Approachability in a glass
“If Knoxville were a cocktail, I’d probably say it’s an Ice Pick,” proclaimed the bartender at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria in the Old City.
Given that an Ice Pick is more or less a combination of sweet tea, lemon juice and vodka, I didn’t feel hard-pressed to disagree with her. Knoxville is no exception to the Southern obsession with sweetened tea. But it wasn’t just our sweet tooth that the bartender was referencing. Knoxville is approachable, she said, and simple. It doesn’t need to be fancy to have a good time.
“What other drinks are popular in town?” I asked her.
She reflected thoughtfully before listing off green tea and lemon drop shots. And of course, if all else fails, people loved their beer. In my own observational assessment, I agreed with her. When it comes to recreational drinking, Knoxville seems to like it sweet and straightforward. But that isn’t to say that Knoxville can’t do high-end cocktails, too. In fact, with the additions of Brother Wolf in the Old City and the Vault beneath Vida on Gay Street, Knoxville definitely has upped its sophistications these past two years.
“With social media, it’s becoming a lot easier for smaller cities to keep up with a lot of cutting-edge cocktail trends,” the bartender at the Vault explained to me. Wearing slacks and a formal button-up vest, he carefully measured out an ounce of Campari for the Negroni he was preparing for a guest. He had a full arsenal of fresh ingredients, garnishes and house-made bitters at his disposal, and he moved with ease behind the bar as a man clearly contented with his profession.
“There are definitely some stereotypes you pick up on for cocktail drinkers,” he admitted. “Sex on the Beach is pretty much only going to be ordered by a woman, likely middle-aged, for example. And if he’s wearing plaid and has a cap on, well … “
“Beer,” we said together.
A love of the creative crafting of cocktails is evident among the bartenders of Knoxville. They don’t cast judgement on someone’s drink preference; instead, their focus is mostly on curating the best experience for that person. However, bartenders do have their individual preferences regarding clientele. The bartender at the Vault, for example, likes people who drink Sazeracs, and a bartender at Peter Kern Library is partial to those who enjoy trying something new, especially since the speakeasy is known for its experimentation with cocktail combinations.
Gone are the days in which hipster exclusivity would permeate our downtown culture like a particularly stinky rare cheese. Knox bartenders are happy to pour whatever matches the mood of their guests – be it a big and festive Ice Pick during a game night or a refreshing Aperol Spritz after work. The variety of cocktails Knoxville now boasts is an exciting indication that our culture is becoming more elevated. There seems to be a drink for every kind of person. We only ask that you drink responsibly, of course.
