Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Knoxville for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Knoxville for grown-ups.
Brother Wolf on West Jackson, Aaron Thompson and Jessica King's Italian aperitivo bar below Osteria Stella, anchors the Old City's cocktail tier with amari.
Signature drink: Italian aperitivo cocktails and amari
Food: Light bites and snacks
Tip: Sister venue Osteria Stella is upstairs; pair the aperitivo with the Italian dinner for a one-stop Old City night.
The Public House on West Magnolia, the no-TV no-live-music neighborhood bar, runs a serious cocktail program and a tight Southern-inflected food menu.
Signature drink: Craft cocktails and small wine list
Food: Southern-inspired bar plates
Tip: Walk-up only; the bar opens at 16:00, the kitchen runs the full night menu.
Boyd's Jig and Reel on South Central, the Old City Scottish session pub, holds one of the largest single-malt Scotch lists in the world with live Celtic.
Signature drink: Single-malt Scotch whisky
Food: Scottish gastropub
Tip: Sunday and Monday Scottish music jam sessions are the most authentic windows; the whisky list runs over 1,000 bottles.
Suttree's High Gravity Tavern on South Gay Street, the downtown Knoxville craft-beer bar named for the Cormac McCarthy novel, runs 32 rotating taps.
Signature drink: 32 rotating craft taps
Food: Ramen and bar snacks
Tip: Ramen menu runs to last call; check the tap-list chalkboard for the night's rotation.
Bearden Beer Market on Old Kingston Pike, the West Knoxville beer bar and bottle shop, runs a rotating tap and bottle list open 365 days a year.
Signature drink: Rotating craft beer flights
Food: Food-truck rotation
Tip: Outside dog-friendly patio is the real draw; food trucks rotate so check the Facebook page for the night's truck.
Marble City Pub on Jack Dance Street, the West Hills cocktail and beer bar, runs craft cocktails, rotating taps and Saturday salsa nights in the strip.
Signature drink: Craft cocktails and rotating taps
Food: Pub menu
Tip: Saturday salsa nights run late; weeknights are reliably easier for the cocktail program.
Stock and Barrel on Market Square, the bourbon-and-burger room since 2013, carries a 300-deep American whiskey list with Pappy and Blanton's allocations.
Signature drink: 300-deep American whiskey list
Food: Burgers from Mitchell Family Farms beef
Tip: The bar runs past kitchen close on Friday and Saturday; aim for early dinner if the kitchen is the priority.
Pretentious Beer Co. taproom on South Central in the Old City, glass artist Matthew Cummings' experimental brewery, pours small-batch beer in hand-blown.
Signature drink: Experimental craft beer in custom glassware
Food: Snacks; food trucks rotate
Tip: Beer garden between the brewery and glass studio is the centerpiece; weekday afternoons are quietest.
Yee-Haw Brewing taproom on North Broadway, the regional Tennessee brand's Knoxville location, runs the full Yee-Haw lineup with live music programming.
Signature drink: Yee-Haw Pilsner and rotating Tennessee lagers
Food: Full kitchen with bar food
Tip: Live music nights run Fridays and Saturdays; the kitchen stays open through last call on weekends.
Schulz Brau beer garden on Bernard Avenue in Happy Holler, the German family-owned brewery's outdoor space, pours authentic German lagers and weisse.
Signature drink: Schulz Brau German lagers and weisse
Food: German bar food
Tip: Beer garden runs weather-dependent; check the brewery's Instagram before driving over on a borderline day.
Elst Brewing taproom on North Central, the dog-friendly Belgian-leaning craft brewery patio, runs saisons, farmhouse ales and rotating seasonals in North.
Signature drink: Belgian-style saisons and farmhouse ales
Food: Snacks; food trucks rotate
Tip: Dog-friendly outdoor patio is the draw; food trucks rotate so check the chalkboard for the night.
Crafty Bastard at Emory Place, the downtown Knoxville taproom HQ on a corner lot north of Gay Street, runs a rotating tap list of Crafty Bastard brews.
Signature drink: Rotating Crafty Bastard taps
Food: Food-truck rotation
Tip: Food trucks rotate nightly; check the taproom Instagram before walking up.