Nashville’s Most Over-the-Top Cocktails
Nashville's bar programs are nothing if not inventive. From price to presentation, these cocktails are over-the-top!
We’re flipping the script on our recent article about Nashville’s most delicious cocktails under $9. After all, some nights call for something a little more luxurious — whether it’s based on cost or flavor profile. If you’re looking for a memorable night out that includes sparing no expense on unique, showstopping libations, this is the list for you!
Nashville’s Most Over-the-Top Cocktails
Bastion’s “Barrel Boulevardier”
$32
Bastion‘s “Big Bar” has a section on its menu titled “Fancy Classics,” and that’s where you’ll find the Barrel Boulevardier. “We choose to include fancy cocktails as a section on our menu to highlight higher-end spirits that can make great classics even better,” says Bastion General Manager Adam Binder. “The Barrel Boulevardier is an example of this, using a unique barrel-aged Campari and higher-end whiskeys from Angel’s Envy. By using these extra-special whiskeys that one would typically only drink neat, we’re able to create an extra-delicious cocktail.”
Bourbon Steak’s “Reserve Old Fashioned”
$42
With tableside preparation, Bourbon Steak offers its Reserve Old Fashioned. Part of the new Vintage Cocktail Program featuring rare bottles of bourbon, rum and whiskey dating back to pre-prohibition, this cocktail is the first featured offering from the restaurant’s new, custom-built mobile cocktail bar. The drink boasts ingredients such as Weller Special Reserve Bourbon and flamed orange oil over hand-pressed ice.
Gertie’s Bar at 404 Kitchen’s “Pollinatrix”
$14
Any cocktail sprinkled with edible gold dust is downright luxe in our book. Gertie’s Bar at The 404 Kitchen has the Pollinatrix — a fancy and fun beverage with red clover-infused Old Dominick Bourbon and Yellow Chartreuse, and it’s garnished with bee pollen and honey. Created by Bar Manager Chelsea Frost, it certainly stands out in a crowd.
The Green Pheasant’s “Fancy JJ”
$60
With a nod to its “Japanese Japanese Cocktail,” The Green Pheasant also has a somewhat secret off-menu version for those who want a little more luxe in their lives. “We have a play on a classic Japanese cocktail using Akkeshi New Born Peated ‘Foundations 2’ Japanese Whisky, Cognac, Orgeat and Angostura bitters,” says Beverage Manager Kynsey Hunter. “We call it the Fancy JJ because our menu version, the Japanese Japanese Cocktail, uses a regular blended Japanese whisky. This Akkeshi is a limited batch of cask-strength Japanese whisky made in Hokkaido, resembling a peaty Islay Scotch.” The elevated version of an already delicious cocktail? We’re in.
Josephine’s “Not Your Mother’s Cup of Tea”
$14
Exclusively available on Josephine’s winter cocktail menu, the popular Not Your Mother’s Cup of Tea cocktail is made with house-infused jasmine green tea tequila, Giffard’s Vanilla, prosecco, lemon and a bit of honey. The tequila’s green tea flavor is accentuated by the bubbles in the prosecco, with fragrant vanilla notes to tie them together. The result? A bright, refreshing combination that you won’t find anywhere else.
Mane & Rye Dinerant at the Hutton Hotel’s “Costs a Lotta Money to Look This Cheap”
$12
At $12, it isn’t that this cocktail is over-the-top expensive, but it is rich in flavor. “At Mane & Rye Dinerant, we offer Southern comfort hospitality with all the creativity of Music City poured into our menu items,” explains Hutton Hotel’s Head of Beverage, Uby Khawaja. “With Dolly Parton being one of country music’s most iconic artists, we decided to pay homage to her by creating a cocktail named after her classic quote, ‘It costs a lotta money to look this cheap.’ The 12-time Grammy Award-winner and her unabashed style served as inspiration for this espresso-infused take on a classic Southern mudslide.” Created by Uwe Roehricht, Director of Food and Beverage at Mane & Rye Dinerant, the drink includes Cynar, Buffalo Trace, Averna Amaro and cream, and it’s served in a chilled coffee snifter and garnished with dark cocoa powder.
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The Mockingbird’s “Punchin’ Bag”
$12
Served with a side of nostalgia, The Mockingbird‘s spiked fruit punch pairs perfectly with a menu full of cleverly named items. Served in a bag with a fun, colorful straw, the cocktail packs a powerful punch in the flavor department, and the ingredients change according to the season. “Our Punchin’ Bag is one of our most popular cocktails for numerous reasons,” Partner and General Manager Mikey Corona tells us. “Guests love the fact that the spirit choice is dependent on your preference (you pick the booze) to spike our daily punch. It’s also popular because of the presentation — being served in a pouch that reminds most of us of our childhood sipping fruit punch …”
Party Fowl’s “Brunch for Two”
$50
The end all, be all of “over-the-top,” this luxe drink from Party Fowl is an entire meal in a glass. Festooned with items such as habañeros, fried okra, avocado, olives and even two whole fried cornish game hens, this cocktail will both whet your palate and fill your belly. At $50, the 55-ounce Bloody Mary is made for sharing. “The Brunch for Two was, you might say, a happy accident,” says Party Fowl co-owner Austin Smith. “After a long night out with some of my buddies, our team was together discussing some menu ideas, and our chef, Bart Pickens, said, ‘You look like you could use a Bloody Mary.’ I said ‘yes,’ and he asked if I wanted a fried chicken on it, to which I said ‘yes,’ followed by him asking, ‘Want me to put Scotch eggs on there?’ and I said ‘YES!’ This went on for a while. While Chef was half-joking, I was 100 percent serious. Little did we know, this thing would become the beautiful beast that it is. Our Brunch for Two is our deep-fried, edible arrangement. It’s just plain magical.” And filling, to boot.
The Patterson House’s “Old Fashioned”
$60
Specializing in craft cocktails made with freshly squeezed juices, syrups created in-house and eight different variations of specialty ice, The Patterson House has a section on its menu called High-end Distillates. That section includes a fancy Old Fashioned made with Jefferson’s Grand Selection Château Pichon Baron Cask, Demerara and Angostura bitters, and it’s something special. “This Old Fashioned is made with Jefferson’s Reserve, which is finished in Bordeaux barrels,” says Strategic Hospitality Beverage Director Matt Tocco. “We didn’t expect this when testing the cocktail, but when we made the Old Fashioned, the Bordeaux really came through and brought out the forest floor and mushroom flavors that are typical of a Bordeaux. It ended up being a happy accident that offered a delicious result.”
Snitch’s “Less Than Zero”
$15
With CBD-infused everything making waves here in Music City, cocktails with CBD are also on the rise. Printer’s Alley-based cocktail den Snitch, which is part of the nightlife at the Dream Hotel, offers a unique CBD signature libation with the Less Than Zero. Aside from promoting a relaxed state of mind, the Less Than Zero is an evening cocktail featuring Blanco Tequila, Lillet Blanc, sweet honey syrup, lime juice, spiced cherry bitters and CBD tincture. It’s even topped with a rolled, lit CBD flower.
Southern Steak & Oyster’s “Rose Royal”
$18
Made with champagne, KOVAL Rose Hip Liqueur, crème de cassis, lemon twist and a raspberry garnish, Southern Steak & Oyster‘s Rose Royal is elegant through and through. A riff on the classic Kir Royal, the addition of Rose Hip Liqueur takes this cocktail to the next level of luxe.
Cheers! (And remember to always drink responsibly!)
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Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Lead Nashville Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.