House (part of Ben and Max Goldberg’s Strategic Hospitality). The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club over in East Nashville consistently draws a crowd for its well-thought-out concoctions that also include interesting non-alcoholic libations.

Best Whiskey In Nashville: These Bars Have rarest Bottles, Biggest Selections

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, a moody, gorgeous and intimate bar in East Nashville, has more than 400 bottles of liquor, 155 of which are American, European, Canadian and East Asian whiskies. At only 42 seats, that might be the most extreme ratio of bottles to guests, said beverage director Laura Unterberg. Some of her favorites in the whiskey collection are Kavalan Distillery ex-Bourbon Cask, a Taiwanese whiskey, and Old Overholt 10-year Cask Strength. She also likes Jacob’s Pardon 18-year corn whiskey, an example of the growing trend of light whiskey. It packs a wallop at 142 proof.

"As an Executive American Whiskey Steward and spirits nerd, I always try to find the cool, rare and unusual for The Fox, especially where whiskey is concerned," she said. This bar is one of the few in the country to offer the unaged Irish whiskey Poitín, something like a moonshine. It also offers exclusive-to-The Fox single barrel picks. Even with all of that to choose from, it's worth noting that the well-made cocktails, are not to be missed. (2905B Gallatin Pike, www.thefoxnashville.com)

Eat Well at East Nashville’s Effortlessly Cool Restaurants The Fox, co-owned by Dan + Shay drummer Andrew Cook, is an elegant, old-timey bar serving out-of-the-box drinks to a discerning crowd. The bartenders aren’t afraid to get a little wonderfully unexpected here, filling your cup with ingredients like yam, cassava pearls, peated tea, and hot-chicken spice (of course). Creative small plates like miso deviled eggs and vegan pimento cheese also hold their own.

Cozy Bars & Restaurants in Nashville The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club is one of the most popular bars in East Nashville. The space features a main bar, high-top tables, large velvet booths, and a sitting area for two by the front door. While The Fox Bar is known for its creative cocktails, they also have a nice selection of bites and some desserts.

Our Favorite Places to Eat, Sleep, and Explore in Nashville Finish any Nashville night with a great drink (including zero-proof options) at Nashville’s first craft cocktail destination just steps away from Music Row, the Patterson House; at the historic Skull’s Rainbow Room (a Printers Alley lounge with great cocktails, food, and nightly burlesque); or on the East side at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club (try the Concord grape margarita).

Date Night: The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club and Frankies 925 Spuntino

Stop 1: The Fox Bar and Cocktail Club
Naturally I ordered the Sunday Gravy ($16), which is not a pot of meat-filled marinara that’s been slowly bubbling on a stove all day but rather a smooth, quiet cocktail made of sun-dried-tomato amontillado sherry and lo-fi gentian that’s been steeped with Parmesan rind. It’s served with a tiny bay leaf in a Nick and Nora glass — not a coupe, Georgian, flip, sling or any of the 11 other kinds of glassware The Fox stocks, which I only know because there’s a sketch of each (and all five shapes of ice) on a menu that could double as wall art.

Why you would sit anywhere other than the bar at The Fox is beyond me. I loved watching the bartender make Dom’s Fox Old Fashioned No. 10 ($22), especially when she stamped The Fox’s logo into the top of the glass-filling ice cube. There’s nothing dramatic or flashy about the bartenders; they work with great focus and precision while answering questions from people like me who have no clue what lo-fi gentian is. It’s fun to have a front-row seat for all the spoons, sprays, garnishes and random splashes from the shaken cocktails.

Learn from our mistake: The Fox takes reservations at 5 p.m. only, so when we arrived at 5:45 on a Friday night, there was a 45-minute wait because everyone who’d thought ahead was enjoying their Concord grape margaritas, Old Bay popcorn and hot chicken hummus (which contains no chicken). It’s a small space with no indoor waiting area, so if you have to wait, the tiny photo booth just outside the door is a fun way to kill time. Dom and I were too wide to sit side by side and too short to be in the frame, but we had a good chuckle taking the world’s worst pictures.

Parking is not what I’d call plentiful — more of a ditch-your-car-in-an-alley-and-hope-for-the-best situation. Instead of signage, there’s a fox mural along the side of East Hill Row, home to Gallatin Pike-facing Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen. Follow the foxes to the back, and the entrance is underneath the stairs that lead to The Bowery Vault. Don’t mistake the covert location as coy or pretentious. In a high-low town that’s silly with over-the-top douchebag bars and dives, The Fox is Goldilocks.

Nashville's Most Romantic Bars Feeling Foxy

With its velvet booths, cozy nooks, and incredible cocktail program, East Nashville’s Fox Bar is an ideal date destination. Pull up a spot at the bar to watch their master bartenders work or get in on the action with cocktail classes and experiences—any of which would make a perfect experiential date. This month, bring your sweetie in for a sweet pairing: Fox Bar is serving up Patrón tequila cocktails alongside locally made chocolates. And don’t forget to snag a sweet snap in the Photomatica photo booth before you leave! (2905b Gallatin Pike; thefoxnashville.com)

Dine Nashville: Restaurant Week 2024 A month-long celebration that features collaborative chef experiences, a restaurant week, and discount offerings from local food retail outlets across Music City. Featuring a drink special by The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

Where to Find the Best Non Alcoholic Drink Menus in Nashville This East Nashville haunt was named Eater Nashville’s bar of the year in 2023 and for good reason — the nonalcoholic options here are just as interesting as their boozy counterparts. The F-150 features a spiced fig gastrique, pomegranate molasses, seltzer, and tarragon, while the bright pink Bird of Paradise combines Dhos bittersweet, pineapple, sesame orgeat, and lime stock. You can find more, like the Cool in Nippon and the Count, on the menu.

2023 Eater Awards • Best Bar Of The Year

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club: Best Bar of the Year

Nashville has its fair share of bars, so it takes something really singular to stand out from the crowd. And the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club has what it takes. Yes, they make everything that isn’t alcohol in-house. And yes, the Fox colada with rum, white miso honey, sweet corn, and pineapple is probably one of the finest riffs on the piña colada that will ever grace a bar counter. But it’s the minimal-waste program here that sets it apart — in fact, they take waste from other places and turn it into ingredients for its drinks. Fruit husks are upcycled for citrus stock and spirit infusions, recycling is enforced, and all garnishes must have a long shelf life. So you can feel good about every single sip you take at this dimly lit 1,000-square-foot watering hole — and that calls for a few extra rounds.

