Schulz Brau Beer Garden is a bar in Happy Holler, Knoxville.
Schulz Brau beer garden on Bernard Avenue in Happy Holler, the German family-owned brewery's outdoor space, pours authentic German lagers and weisse.
Food program: German bar food
Tip: Beer garden runs weather-dependent; check the brewery's Instagram before driving over on a borderline day.
Address: 126 Bernard Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
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.
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.
