🍷 Cocktail Happiness – North Central and Happy Holler 🍷

This edition of Tipsy Path hits close to home, literally. In June 2023 we chose to move to a neighborhood that puts us walking distance from a number of fabulous bars, restaurants, and breweries in north Knoxville and Happy Holler, not to mention downtown. And we’ve loved every minute of it!

For this adventure, we’ll focus on the North Central Street corridor from the intersection with Broadway up through Happy Holler. Why do they call it that? Local historians point out that this was indeed one of Knoxville’s original “entertainment” districts, along with the Old City. It supposedly began before the turn of the 20th century because wagons kept getting stuck in the dip between the two ridges around Central Street and Anderson Avenue. A smart businessman decided to open a saloon for people to enjoy their visits while they were stuck. And “Happy Holler” was born. At one time there were saloons, restaurants, a movie theater – much like today.

But we bet there’s one thing we have now in the Holler that they didn’t have back in the day – a pirate bar! Better yet, the Pirate Tavern! That’s the semi-official name for what’s also listed as the eVape Tavern. But either way, it’s definitely a pirate-themed bar with one of the best rum selections in town (try a “voyage” aka Rum Flight) and arguably the largest cooler of local canned beer selections in Knoxville. The cocktails are super creative too! If you don’t vape, don’t worry. We don’t either and we’ve never worried about it. And a #tipsytip for you – be sure to check out the restrooms! The themes in each are hand-painted by co-owner Jennifer Murphy. 

Next door is one of our favorite wine bars in Knoxville - Zero/Zero. The name stands for the fact that they specialize in natural wines from around the world – “natural” meaning ideally no preservatives or additives. They have a very welcoming space with great selection by the bottle or glass. Did we mention they have vermouth by the glass? They’re also doing more flight tastings and teaming with local restaurants for special dinners, so stay tuned!

It’s also likely that the neighborhood didn’t have a “gay” club back in the day, at least not what it means now. But in the Holler, we have Club XYZ! And if you haven’t been to one of their drag shows, you’re missing out! It’s a great way to spend a late night for not a lot of money. The performers are fun, drinks are cheap and strong, and there’s a patio. What more do you need? 

We almost hesitate to share this next spot because it’s home to one of the best all-around bourbon selections in town (and at some of the best prices). The Oak Room is home to the barrel-aging program for Abridged Beer in Bearden. Along with some tasty sours and unique aged beers, they have wonderful food… AND the bourbon mentioned above. You can even create your own Old Fashioned, which we have done many times. They don’t gouge you on the allocated bourbon, so this is a #tipsypick for sure!

Did we mention bourbon?  One of the best takes on a classic Manhattan can be found at Bistro by the Tracks. Don’t be confused – there are two locations, but this one may be closer to actual railroad tracks. The drink is called the Whiskey Business and it’s not to be missed, even if you just sit at the bar. But why would you miss the food? A few “expert” tips – they have half off wines every Monday and flights of port that make an excellent dessert.

It’s patio weather! And Central Flats & Taps has one of the largest in the neighborhood. They have great food, an excellent draft beer selection, and they make a mean cocktail! You should try the spicy watermelon martini or margarita! And did we mention the Bushwhackers? Perfect for the patio. 

Just across the street, Y Not Tavern is your old school go-to for karaoke and cheap beer. 

Now if you head down Central a few blocks toward downtown, you come to two of the neighborhood’s signature watering holes. If we’re honest, the Corner Lounge is our version of “Cheers.” We walk in and most of the bartenders know what we’re going to order. They have live music, fun bartenders, and fantastic food at some of the best prices around. It’s also the oldest bar in downtown Knoxville – even author Cormac MaCarthy used to belly up here. We have been supporting these folks since before the pandemic, and even during the shutdown. They make a mean Manhattan and Old Fashioned. #tipsypick

Just up the street, Marie’s Olde Towne Tavern is a classic dive bar, complete with cheap beer and friendly staff… and smoking is allowed. But they have a nice patio out back for some fresh air. Inside, the Karaoke is packed on weekends, so they’re doing it right. Definitely worth a visit.

