🍷 Thankful for Happy Holler 🍷

 

If you’ve been following our adventures, you know we love spotlighting local businesses in cities around the globe. But we also believe in showing some love to our favorite spots right here in our own neighborhood.

When we began house hunting in 2021, we told our realtor we wanted to be within walking distance of the Corner Lounge. It’s been our go-to for great food and cocktails since before the pandemic, and it also happens to be the oldest bar in Knoxville.

Our realtor nailed it. We’re within walking distance of the Corner Lounge and lucky to be so close to all the great spots in Happy Holler—an area in north Knoxville that’s been a hub for fun and mischief for over a century. Now, with the addition of a locally owned movie theater, Central Cinema, it’s the perfect all-in-one date night destination right on the same block!

Here are some favorite #tipsypicks in our neighborhood:

Corner Lounge (see above) – Come for the food (best chili dogs around) and stay for the cocktails! Not exactly in the “Holler,” but the reason we’re here!

The Marlowe – We’re so excited about this spot in the neighborhood. The delicious food, creative cocktails, half-priced wine bottles on Mondays, and live jazz on Tuesdays make it a standout. It’s ideal for a date night or a classy dinner out.

Oak Room by Abridged – Shh, we don’t want to share that this barrel room for Abridged brewery has one of the best bourbon programs in town!  And the food is fabulous!

Zero/Zero – This natural wine bar offers an amazing selection by the glass or bottle, along with beer and tasty food! They host pop-up dinners, dance nights with live DJs, and more. It feels like our home away from home, with owners who have thoughtfully created a cozy spot to relax, reconnect with friends, or enjoy a date night. Choose your own adventure!

The Pirate Tavern –Who wouldn’t love a pirate-themed bar in the neighborhood? They boast an amazing rum selection (of course), an extensive beer list with drafts and cans, and a food menu sure to please even the grumpiest old salt. To top it off, they host nightly events and welcome everyone with open arms!

XYZ – Again, who wouldn’t want a show bar with live entertainment in your neighborhood? They also have some of the best drinks at the best prices around. 

Central Flats & Taps – These folks were doing it right long before the Holler was cool. (or maybe long before the last time…) Great drinks, great food, great patio.

Central Bottle Shop – Though not a food or drink venue, this corner bottle shop has become our favorite spot for wine and spirits. They host tastings every Friday, and their Back Label Bottle Club is a must-join—we’re proud members ourselves!

And, not that we’re trying to sway you … OK, we are … There is plenty of free parking along the streets and a large free lot down the hill on Anderson. 

We’ll be back out on the highways and airways soon enough bringing you all the #tipsypicks … but sometimes it’s good to show some love to those spaces closest to home! What's your favorite place in the Holler?

🍷🍸 NYC: Underground Cocktails and Above Ground Natural Wine 🍷🍸

 

New York City is home to literally hundreds of great bars – dive bars, speakeasies, historic watering holes and world-class cocktail experiences. But there are some you just have to try for yourself.

For example - have you ever considered going dancing in the subway in New York City? If you’re willing to go underground near Times Square, you’ll find Nothing Really Matters. Even if you miss the discreet door on a landing, once you step inside, the disco ball is a dead giveaway that you’re in for a good time. The atmosphere was indeed fun and the drinks were better than we expected! This is a unique stop for any night out near the square.

Not far from the first stop, you’ll find the entrance to what looks like a sex shop. In the 1970’s and 80’s, that wouldn’t be an unusual sight in this neighborhood, as Times Square was full of adult bookstores and theaters. Now, the signage would appear out of place if you didn’t know that this one leads to The Woo Woo, a fun underground speakeasy behind the faux sex shop. Clutch your pearls and embrace the kitsch and you’ll be rewarded with great and creative cocktails and a fantastic experience. In fact, we had one of the best smoked old fashioneds of the entire trip here. Enjoy the visuals, it’s a #tipsypick!

While we’re at it, we should also recall our first visit to an underground subway speakeasy … La Noxe is worthy of another mention in this category from a previous visit. This former brothel turned cocktail spot is still going strong!

Now let’s go back above ground for a few #tipsypicks we recommend on the Lower East Side and the Village!

Bar Veloce (pronounced velo-chay in Italian) is a neighborhood cocktail bar that we think is hidden in plain sight. That’s maybe because we haven’t noticed it until now! But it will definitely be one we’ll return to. It’s the kind of place you can enjoy an afternoon cocktail or glass of wine (which we did) and escape the madness that is NYC. We hear it gets quite lively at night though! We’ll be sure to let you know. (We should note that there are several locations, all locally owned, but we visited the one in the Bowery.)