8 Tips From Mixologists That Will Help You Shake (or Stir) the Best Cocktails Refrigerate the Right Items
Certain cocktail ingredients require refrigeration to stay fresh; we’re talking about syrups and fortified wines like sherry, Port, and vermouth. "Rule number one for every bartender is: put your vermouth in the fridge! The general rule is if it is under 20 percent ABV (common for wine-based products), it is not shelf stable and should be refrigerated and consumed within a week or so," says Laura Unterberg, beverage director at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in at Nashville.

16 Essential Nashville Cocktail Bars One of the best bar programs in the city, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in East Nashville is a dimly lit den that draws a crowd — reservations are a smart bet here. The beverage menu of 30 cocktails and over 400 bottle selections changes every month but count on creative spins on the classics, like the Fox Colada with rum, nixta, white miso honey, sweet corn, pineapple, lemon stock, egg, and nutmeg served in a ceramic fox tiki glass. Snacks, including the miso deviled eggs and hot chicken hummus, are just as inventive as the cocktails themselves.

We’re In for a Toasted Oat Winter Fall and winter drinks often highlight spices like cinnamon and cloves, which have long been hallmarks of cold-weather drinking. But at bars across the country, another pantry staple is adding warming notes to cocktails: toasted oats. The reason for their current popularity? Besides their versatility—toasted oats have made their way into everything from Espresso Martinis to tropical drinks—you can thank your local coffee shop. The rise in oat milk drinks at the coffee counter is carrying over to the bar.

At The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville, bar manager Laura Unterberg was directly inspired by a beverage at the bar’s sibling concept, Elegy Coffee. The latte was designed to taste like Cheerios and milk. “That cereal milk has a beautiful, rich, malty flavor,” Unterberg says. To translate that into a cocktail, she combines vodka, Elegy cold brew and Faretti Biscotti Liqueur with a syrup made by lightly toasting store-bought oat powder in a pan before adding water and cooking it down with honey, maple syrup and cinnamon and allspice tinctures.

Best Of Nashville 2023

Readers Choice

3nd Place • Best Bar

Writers Choice

1st Place • Best Girl Dinner

A Bartender’s Guide To Working Niche Spirits Into A Cocktail Menu The role of cocktail bartenders, much like sommeliers, is multifaceted: helping connect consumers with a beverage they’ll enjoy, but also encouraging them to expand their palates, introducing new flavors and concepts, and championing emerging brands or spirit categories. “All of our bartenders look at every single customer, see what they’re ordering, and has in their mind two to three cocktails that they know that person would like,” and may be able to steer them toward, says Laura Unterberg, the beverage director of The Fox Bar and Cocktail Club in Nashville, Tennessee.

An Eater’s Guide to Nashville: Where to eat and drink in Music City Bars: Nashville is nothing if not a drinking town, and the bar scene here holds its own against other larger cities. There are plenty of places to grab a drink, from the city’s oldest dives to its newest watering holes. Head to Robert’s Western World for cheap beer and an old-school honky-tonk experience, or take in the speakeasy vibes at cocktail bar the Patterson House (part of Ben and Max Goldberg’s Strategic Hospitality). The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club over in East Nashville consistently draws a crowd for its well-thought-out concoctions that also include interesting non-alcoholic libations.

No Booze, No Problem: A Sober Guide to Having Fun in Nashville At The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, the NA offering is a bit hidden at the back of their drinks menu, but the bartenders at The Fox are constantly coming up with new treats for non-tipplers, including some created with house-made ingredients. These gastriques, syrups, and orgeats take extra time to create, so they probably should cost even more than standard cocktails. But they don’t.

Fall Travel: Satisfy your hunger at these 10 culinary destinations Nashville Eating and drinking your way through this foodie city is pleasurable enough, but take your trip to Music City one step further with culinary classes. The Goo Goo Cluster — a medley of caramel, nuts, nougat and milk chocolate — is Nashville’s official candy bar and has been around since 1912. Learn how to make your own at Goo Goo Chocolate Company in the heart of downtown. The experience includes a tasting, a history of the candy, a hands-on candy-crafting class, an apron and your handmade chocolates to take home. Goo Goo also hosts wine, spirits and chocolate pairing sessions. Post-chocolate, head to East Nashville for a cocktail-making class at Fox Bar & Cocktail Club. Seasoned bartenders share their knowledge of the history of spirits and reveal tricks of the trade while teaching guests how to mix three craft cocktails. Become a pro at shaking and stirring in this hour-long, boozy event.

These Cities Have The Most Vibrant Nightlife In The United States Also known as the Music City, Nashville is home to some of the top-rated sightseeing landmarks to see in Tennessee. World-famous for its vibrant country music scene, the city has multiple live music venues where talented musicians from the city and beyond, perform throughout the night. But travelers don't have to spend their nights in a club, as there are other options for experiencing Nashville's nightlife. Visit Madame Tussauds, a musical wax museum that lets visitors appreciate some of the best music icons in the world. One can a selfie with the likes of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Other things to do in the Music City after dark include taking ghost tours and watching a show in a theater. The best area for nightlife in Nashville: lower Broadway Top bars and clubs to visit: Play Dance Bar, Party Fowl, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

Why You Should Be Sipping Cachaça, Brazil's Most Popular Spirit Cachaça offers a range of flavors, with some types showcasing fruity and floral notes, while others have a more robust and earthy profile. The aging process in various types of wooden casks further enhances the taste, imparting rich and complex flavors to the final product. "Cachaças run the gamut of flavors—but think banana runts, hints of leather, sourdough bread—and you won't be too far off," says Laura Unterberg, beverage director at The Fox Nashville.

To Find Nashville’s Best Bars, Look Beyond Lower Broad The Fox is what happens when a few friends come together and decide to build their own kick-ass bar. The vibe is like settling in for an excellent post-dinner drink in a really rich friend’s library, decorated with old volumes of literature and history and plush velvet seating. They accept reservations for early seating, but after that you’re on your own to wait your turn. Their Left Handed Banana with local bourbon and chocolate blending with banana and bitters makes the wait worth it.

