If you made the gamble to move to Germantown 10 years ago before it was filled with so many great places to eat and drink, your prescience is definitely paying off. With the addition of an outpost of a beloved New Orleans whiskey and margarita bar named Barrel Proof, Germantown has just become even cooler.
Located at 1010 Fourth Ave. N. between Von Elrod’s and the upcoming DeSano Pizza, Barrel Proof is a project of partners Jason Sorbet, Liam Deegan and Robert LeBlanc and their hospitality group LeBlanc + Smith, which operates bars, restaurants and a hotel in New Orleans. I’ve visited the original Barrel Proof in the Garden District of NOLA, so I was excited to hear they were bringing their brand of low-key whiskey-drinking to Music City.
I spoke with Sorbet about a month before the bar opened in early December, and he is clearly committed to Nashville, having moved here a year ago after frequent visits to town over the years. He believes Barrel Proof will have a role in Germantown as “a community watering hole, a neighborhood bar with a rockin' happy hour.”
The aesthetic of the Nashville outpost is very similar to the New Orleans original, thanks to the fact that they employed the same carpenters to complete the project along with local firm Remick Architecture. The result is a comfy, dark bar filled with flexible seating ranging from outdoor picnic tables to barstools, lowboys and banquettes. It's similar to a British pub model, so there's no table service at Barrel Proof. Instead, patrons order their food and drink from the bar, offering a chance to interact with guests other than those at their table.
The long, rough-hewn bar sits in front of a wall of whiskey that boasts more than 350 different bottles of brown water — but don’t sleep on Barrel Proof’s margaritas, which they are quite proud of. There will be no live music, so the focus can be on who you’re sitting with — no need to pay the polite cursory attention to the band that often distracts Nashvillians from a dedicated drinking experience.
The cocktail list is short, but the talented bar staff can make just about any drink you desire, since they’ve hired an almost all-local staff of experienced mixologists. The food menu is even more concise, revolving around what they call “a damned good burger and fries.” Sorbet told me that burger is based on their popular Chloe Burger, named after the boutique hotel, bar and restaurant they operate in New Orleans.
It features a 3-ounce patty fully dressed with American cheese on a poppy-seed bun, and it’s a prototypical bar burger. As Sorbet told me, “Who doesn’t love a buzz and a full belly for $20?” Aiming for a late-night crowd, Barrel Proof is open from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m. every day with a daily happy hour(s) from 4 until 6 p.m. offering $7 mini margaritas and Old Fashioneds. If you haven’t been yet to welcome them to the neighborhood, get down there soon!
For a more upscale opportunity, set your GPS to Southall, where the luxury hotel, spa and restaurant is holding a special AGLOW Candlelight Dinner on Saturday, Dec. 16, starting at 6:30 p.m. Guests will gather at the resort’s Orchard Event Center at 2200 Osage Loop to dine by the flickering flames of tapers as part of a family-style menu of seasonal foods that represent the winter harvest of Southall’s farm, and the fermentation and preservation practices of the kitchen.
Among the highlights of the planned menu are an opening salvo of hot smoked salmon dip served with crackers, cheese straws and crudités, followed by fresh-baked cranberry-orange bread and a Brussels sprout salad. Main dishes that will march to the table next include coco-spiced Ora king salmon and tri-tip steak from KLD Farm, which will be served with a plum demi-glace. Side dishes to share will be served along with the mains, and the evening will end up with seasonally appropriate chocolate and peppermint pots de creme.
Tickets for the feast are $220 per person, inclusive of beverages, taxes and tip, and the resort is offering a discounted room rate if you’d like to stay the night.