Speaking of beer, there are lots of breweries along North Central all the way to the I-40 underpass. We covered most of them in a previous blog post. But we’ll note that Yee Haw Brewing brought us a cool speakeasy during the winter months in their barrel room to bring revenue while the patio bar was closed. Cheers to them and hoping they bring it back this coming winter!

Happy Holler (and North Central) – making people like us happy for more than a century!

Where should we visit next? Let us know at offthetipsypath@gmail.com.

Winter Drinks in Denver and “Breck”

You’ve heard the old saying “If you can’t beat them, join them…” We embraced the fact that Winter comes every year and took the opportunity to visit a state we hadn’t been before and enjoy the snow – Colorado.

First let’s say that altitude does impact how your body processes alcohol, particularly when you’re above 5,000 feet and even 10,000 feet above sea level. You tend to get drunk quicker and the hangovers last longer. Just trust us on that. That said, we didn’t make it to all the places in Denver and Breckenridge on our list this time. But the spots we did visit in both cities were pretty spectacular. 

Breckenridge is essentially a historic mining town turned ski resort town about an hour or so from Denver. There’s no shortage of good places to eat and drink. They fully embrace the Apres’ culture, or Apres’ Ski – which is a fancy word for “happy hour after you leave the slopes,” pronounced “Ah Pray.”

Our #tipsypick for Breckenridge is actually the first place we visited when we arrived (and we returned for dinner another night as well) – Tavern Underground. This cocktail bar is the closest thing to a speakeasy in Breck, located beneath the Carlin boutique hotel in the heart of town. Our favorite cocktail was the Curious George, their version of a Black Manhattan. They also make a fantastic Old Fashioned! The service and food were excellent as well.

While we didn’t ski this time, we couldn’t miss the chance to go up on the base of the Breckenridge Ski Resort slopes and partake of a cocktail or two while we enjoyed the view. Who would have thought you could get a great margarita at a ski resort? Check out T-Bar for that on Peak 8! Then we took the free gondola over to Peak 7 for espresso martinis at Sevens.

We think it should be a rule that you can’t visit Breckenridge without stopping at the Breckenridge Distillery, or at least their tasting room. Since they only do tours on the weekends, and the main facility is located just outside of downtown, we opted for the tasting room. Their award-winning bourbon is reason enough to visit, but everything we tried was smooth and delicious. They even had a barrel-aged Manhattan on tap, available only onsite. We hear the cocktails at the main room are worth trying – next time!

There are a number of breweries in and near downtown Breckenridge. After a hike to find Isak, the Breckenridge Troll, we chose Broken Compass Brewing. Their main facility is just outside downtown (near the above distillery) but they have a fun tasting room right on Main Street. That’s where we spent some time to warm up. They have a large selection of their beers on tap, including a delicious coconut porter. 

And we have to give a shout out to Hearthstone for one of the best meals we had (yes, elk and bison on the menu) and great cocktails!

Now on to Denver – there was no way to cover all the great options personally in one weekend. That’s why we have #tipsypicks just for you. 

While it’s not a true speakeasy, Union Lodge #1 does capture the cozy ambiance of a 1920’s cocktail den in downtown Denver. They even told us they don’t offer vodka drinks, because they weren’t popular back then … But what they do offer are creative cocktails like the “Door Marked Pirate” and classics like an Old Fashioned and Sazerac. There’s also something magical about sipping cocktails in a window seat while snow is falling behind you. 

Denver has some excellent speakeasy spots! Williams & Graham appears to be a small corner bookstore, until the host opens one of the bookcases and escorts you to a dimly lit table with velvet curtains and lots of dark wood straight out of the 1920s! The “Complicated Boulevardier” was simply delicious!

Our next stop, Run for the Roses, has signage, but it’s stashed in the basement of a retail building, and you have to follow the roses marking the path on the floor to get there. Challenge accepted. RFTR has one of the most extensive and creative cocktail menus we’ve seen – laid out in a deck of playing cards. That’s potentially 52 different drink options! Our group made an effort to try a variety of “cards,” including a barrel-aged Manhattan and Old Fashioned.