Cocktail Hour: Music City Maven In early 2020, just before the world as we knew it changed, Laura Unterberg found herself in a new city looking for a fresh start. After nearly a decade bartending in Virginia and New York, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee. “It’s a beautiful city with an exciting drinks scene, and I was hoping to contribute to that growth,” she says. Unterberg was fortunate to land a job right away as a bar back at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club. “For decades, bartending has been treated as a journeyman’s trade in which you ‘pay your dues’—so I accepted a position as a bar back even though I had extensive bartending experience, since I knew I wanted to work there,” she explains. “It’s been an incredible privilege to learn the program from the inside out. I’ve bar backed, cooked, worked the door, and everything in between.” A bartending position quickly became available, and Unterberg moved right up—and then the pandemic hit. “Everything changed—our staffing structure, what we sold, how we sold it—it was a completely different business every day,” she says. Thankfully, The Fox survived and today Unterberg is head bartender, and now that the world has gone back to “normal,” most of her role involves beverage menu development, as well as training bar staff. “We have a truly exceptional team at The Fox—they kill it behind the bar and also make a meaningful impact in the greater bartending community,” she says. As for the venue’s impressive beverage menu, Unterberg notes that there are more than 400 spirits brands represented. “While the spirits selection leans heavily toward American whiskey, I work hard to stock a diverse selection honoring hard-to-find historical products and ethically produced bottles,” she says. The menu also features 30-plus signature cocktails that change monthly, and each drink is created with a focus on minimal waste (cocktails are $15-$26). Unterberg’s Hillbilly Highball ($16) comprises Fords London Dry gin, Byrrh Grand Quinquina, cacao nib-washed Campari aperitif, Giffard Crème de Fruits de la Passion passion fruit liqueur, beet juice, and seltzer water, while her MCM Old Fashioned ($17) features Weller Special Reserve Bourbon, Laird’s Straight Apple brandy, Angostura bitters, and Bittermens Orange Citrate. “I often pull inspiration from the culinary world and try to impart whimsy with surprising ingredients,” Unterberg adds. “Drinking should be fun!”

10 Ways to Upgrade Your Summer Cocktails Investing in high-quality ice molds to make decoratively shaped cubes is an easy trick to wow the crowd this summer, especially when icy drinks are a must. And it doesn't take an elaborate collection of molds to create some show-stopping drink options. "Just two molds will do the trick: I like a long spear of ice for highballs and summertime spritzers, as well as a large mold for neat pours," says Laura Unterberg, head bartender at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville. "Sometimes I fill this one with leftover coffee to drink with rich liqueurs!"

Monday Menu: Imminent Deadline Edition Culaccino in Franklin has added a peachy spin to several Italian classics on their menu, while Chauhan Ale & Masala House combines the flavors of India with the fruit for a special cocktail and chaat. Chauhan’s neighbors at The Mockingbird have a peach cobbler cheesecake in rotation now, and you can find limited-edition peach mocktails and cocktails at Elegy Coffee and The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club.

Summer Mocktails and Where to Find Them A recent winner of Food and Wine magazine’s Best Bars in America ranking, East Nashville’s Fox Bar & Cocktail Club has an impressive book-style menu of drinks, and mocktails are among them. Try the F-150 made with spiced fig gastrique, pomegranate molasses, tarragon and seltzer, or the coffee-esque Batteries Not Included made with Elegy cold brew.

The 8 Best Muddlers, According to Pros The Muddler Made in Portland with local Oregon black walnut, what sets this muddler apart are the “perfectly carved hand grips,” explains Laura Unterberg, of Nashville’s The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, which means it’s easier to grip from the side or from the top. “It’s dense enough to stand up to your toughest lime wedges—I see you, caipirinha! Yet [it’s] gentle for bruising more delicate botanicals.” “To say I’m obsessed is a massive understatement,” Unterberg continues. “I’ve given no fewer than eight as gifts to friends in the industry.”

Why Mocktails Remain So Popular At The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in East Nashville, bar lead Laura Unterberg commits just as much thought and creative integrity into her nonalcoholic beverages as she does any other drink on the menu. Some of Unterberg’s more notable mocktails include Batteries Not Included, made with The Pathfinder Amaro, Untitled Art Chocolate Milk Stout, Elegy cold-brew foam, and chocolate biscuit; Cool In Nippon, with yuzu, orange blossom, hops and seltzer; and Spirit-Free Tini’ Time, with Pentire Adrift, Lyre’s aperitif dry, celery vinegar, rosemary oil, sea salt and an assortment of garnishes.

Artificial Intelligence Has Already Infiltrated the Bar World More Than You Realize

Should AI Be Used in Bars?

There are others in the field who have found AI beneficial, though, with the most common refrain being that the specific application is what matters most. Laura Unterberg, beverage director of The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in East Nashville, Tenn., says she doesn’t envision using AI to generate recipes, but she’s found other uses, such as “phenomenal” translations: “We just held a bar pop-up in Paris and used ChatGPT to accurately translate our menu,” Unterberg says. “It not only accounted for the nuances of slang in modern French, but helped accurately describe some of the more esoteric ingredients we use.”

A Local’s Guide to 3 Perfect Days in Nashville Afterward you can explore East Nashville, which is Nashville’s equivalent of Bushwick or Echo Park. Check out Jane’s Hideaway for Americana music, or go for craft cocktails at the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Attaboy, or Martha My Dear. If you stay out late, head back to East Nashville in the morning for a meditative soak at Holiday Salon & Bathhouse and a visit to the essential oil bar at Lemon Laine.

Mixology: Spanish Flair On the lighter end of the flavor spectrum, there’s Fino and Manzanilla Sherries. “These biologically aged Sherries complement briny and bright flavors,” notes Laura Unterberg, head bartender at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville, Tennessee. “Melon, olive, tarragon, and mint are all standbys.” At Corrida, The Rebujito ($12) by general manager Joshua Link features Alvear Fino Sherry, Sprite lemon-lime soda, and muddled mint. Dayton points out that thanks to the salty and briny notes found in Fino and Manzanilla, these styles also play well with umami flavors and with gin and vodka in riffs on Martinis. At The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Unterberg’s Sunomo Smash ($14) and The Devil You Know ($15) both take inspiration from traditional Martini builds with different flavor results: The former is meant to taste similar to a Japanese vinegar-based cucumber salad, mixing Lustau Fino Sherry, Opihir gin, and house-made cucumber rice wine shrub, while the latter has flavors reminiscent of a Paloma, blending Aurora Manzanilla Sherry, Patrón Silver Tequila, Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse Rose pink grapefruit liqueur, and Salers aperitif.

Go Beyond The Spritz

Created in 1919, Aperol is an Italian aperitif comprising sweet and bitter oranges, rhubarb, gentian root, cinchona bark, and other closely guarded ingredients. "Aperol is bright and bracing, but because of its lighter color it's often overlooked as a bitter component for its more well-known cousin Campari," notes Laura Unterberg, head bartender at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville. "But the gentian and bitter orange- forward qualities of Aperol make it a great addition to drinks."