Another neighborhood spot nearby with a well-earned reputation is Mother’s Ruin. Yes, it’s named after the historic nickname for gin during prohibition, so there are gin drinks aplenty. During the day it’s a low-key spot for great drinks and food including brunch, but at night it can be a bustling hot spot, mostly for locals. We will visit this one again as well!

Since we’re on the Lower East side, it’s no secret that we are enjoying exploring the world of natural wines. Those are varieties made without preservatives and other additives. And there are three fantastic natural wine spots all within a few blocks of each other on the LES. All of these were recommended by the folks at our local natural wine bar in Knoxville.

Somm Time is maybe the most intimate of the wine bars but they make up for it with a giant reputation for having some of the best food to go with their selection of wines by the glass and bottle as well as pairings. They also have quite a selection of orange or amber wines, also known as “skin contact” wines.

Which brings us to another wine bar in the same LES neighborhood… Skin Contact. That’s right, they embrace the selections of wine that are left to soak with the grape skins. They opened in 2020 and weathered the pandemic by focusing on natural wines and small producers, mostly from Europe, that you don’t find elsewhere. This is a great stop for wine lovers!

And finally, yet another fantastic natural wine bar in the LES … The Ten Bells. They have a lovely space that includes garage doors which they open to enjoy the fresh air, and if you think oysters go well with wine, this is your spot!  They also have a great happy hour and tapas to pair with your wine. They were among the first in the city to embrace natural wine back in 2008 and they’re still going strong!

Can we ever get enough of NYC? What are your favorite spots?

🃏 Always Lucky with Great Cocktails in Las Vegas 🃏

Let’s face it … there are lots of ways to spend and lose your money in Las Vegas. But would you believe we rarely hit the slots or a casino table? We’re too busy spending our money on great cocktails! That way we know we’re bound to have Lady Luck on our side. 

Since the Las Vegas Strip is one of the most recognizable places in the world, we’ll start here. As a disclaimer, almost every hotel on the Strip has a number of bars to choose from, and an increasing number of speakeasies. We can’t try to cover them all … so we’ll focus on some of the unique spots we found. 

Where else can you find a Ferris wheel big enough for an open bar with a view of the Strip? In Vegas, it’s called the Half Happy Hour on the High Roller at Linq! That’s right … an open bar for 30 minutes inside an air-conditioned capsule on a Ferris wheel that goes 500 feet into the air. Of course, at the top you get shots! Along with some very strong drinks, you also get a great view of the Sphere and the entire strip. This is a must-do for anyone over 21 who doesn’t mind heights and can take advantage of an open bar opportunity!  A #tipsypick for sure.

Then how about letting robots make you a drink? That’s called the Tipsy Robot! This low-key cocktail spot is part of the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile shopping mall. The drinks are strong and fairly inexpensive… and you get to watch the robot arms make them in front of you. They even have a bundle where you can order multiple drinks and shots along with a souvenir cup or glass for one of the best values on the Strip! There are also humans on duty in case you miss drowning your sorrows to a real live bartender. This was a great way to start our evening!

For a true speakeasy experience, find the door with a donkey on it at the back of the food hall at the Cosmopolitan and check out Ghost Donkey. You should have seen the look on the faces of people seated at a nearby table when we pushed open the door that they had been ignoring! We were rewarded with some of the best cocktails in Vegas, including a mezcal Old Fashioned and a spicy take on a Margarita. This is a small space, but well worth the attempt! Another #tipsypick.

And while we’re at the Cosmo, we suggest trying to get a seat inside the aptly named Chandelier cocktail bar. It’s literally a three-story chandelier in the hotel lobby glimmering with all the sparkle Vegas can offer. There’s plenty of champagne, but they also have a decent Old Fashioned and even a pricy upscale version that’s worth the splurge. And yes, you should try the fabled “secret” menu drink called the Verbena! It’s a trip. Chandelier is a great spot for photos and to glam it up Vegas-style!

Now if you’re ready to get away from the Strip and get a taste of “Old Las Vegas,” we recommend heading downtown for some classic cocktail spots and a new twist – a shipping container district! We’ll get to that in a minute…

Downtown Vegas includes the dynamic Fremont Street Experience as well as plenty of hotels and casinos. One of those hotels – the Commonwealth, is home to one of the original Las Vegas speakeasy bars, The Laundry Room. This secret spot is indeed tucked inside a former hotel laundry room. It’s an intimate space where the bartenders serve you directly and ask what you like before making you something you’ll enjoy. They have become a bit more “upscale” over the years, with a dress code and a minimum spend, so be warned. But this is a #tipsypick regardless.