There’s also no shortage of great restaurants in downtown Denver. Two we’ll mention – ChoLon and Panzano – also have great cocktails! Cholon also has an option to try flights of sake, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous.

There are lots of places left on our list that we’ll have to visit next time, along with dozens of breweries in Denver. What spots do you recommend in Breck or the Mile High City?

New Year – New Fun Finds in St. Pete

Welcome to the third year of this little adventure we call Off the Tipsy Path! We’re going to start it off with a return to one of our favorite spots – St. Petersburg, Florida. This Gulf Coast city is also where the idea for Tipsy Path began (over a few beverages, of course)!

Downtown St. Pete, like a lot of cities, is seeing incredible growth. Tower cranes are everywhere as new condos and apartments are being built to meet demand. The city’s culinary and cocktail scene is growing at a similar pace. Here are just a few of the places we’ve found since our last visit.

So what’s new? How about a jungle-themed restaurant with a somewhat-hidden bar in the basement of a historic “Five and Dime” building? That’s Concrete Jungle! The restaurant occupies part of the main floor of the historic Kress building on Central. Its theme is “Tulum inspired,” meaning Mexican flair. It’s a great spot for date night dinner and cocktails! But don’t miss out on the downstairs bar! It has some added cocktails to the upstairs menu that are not to be missed – “Smoke and Mirrors” was an excellent smoked concoction and the “Platano” was a complex bourbon drink with coffee and banana. And the jungle theme ramps up to create very cool spaces around every corner. A #tipsypick for sure!

Staying with Mexico, Tequila Daisy is a tequila-focused bar (and other agave spirits like Mezcal) with some tasty drinks – and shots – and a dance floor where you can bust all of your moves that you think you should after a few said drinks/shots! Seriously, the signature cocktail the “Tequila Daisy” is seriously good! They don’t have food, but the taco truck that sets up outside is very popular.

Continuing the theme of “spaces that feel like different places,” Saigon Blonde may become one of our newest favorite spots! The décor is tropical-themed from the “1960’s” and includes three separate lounge areas that are about as unique as you’ll find – one is made from old airplane parts and the other is upstairs and overlooks the lower bar. And the drinks we had were superb - “Old Sin” is essentially an old fashioned with flavors of Vanilla AND chocolate! We will definitely be back!

One more tropical theme – this time on a rooftop!  Cane & Barrel is the new rooftop bar at the AC Marriott. It has a Cuban theme, with drinks and food to match. The indoor/outdoor spaces make for a nice way to spend an evening, or an afternoon with brunch. We admit we didn’t make our way very far through the menu, because we were drinking champagne for New Year’s Eve! We will check this one out again next time!

Now let’s completely switch themes – to Christmas! Xmas Bar is billed as a seasonal pop-up bar, but it’s still going strong as of January. We will say that this is a very festive space worth checking out if only for the décor. During the holidays, we’re told they had some great themed cocktails. But when we visited the weekend of New Year’s, we were told those are no longer being served - lots of canned drinks and shots going around. 

If you’re looking for a great space for cocktails and brunch that’s a bit #offthetipsypath… we suggest The Library. This space is part of the Johns Hopkins hospital complex just south of downtown, but folks in the know come here to enjoy the food and drink all week long. Our brunch meals were excellent. We’ll have to come back one evening for happy hour and let you know more about the cocktails.

And finally, an update on one of our #tipsypicks – a local wine bar called Bar Chinchilla has new owners! The intimate spot changed hands early in 2023, and the new owners have kept much of the cozy décor but have elevated the wine offerings… and the beer! Tipsy Hubs was most impressed with the lineup of Belgian beer on tap. The real secret is the deals on their “to go” bottles of wine! Love this place!

As always, we’d love to hear from you about your favorite places and anyplace we should check out on our adventures! Cheers to Year Three!