When it comes to pairing whisky with bitter ingredients, the Prohibition-era Boulevard-ier- a mix of bourbon or rye, Campari, and sweet vermouth- may come to mind, but there's a modern classic featuring Aperol that deserves attention. The Paper Plane created in 2007 by New York City mixologists Sasha Petraske and Sam Ross features bourbon, Aperol, Nomino amaro, and lemon juice. This cocktail shows that Aperol's sweet orange component matches well with whisky.

Nashville's Best Bars Rice Vice was the only Nashville bar to make Esquire's 2023 list of the best bars in America. But we think a few others deserve consideration.

Here are some of our other favorite Nashville watering holes, sorted by atmosphere.
🍹 Fancy cocktails: Otto's Bar on Charlotte Pike or The Fox Bar in East Nashville

Don't forget the James Beard-recognized Attaboy.
🍺 Local brews: The double-whammy of Bearded Iris and Southern Grist anchor West Nashville's Beer Belt. (Although both breweries have other locations around town.)

☀️ Outdoor options: The TailGate headquarters near Bellevue is great for big groups or an afternoon hang with the family.

Rosemary & Beauty Queen's sprawling back patio is the place to be on a lazy Sunday.
🏊 Dives: Alley Pub in Bellevue, which comes by its name honestly.

Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge made Esquire's list of the best bars in 2020.
🤼 Pinball with occasional pro wrestling in the parking lot: No Quarter

🤝 Neighborhood joints: If you like bars that give off a "Cheers" vibe, try The Centennial in The Nations or Village Pub & Beer Garden in East Nashville.

⭐ Classics for a reason: Patterson House has been a local standout since it opened in 2009. A seat at the bar, where you see the bartenders work their magic up close, is still in the running for the best show in town.

Nashville Food Guide (19 Dishes to Try According to a Local) Mocktails Enjoying fun drinks without alcohol is becoming increasingly popular. Restaurants and bars across Nashville are expanding their non-alcoholic drink options. When I was pregnant, I especially appreciated being able to get a fun cocktail minus the alcohol. The choices for mocktails vary at each bar and restaurant. The bar menu at Audrey has almost as many non-alcoholic options as alcoholic ones. The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club also has a good selection of mocktails including Brighton Beach, a fun drink with coconut cream and pineapples.

The 7 Best Tomato Juices For Bloody Marys, According To Bartenders

What the Pros Say

“For packaged, I love Pomì brand Italian tomato juice with one anchovy, Aleppo pepper, and basil blended in. If you’re going homemade, summertime Virginia-grown Hanover tomatoes are incredible.” —Laura Unterberg, beverage director The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Nashville, Tennessee

Music City’s Best Non-Alcoholic Bars

The boom of booze-free bar programs

Bars around Nashville are swiftly answering the calls of these shifting attitudes and trends with menus that reflect customers’ growing requests for alcohol-free alternatives. Laura Unterberg, beverage director of The Fox Cocktail Bar & Lounge in East Nashville, was one of the first establishments in Nashville to go all-in with an NA bar program in 2017. “Even before the non-alcohol boom of 2021, our low and no-alcohol options have always sold surprisingly well. Inclusivity is just good business,” Unterberg told Observer.

Where To Drink In Nashville Right Now Named Food & Wine’s best bar in the United States in 2023, the Fox Bar + Cocktail Club is an intimate, speakeasy-style venue. The snug and sought-after spot is lined with vintage home decor and only seats 45 in its banquettes and bar stools. If you score a coveted perch, flip through the detailed book-style menu and order a Fox Colada, shaken and served on the rocks (in a mug that resembles the animal it’s named for). Or go for a tasty spirit-free option, such as the Cool in Nippon made with yuzu, orange blossom, hops, and seltzer. Small Southern-inspired plates including hot chicken hummus and vegan pimento cheese are served alongside miso deviled eggs. It all adds up to a one-of-a-kind drinking experience you won’t soon forget.

The Hot List 25 Must-Visit Tennessee Bars One look at the menu at this place and you know you're dealing with some folks who are serious not only about spirits, but also about demystifying the pomp and pretension of "mixology." This is also evidenced by their cocktail, agave, and tiki experiences-an afternoon of education on different spirits and their history; how-tos, tips, and tricks for making cocktails; and of course sipping said cocktails with food pairings. Their 24-page menu is a jaw-dropping sight-with a key of visual icons to help you understand the components of their cock-tails. Then there's specialty shots, whiskey flights, barrel picks, non-ale sippers, beer, wine, bubbles, and lastly...an illustration of their back bar with a numbered key of every label in the collec-tion. This, followed by seven long pages of additional spirits and nibbles, available but unseen to guests in the classic barroom. (Think: wooden bars and tables, tufted velvet banquettes, brown leather club chairs.) This place is foxy.

The 14 Best Bars In Nashville 2023 Named one of the best cocktail bars in the United States east, the Fox Bar and Cocktail Club is perhaps the most innovative inclusion on this list. An ever-rotating, vast cocktail menu is a source of constant excitement for any cocktail-inclined individual.

All bartenders contribute to this vast creative endeavor as head bartender Laura Unterberg explains on Alcohol Professor: "Every bartender is encouraged to submit recipes, and then together we will workshop them to make sure that they are a perfect fit for that month's menu. Often we will showcase a new spirit, adding complimentary and contrasting flavors, sort of like a color wheel, to create balance."

Currently, the bar offers an enticing variety of drinks, such as Howard's Cookies, which is a mix of white chocolate-washed Cobrafire brandy, spiced pear, Lillet blanc and shortbread. Aside from innovative signatures, the Fox Bar and Cocktail Club also prepares a range of classic cocktails, including five different takes on the old fashioned. If that doesn't demonstrate a bar crew that is in love with its craft, we don't know what does.

10 Annoying Things You’re Doing At A Bar, According To Bartenders

6. Stealing

Not only is petty theft a crime, but it can also be incredibly damaging to businesses. Head bartender Laura Unterberg points out that the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club spends thousands every year on replacing stolen glassware, garnish picks, menus, and more. “For a small business that pays for employee health care and staff outings, that money could be much better spent.”

2023 Spirited Awards® Regional Top 10 Honoree - Best Bar Team Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to announce the regional top 10 honorees for the 17th annual Spirited Awards®. Founded in 2007 to celebrate excellence in the global cocktail community, the Spirited Awards® have become one of the most internationally recognized accolades honoring beverage professionals, products, establishments, luminaries, and media across every facet of the drinks industry on a global scale. In partnership with Forbes, the Spirited Awards® official media partner, TOTCF will honor recipients during the Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC) conference, which is taking place in New Orleans from July 23-28, 2023. “We are so grateful for the contributions of each of these Spirited Awards Regional Honorees,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner. “We are the sum of our parts in this industry, and it’s so fulfilling to see the bars on this list sharing their passion and unique approaches to hospitality with the global drinks community.” This year, an exceptional number of Spirited Awards® submissions were received across all categories, a testament to the hard work and achievements of our colleagues in the industry. In that spirit, the Foundation is proud to announce the Regional Top 10 honorees, broken into regions in the Asia Pacific (APAC), Canada, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean (LATAM&C), Middle East & Africa (MEA), U.S. Central, U.S. East, and U.S. West.