Just a few blocks away is one of our favorite speakeasy experiences… The Underground Speakeasy at the Mob Museum. Located in the basement of the expansive museum dedicated to organized crime, you’ll find great cocktails, live jazz, and an inviting atmosphere. We had to circle the building to find the stairwell, but it was worth it!  Hint: you don’t have to go to the museum itself to find the speakeasy, but they do have an entrance from inside there as well. And look for the password on social media.

Finally, we mentioned a container park. This downtown attraction is made up almost entirely of old shipping containers converted into businesses, including a couple worth mentioning as #tipsypick spots for a night out!

Oak & Ivy is a classic cocktail bar with emphasis on great whiskey drinks, including flights. It’s amazing they managed to create an intimate feel inside a steel container. But they also have a nice patio area! Definitely check out the classics like their Manhattan and Old Fashioned, both barrel aged, and the Boulevardier.  They have an extensive selection of bourbon and whiskey you won’t find elsewhere in Vegas. 

Across the courtyard (which also hosts live music) is Bin 702. This particular container is a wonderful little wine bar, including some natural wines, with nice food options packed into a small space. They also have a great patio area for days when it’s not 100 degrees.

And finally, there’s an entire neighborhood of Las Vegas called the Arts District with enough cocktail spots to make a separate post. We’ll save that for another visit! Viva Las Vegas, y’all!

Barcelona’s Tipsy History

Barcelona has quite an interesting history – including an ongoing desire to become a separate country from the rest of Spain! So it should be no surprise that there are bars and restaurants with history and stories of their own, especially in the Gothic Quarter and El Born neighborhood.

For example, 4 Gats (or Els Quatre Gats in Catalan) opened in 1897 and was a magnet for artists and writers including Picasso, who held his first exhibition here. After being closed for a few years, it reopened in 1989 and still looks like something out of 1920s Spain. The food and drinks are authentic and tasty. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Picasso was also a patron of Boadas, an upscale cocktail bar that’s been around since 1933. It’s an easy walk to the north end of La Rambla. 

Not historic enough for you?  How about a bar that’s been around since 1820? Bar Marsella is one of the oldest in the city and was frequented not only by Picasso, but also Hemingway, Dali, and Gaudi were said to enjoy a pour or two here – particularly the absinthe! We were able to enjoy a nice Manhattan, but not without asking more than once. They prefer to keep it simple and with cash if you have it. Again, worth the walk through the Gothic Quarter to Raval.

Writers and artists also spent time over the years at Bar del Pi, known to be one of the oldest remaining tapas bars in the city, founded in 1927. We enjoyed a visit on the upstairs terrace with some excellent food and drinks, including a mug of the local brew. They also have a lovely patio space on the square, which is common in Barcelona.

Speaking of historic squares, the Placa Reial (or Royal Place) is a lovely outdoor space just off La Rambla with a variety of bars and restaurants. We found it to be just as busy and vibrant at night as during the day. It’s also a bit #offthetipsypath, but well worth seeking out!

One of our favorite spots on the Placa Reial is Ocana. We wandered up one evening and the gentleman in drag (yes, and he looked fabulous!!!) escorted us to an outdoor table. The drinks and paella were so good, we missed the live jazz inside! Ocana is actually three very distinct spaces including a separate cocktail bar – Apotheke – downstairs. We highly recommend taking time to explore them all!

Rei de Copes is also a great spot on the square to soak up the sights over a cocktail on the patio. And we heard great things about Pipa Club, but they weren’t open the night we were on the square.

Our experience at Ocana isn’t unique – Barcelona is an extremely walkable city where sometimes you can just wander into some amazing cocktails!

Case in point – Especiarium. We probably walked past this intimate spot a dozen times on our way through Born before we stopped in. And we are so glad we dropped by! The mixologists here are as creative as any we found on the “best of” list. Our cocktails were served with wooden boxes on the side and we were encouraged to open the box and inhale the contents after taking each sip to get the most of the flavors in the drink. What a creative way to enhance the experience!

Just down the street from there is yet another example of what we’ll call “fortunate drinking.” We found our way into Dux to meet a friend and wound up having some amazing cocktails. Dux labels itself as a gin joint, but don’t sleep on the bourbon and wine!

Barcelona is full of lively squares and outdoor patio spaces. We found Ina as we were walking through a square and decided to stop for some wine and tapas. Same goes for Travel Bar, which was recommended as a good stop for tourists. We enjoyed espresso martinis in their outdoor space as the bar inside was busy with a cocktail class.

And finally, there are quite a few breweries or brewpubs in Barcelona, some with outdoor spaces. We enjoyed an afternoon at Black Lab Brewhouse & Kitchen on their patio. It’s an American-style brewery founded by two Americans from Chicago. Check them out if you are down near the Barceloneta beach!

We hope we’ve said enough to get you excited to visit Barcelona for yourself. Let us know what you think!