East Nashville’s primary thoroughfare, Gallatin Pike (“Gallatin Road,” colloquially), is littered with fine establishments at which to tip a bottle or two, particularly down Five Points way. But once you get north of Mickey’s Tavern into Inglewood, outposts along the road are fewer and farther between. There’s the American Legion Post 82 and Turn One for the oldheads, not to mention Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge if you’re willing to trek it up to Madison. But what folks in search of a good watering hole might not notice is a certain cozy little cocktail spot built in a former Mrs. Winner’s Chicken & Biscuits, right next door to a Sonic.
Dan Forberg of catering company Actual Food opened Inglewood Lounge two-and-a-half years ago, and since then it’s become a reliable neighborhood hang with a handful of tasty food items and a succinct but diverse cocktail menu. Because of the midcentury-modern furniture and vaguely tiki-esque decor, you might find yourself inspired to order the Beach Drink, made with Jamaican white rum and an assortment of fruit syrups. And, hey, it’s sweet and tasty. Go for it. But if you’re a fan of mezcal — a smoky spirit that, like its better-known cousin tequila, is made from Mexican agave — I have to insist you try the Mezistar.
Made with egg whites, lime and mole bitters (inspired by a classic Mexican sauce), the Mezistar ($10) is lightly frothy, balancing mezcal’s savory flavor with a tart citrus kick. That makes it good for mezcal first-timers too — perhaps, for instance, some indecisive customers who were fans of SoCal ’90s alt-rockers Mazzy Star and picked the drink just based on its name. Anyway, on a recent visit, a bartender told me the Inglewood team switches up the cocktail menu every few months or so, and another changeover is due soon. Consider that your excuse to go check the place out. And anyway, if you miss out on the Mezistar, you also can’t go wrong with a Black Manhattan.