The 10 Best Bars in the U.S.

The pride of East Nashville is a 1000-square-foot parlor practicing hospitality of the highest order. All too often elevated environs such as these can feel stuffy, leaving casual drinkers feeling intimidated rather than invigorated. Not the case at The Fox. Here, the bar staff wants you to feel right at home in their living room. It’s just a living room that happens to hold more than 400 bottles along its back bar. And though the spirit-forward selections on the menu are complex, they are also playful and inviting. To wit, a signature tiki preparation reimagines a Colada with nixtamalized corn liqueur and white miso honey, and renders it in a ceramic mug fashioned to look like a sly fox.

The 5 Most Creative Bars in the U.S. Given her preternatural penchant for creativity, it’s no wonder head bartender Laura Unterberg is living her best life at this stellar East Nashville speakeasy. As an obvious example, look at the liquids she deftly weaves together in the Cat Dad: genever, piney amaro, blueberry, cinnamon, and grapefruit extract. Maybe She’s Born With It is a turquoise-tinged drink of bourbon, pistachio, apricot, ginger, and rose. It might look like cacophony on paper, but in the glass, it’s nothing short of alchemy.

We Asked 10 Bartenders: What’s Your Favorite Chain Restaurant Cocktail?

Benihana’s signature Blue Ocean Punch Bowl (recommended for two but they only provide one straw, so you draw your own conclusions). Described on the menu as “a tropical blue concoction with RumHaven, Pineapple Vodka, sake, blue curaçao, and tropical fruit juices,” this violently blue drink strictly adheres to Benihana’s unwritten theme of “more is more” with flavors of pineapple, orange, lemon, and coconut (each as bright and artificial as the drink’s hue) and served in a literal fishbowl. Finishing this saccharin monstrosity proves an almost herculean task, but one to which I return each February (Valentine’s Day at Benihana is a tradition for my partner and I). - Laura Unterberg, Head Bartender

How to Get into Nashville’s Best Speakeasies and Secret Bars The talented mixologists at The Fox are a big part of the attraction, and some of their novel takes on classic cocktails have actually won national awards in recipe contests. But even if all you want is a proper gin and tonic, you’ll be delighted by the cozy library vibe of the East Nashville emporium. The bar staff insists on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, so the drink menu changes frequently. Don’t worry if your favorite rolls off, because there’s sure to be something new to delight you.

Your Guide to East Nashville’s Cocktail Bar Scene The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club has been an East Nashville staple for over five years. Hosting a new menu every month in addition to 30 signature cocktails and over 300 spirits, you can try a unique combination of food and drink almost every time you visit. Plus, you can also design your own traditional or vegan charcuterie board. The local bar also hosts frequent cocktail-making classes.

Monday Menu: Beer, Tequila and Canning Edition Another alcohol achievement that should have Nashville chuffed revolves around Patrón Tequila’s global Perfectionists Competition, wherein mixologists from around the world showcase their skills by creating cocktails using the premium tequila. One of the 16 global finalists is one of our own, Logan Demmy of The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in East Nashville. Demmy has plenty of international experience, formerly working behind the stick as head bartender at the world-renowned 28 Hongkong St in Singapore, along with stints in New Zealand and Columbus, Ohio. Demmy is among the 16 finalists invited to visit Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico, where they’ll undertake challenges in front of a notable panel of judges including LP O’Brien, winner of Netflix’s Drink Masters. The cocktail that Demmy will attempt to impress the judges with is a creation called the Super Malo Fabulous, a concoction featuring Patrón Silver, vermouth, Madeira, Champagne and his secret weapon, an oleo-saccharum made using Nashville hot chicken spice. The winner will be announced on March 29, so think good thoughts for our local hero!

15 Espresso Martinis Worth Traveling For Coffee and cereal in cocktail form? We’ll take it. The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club’s Honey Bear Espresso Martini combines Grey Goose vodka, toasted oat milk, cinnamon and clove–spiced maple syrup, Faretti Biscotti liqueur, and cold brew from the bar’s sibling business, Elegy Coffee. The result is “a boozy version of that perfect last sip of milk after a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios,” says head bartender Laura Unterberg.

Nonalcoholic Classics, Beyond the “Nogroni” At The Fox Bar in Nashville, Tennessee, the nonalcoholic take on the dirty Martini leans on an umami-forward brine that combines celery, rice wine vinegar, star anise and more. Pentire Adrift (a botanical, gin-like spirit), a dry vermouth alternative, housemade rosemary oil and the elaborate garnishes synonymous with Martini service make for a drink that echoes the complexity of any traditional dirty Martini.

The Ultimate Momcation Travel Guide Because We Know You Need A Getaway Moms gone wild! Kidding…or am I? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a bachelorette sash to party down south. Gather up the girls and relieve your college days, boozing and dancing your way down Broadway. For accommodations, try Nashville’s newest “It” hotel, Hotel Fraye, or if you’d prefer to be steps away from all the action, book rooms at the ultra-luxe Conrad Nashville. As for shopping, you’ll want to hit Lucchese Bootmaker for signature boots or Keep Shop for expertly curated local goods and gifts. Now, onto the food, y’all, which is chef’s kiss. Josephine comes highly recommended for brunch, or Earnest Bar & Hideaway for the bottomless mimosas, duh. If you want to escape the throngs of bachelorette parties on Broadway, def check out Sunda New Asian, where you can split the famous 32 oz Sumo Bloody Mary, topped with grilled cheese, longanisa, lumpia egg rolls, pork belly bao bun a baked snow crab handroll and more (yes, really). End your night in one of Nashville’s trendiest neighborhoods, East Nashville, where you’ll find The Fox, a sexy lil’ hideaway with a nationally acclaimed cocktail menu. Oh, and if you want to embarrass yourselves with some karaoke (not on Broadway), Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole is the place to be.

We Asked 13 Bartenders: What Campari Cocktails Should You Try Other Than the Negroni (and Sbagliato)? “The Bicicletta is a perfect, low-ABV, springtime sip. It’s what we here at The Fox call a ‘patio pounder.’ The effervescence of sparkling water with Campari really allows the innate juiciness to shine through, especially when paired with the delicate acidity of a crisp white wine. We will sometimes substitute the wine with a dry vermouth for an added herbaceous twist. This is a great trick at home to use up that last vermouth in the bottle before it goes bad.” —Laura Unterberg, head bartender, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Nashville

17 Restaurants for a Romantic Night Out in Nashville This excellent East Nashville bar showcases a romantic art deco interior alongside cocktails curated by the incredibly talented Laura Unterberg, with clever options ranging from zero-proof to high-octane (including many fun variations on an Old Fashioned). The Fox Bar’s vegan pimento cheese, hot chicken hummus, and Old Bay-dusted popcorn go down easy with those drinks.

These Cocktails Offer The Spirit Of Bourbon Street Just In Time For Mardi Gras Number One Customer - Available at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville, this cocktail is made with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Lime Stock, Hibiscus, Underberg. “A reimagination of the frozen, bright red, 2-foot-long daiquiris that you find all along Bourbon street, this refreshing cocktail features rich barrel aged rum tempered with a bracing herbaceous bite from an alpine bitter and a dust of fragrant, dried hibiscus,” said head bartender, Laura Unterberg.

America's Top Whisky Bars

With low-slung ceilings and private booths, this speakeasy-style bar offers adventurous cocktails, vegan bar bites, and a slew of limited release whisky pours.

Meet The Mixologist: Laura Unterberg

Q: What was your first job in the beverage or hospitality industry?

A: barista — early mornings and unlimited access to caffeine was a risky move as a teen.

Q: What is your favorite spirit to work with at the moment?

A: I’ve put a lot of love into developing our Tennessee whiskey offerings (I think it is a fascinating category that doesn’t get nearly enough respect), but our current menu shows a lot of love to cocktails featuring brandies from across the Americas.

Q: You like to incorporate hyper-local sourcing and fresh ingredients into drinks; what are some of your recent creations?

A: Our next menu features mezcal with late-winter persimmon, a fruit native to Middle Tennessee and different from Japanese persimmon, which didn’t arrive widely in the U.S. until the 1960s.

Foraging can be a great way to stay hyper-local with some rules. Be extremely confident and informed of what you’re harvesting, make sure to harvest ethically, leaving enough to re-seed the area for next year’s crop, and ask permission if you’re anywhere near private property.

Q: You created some interesting spirit-free drinks for the Fox Bar; what is the key to making them taste good or seem more like the spirited cocktails?

A: I think the key is to not aim for them to taste like alcohol. It’s not alcohol so aim to create a delicious and surprising beverage that satisfies on its own without being a poor imitation of something else.

10 Spots for Dry January Mocktails in Nashville The bar's menu features five unique spirit-free cocktails and one non-alcoholic beer. Mocktails include the Brighton Beach made with Seedlip Spice 94, coconut cream, madras tincture, pineapple, lemon stock, ginger, and seltzer, the Cool in Nippon made with Yuzu, orange blossom, hops, and seltzer, and the Bird of Paradise made with Dhos bittersweet, pineapple, sesame Orgeat, and lime stock. Two new seasonal additions include the Batteries Not Included made with Pathfinder Amaro, Untitled Art Chocolate Milk Stout, Elegy cold brew, oat milk foam, and a chocolate biscuit, plus the Spirit-Free ’Tini Time made with Pentire Adrift, Lyre’s Apéritif Dry, celery vinegar, rosemary oil, sea salt, and an assortment of garnishes. (thefoxnashville.com)

Want To Enjoy a Gin and Tonic Without the Hangover? Here Are 16 Dry Gins up for the Task Laura Unterberg, head bartender at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville, Tennessee, says she’s noticed the demand for non-alcoholic drinks rise over the last few years and doesn’t see the trend stopping anytime soon.

In fact, according to recent data released by NielsenIQ, sales for non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits amounted to close to $400 million between August 2021 and August 2022. Whoa! And as Bare Zero Proof’s “The State of Sober 2023” report notes, two-thirds of Americans consciously intended to drink less in 2022 for health and budget reasons.

After participating in Dry January last year, I felt so good that I decided to continue my non-drinking streak and haven’t looked back. I love that there are so many non-alcoholic spirits available so I can still create my favorite drinks at home without the booze.

A gin and tonic was always one of my go-to cocktail orders at the bar, so I was particularly curious to find out if alcohol-free gin would taste like the real thing. My verdict? They do!

I’ve tried a handful of options, including Damrak, Monday, Dhōs, Free Spirits and CleanCo, and am super-impressed by how close they come to tasting like actual gin. I’ve found that all of these options work very well as the basis for my beloved gin and tonic. I like to mix any of these NA gins with Fever Tree Tonic Water and garnish with a lime wedge. Simple and satisfying!

Gin Cocktails for Ginuary Milk Of The Poppy Ingredients: 1.25oz Fords Sloe Gin .75oz Amaro Montenegro .25oz Valencia Syrup .5oz Lemon Stock 1 dash Black Walnut Bitters 1 oz. of Dry Sparkling Rosé. Directions: Build all ingredients and strain into a chilled coupe.

Celebrate hot toddy day with the Nine Tailed Wonder at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville January is the longest blustery cold winter month of winter months. Luckily to provide some toasty respite, situated in the second week of January on the 11th is Hot Toddy Day. We love us a good warm whisk(e)y cocktail to warm up our cold winter bones and the Hot Toddy is always a hug in a mug. To celebrate, we turn a spotlight on The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville for their Hot Toddy variation, the Nine Tailed Wonder.

Laura Unterberg, Head Bartender of The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, shares about the cocktail, “Named after Kitsune – the Japanese nine tailed fox demons; this plummy hot toddy is built in pre-warmed tins, before being served in warm glasses with hot and numbing cognac-soaked five spice candied pecans for a rich and soothing sip. The plum cordial is made to emulate the flavor of traditional early spring Ume-gently pickled Japanese plums. Utilizing a pecan eau de vie and Sherry to fortify the plum and give it a subtle nutty finish.”

Get to Know The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club a Local Favorite in Nashville The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in East Nashville is a plush, cozy 1000 square foot bar tucked behind an Italian restaurant. Since it opened 5 years ago, it has been a destination for drinks geeks and regular folks with a wildly imaginative cocktail list, knowledgeable staff, and deep roster of hard-to-find spirits. After spending a recent Sunday happy hour enjoying artfully concocted beverages the likes of the Cat Dad, a potent, bitterly balanced mix of Bols Genever, Pasubio Vino amaro, blueberry, Cynar, cinnamon, grapefruit Oil, and the tiki-esque Fox Colada (Bacardi Carta Blanca rum, Nixta corn liqueur, white miso honey, pineapple, lemon stock, egg, nutmeg), we had to know more, so we checked in with Head Bartender Laura Unterberg.

The 7 Best Liquors For Eggnog, According To Bartenders “We make an eggnog variation based on popular Portland bartender Jeffrey Morganthaler’s recipe," said Laura Unterberg, head bartender at Nashville's The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club. "Instead of brandy, it is built around rich aged tequila and nutty Amontillado sherry.” Espolón Reposado Tequila is Unterberg's pick.

The Best Nonalcoholic Spirits for Mixing, According to Bartenders

Elsewhere, Laura Unterberg, head bartender at Nashville’s The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, employs the ginger-spiced amaro in Hot Toddy variations, “elevated” Espresso Martinis or in a wintery flip, with a whole egg and nonalcoholic sweet vermouth.

Sampling Some of Nashville’s Best Nonalcoholic Specialty Drinks In one of Nashville’s most lauded craft-cocktail clubs, it’s hard not to smile when they slide this drink in front of you. The Brighton Beach arrives in a tiki glass, complete with nugget ice, a metal straw and, of course, a festive bit of tropical foliage. Made with Seedlip Spice 94, coconut cream, madras tincture, pineapple, lemon stock and ginger seltzer, this is a smooth and sweet, ultra-drinkable delight. It tastes like a coconut-lime liquid dream cloud — a sweet escape in a single sip to plenty of good vibes with no hangovers.

Espresso Martini Jello Shot Recipe Since Nashville’s The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club enjoys coming up with fun and unexpected takes on classic cocktails, head bartender Laura Unterberg created espresso martini jello shots. But to replicate the look of the beloved coffee cocktail, she adds a gelatin “foam” layer to resemble the drink’s froth and serves the shots in miniature tasting coupettes, completing the illusion.

The 3-Martini Lunch Can Come Back Now Thanks to Low-ABV Spirits Even categories that champion high-octane ABVs are lured by the appeal of lower proof. Generally, whiskey makers tend to take a more-is-more approach to proof, with ABVs inching up to a chest burning 60%. "I think the days of 'high-proof equals high value' marketing are waning,"says Laura Unterberg at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville. "Maybe lower proof spirits are a natural next step for distillers looking to experiment."

Best Of Nashville 2022

Readers Choice

2nd Place • Best Cocktails

2nd Place • Best Bar

2nd Place • Best To-Go Cocktails

21 Fall-Inspired Espresso Martinis To Keep An Eye Out For

Honey Bear Espresso Martini from The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club Nashville, TN

Inspired by the popular Honey Bear Cold Brew from local hot spot Elegy Coffee in East Nashville, this delicate and creamy take on the modern classic combines toasted oat milk, cinnamon and clove spiced maple syrup, Faretti Biscotti liqueur, and Anchorhead Coffee for the alcoholic version of that perfect last sip of milk after a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.

2022 Liquor Awards Our judges nominated more than 500 bars, organizations, and individuals across the country for their drinks programs, hospitality, and commitments to building a better bar industry. Below, we’ve compiled a full list of nominees considered by our panel as honorable mentions.

20 Bright Pink Cocktails That Embrace The Barbiecore Trend At The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville, traditional southern flavors take the front seat with house pickled sweet & spicy watermelon rinds. Head bartender Laura Unterberg uses the rest of the fruit to make a delicate watermelon & lemongrass tonic water so refreshing even Barbie would approve. “Any drink that comes with a snack is a win for me! I’m definitely guilty of “taste testing” a few of the pickled watermelon rinds,” said head bartender, Laura Unterberg.

Light, Refreshing Low-ABV Cocktails Perfect for Day Drinking Making a well-balanced, low-ABV cocktail involves the same bartending principles you’d use to concoct a boozier drink. You’re looking to match fresh citrus, herbs, or syrups against a bitter agent like an Amaro or Genepy or something complex such as a vermouth or a liqueur, says Beau Harris, a certified sommelier and master mixologist at Ziggy D’Amico’s Whiskey Bar & Diner in Naples, Florida. “A word of caution though,” notes Harris. “The lower the ABV on a spirit, the higher the sugar levels tend to rise—so show restraint when it comes to sugary syrups, crèmes, and sweeter liqueurs or you could end up with too cloying of a cocktail.” The following favorite cocktails from top bartenders around the country are light on booze but big on flavor. No hangovers here.

2022 Spirited Awards® Regional Top 10 Honoree

Since its founding in 2007, the Spirited Awards® has become one of the industry’s most sought-after awards, recognizing beverage professionals, products, establishments, journalists, and media across every facet of the spirits and cocktail community on a global scale. The award categories spotlight a range of talent from bartenders, journalists, and brand ambassadors, to brands and media, to ensure each aspect of the industry is well represented and recognized for its contributions.

The Spirited Awards® are composed of industry accolades, both U.S. and International, writing and media awards, and a few highly coveted, overall awards that transcend regionality including World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu.

2022 Star Chefs Nashville Rising Stars

We’re finally back in Nashville to celebrate the most talented up-and-coming food and beverage professionals across the the Music City. After meeting with more than 100 emerging chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, sommeliers, and artisans, we are excited to announce our newest class of Nashville Rising Stars. The 2022 class includes 21 Rising Stars, recognized by StarChefs for their culinary strengths, charitable contributions, and their ability to navigate, lead, and inspire.

The Rising Stars Restaurant Week is a two-week promotion showcasing the 2022 Nashville restaurants, dishes, pastries, wine pairings, and cocktails that best represent the future of American dining.

Soho House: Five Japanese Cocktails To Try This Spring For the saké of it: five Japanese cocktails to try this spring (and where to have them) The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club Ensconced in lush Art Deco digs crafted with reclaimed wood and brass, you’ll find a globe-spanning menu of creative cocktails, including the M67, a fiery concoction combining a lemongrass shōchū with Suntory’s Roku gin, melon, lemon, and wasabi.

Best of Nashville 2021

Readers Choice

1st Place • Best Cocktails

1st Place • Best Bar

2nd Place • Best To-Go Cocktails

Writers Choice

1st Place • Best Craft Cocktail Bar

Best Bars in Nashville Tucked behind and underneath a small stretch of storefronts, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club is an intimate hideaway dressed up with dark woods, pressed tin ceilings and soft blue-velvet banquettes. Slip in on the early side to avoid a wait, and order from the robust menu of solidly conceived updated classics, made simply. There are a few standards on tap, including a blood orange margarita and a “fancy” mojito. But drinks like the 19th Century Manhattan, made with Wild Turkey 101 Rye, bitters, absinthe and lemon oil, show off the bars teams’ understated ingenuity.

A Local's Guide to Nashville

The Fox refreshingly counters some of Nashville’s other speakeasy-style cocktail bars, dispensing with the pretentiousness while holding on to the sophistication. Translation: There are plush-velvet booths, Art Deco ceiling tiles, old books and really, really good cocktails (plus a respectable beer list), and there is not a secret door knock required to gain entry or an FBI background check on your drinking preferences before the staff decides what you’ll be having. Is it the best Old-Fashioned in town or does it just seem that way because your self-esteem remains intact? Should the Fox still prove a bit much for your taste, walk around to the front of the building and try the dive bar, Mickey’s Tavern.

BTW: Make someone’s day by filling out a postage-paid, wish-you-were-here Fox postcard and dropping it in the mailbox on your way out.

The South's Best Bars 2020

When you're visiting a new city, there's something undeniably appealing about wandering into the corner bar and sitting down for a drink. It's a great way to get to know a place and take in a quick snapshot of the local culture. But these bars offer much more than a cushioned stool to rest your weary legs for an hour. They've crafted their cocktail menus and wine lists with intense attention to detail and restaurant-like precision.

Of all the places in the South where you can recline with a nice Old Fashioned (trust us, there are many), these innovative bars have risen to the top of their class. They take cocktails seriously, approaching mixology from the perspective of equal parts scientist and artist. And most importantly, they're places that will welcome you in, whether you're a regular or you're visiting town for one night only. Come for happy hour drinks and light bar bites—stay for guaranteed good times.

Best Cocktail Bars Of The South The stamped-in ceiling, lustrous wood, deep banquets, and art deco-inflected adornments telegraph “private”. And that club approach goes beyond decor - Fox Bar offers access to rare spirits if you’re a member, along with regular cocktail classes to expand your repertoire. The bartenders manage to convey the knowledge of serious cocktail culture, yet thankfully without snobby pretense.

The Best Bars in Nashville Located in the basement behind East Nashville’s Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen, this cozy spot sports booths lined in plush blue velvet and a reclaimed wooden bar—embossed with gold foxes, no less; The space is as elegant as the drinks are. The bar is owned by Andrew Cook, drummer for Dan + Shay, but folks come here for the cocktail menu, which changes often, the special Old Fashioned menu, and the neighborhood vibe, not the music-industry connection.

Best of Nashville 2020

Readers Choice

1st Place • Best Cocktails

1st Place • Best To-Go Cocktails

1st Place • Best Bar

2nd Place • Best Service

Writers Choice

1st Place • Best Pandemic Merch

1st Place • Best To-Go Cocktails

Best of Nashville 2019 Readers Choice

3rd Place • Best Cocktails

The South’s Best New Bars 2019 The Southern craft-cocktail renaissance is still doing boffo box office—the show’s run is now well into its second decade. But the stage direction for the current scene has seen a change in protagonist: “Exit: Mixologist. Enter: Bartender.” Or, more precisely, reenter bartender. The early acts of the revival emphasized the specialized handiwork of drink masters armed with eyedroppers and hand-carved muddlers and house-made this and that, served up in hushed temples devoted to the bibulous arts. These places offered a distinguished alternative in a milieu still hungover from a long dalliance with Long Island iced teas. But while the drinks were delicious, something had been lost among the mumbled incantations and muttonchops: that sense of feeling welcome, as if returning home, even if you’d never set foot there before.

The drinks magic remains (there’s no better time since the late 1800s to step out for a perfectly made Sazerac), but the new class of bar is bringing back the lost art of hospitality. Bartenders are acting like bartenders again, and new venues are taking some of the settings we’re familiar and comfortable with—the dive bar, the honky-tonk, the classic corner tavern—then adding to the mix outstanding cocktails, a wine library that runs quiet and deep, a mood that refuses to take itself too seriously, and bar food that doesn’t seem in the same genus as cheese fries. (Also, USB outlets.) By definition, new bars are, well…new. They lack the natural patina that comes with age. Yet many of these Southern bars, all opened within the past two years, will leave you feeling as if they’ve been around for a while. Put your feet up on the brass rail. Settle in for the next act….

The Best Speakeasy-Style Bars in Nashville The lush, art deco decor of Fox Bar and Cocktail Club makes you feel like you’re in Jay Gatsby’s house rather than in East Nashville. The low ceilings, private booths, and intimate seating arrangements also make it a prime location to hole up with your honey and sip cocktails made with seasonal ingredients from local farms. If you’d rather make conversation, park yourself at the marbleized bar to confer with a bartender about one of their many inventive cocktails. Try the Pumpkin Fizz (apple brandy, gin, roasted pumpkin, egg white, nutmeg, angostura bitters, sparkling wine, lemon stock) and if you’re feeling peckish, order Fox’s award-winning vegan charcuterie board…

Best of Nashville 2018

Readers Choice

3rd Place • Best New Bar

3rd Place • Best Cocktails

Writers Choice

1st Place • Best Vegan Charcuterie

Nashville Guru "The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, a cozy cocktail concept from Bryan Rushton and Andrew Cook, officially opened in East Nashville on September 28, 2017. The Fox is located at 2905B Gallatin Pike behind Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen. Nashville Guru stopped by to get a look at the Art Deco design and a taste of the carefully crafted cocktail menu created by Will Benedetto. The space features a main bar, three high-top tables, several booths, and a sitting area for two by the front door. The design and build were done by 1767 Designs, showcasing their use of reclaimed wood from Nashville-area houses and buildings. Drive down the alley beside Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen — if you see the large fox mural created by Brian Wooden, you know you’re on the right path. The bar is located around back, below The Bowery Vault. Bartender Nick Dolan displays the highlights of the spirit-focused beverage program, including the Lemon Verbena Swizzle and the Pecan Pie-Tai. If liquor drinks aren’t your thing, The Fox also serves draft wines, beer, cider, and non-alcoholic beverages. The food menu features bites like summer squash tartine, roasted chickpeas, and charcuterie. Vegans will be happy to see plant-based meats and cheeses on the list, too."

Nashville's Best New Bars Fit for a fox, this intimate space on the ground level behind Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen in East Nashville is elegant, yet homey. Seated at the bar or in booths with blue velvet seats, guests can order shareable plates, like lavender goat tartine and vegan pimento cheese, to pair with an extensive list of drinks. The beverage program, designed by Will Benedetto, formerly of William Collier’s, features wine, beer, cider, Tennessee whiskey drinks, and spirited selections, like the Lemon Verbena Swizzle, with Cosair gin, absinthe, and Peychaud’s bitters...

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