In my early 20s, I once told a guy to “surprise me” when he went to get us a round at a bar — and I turned my nose up at the tequila sunrise he brought back for me. I was being kind of an asshole, and probably doing some tomboy posturing, but I’ve also never done well with fruity drinks. I tend to find them cloyingly sweet, and I inevitably end up regretting the sugar when a headache arrives the next morning.
In the past, I’ve defaulted to ordering just a craft beer or a highball — but recently, I’ve started to think there has to be another way. Enter the savory cocktail: a time-honored menu option that’s seeing a new wave of interest due to renewed crazes over martinis, charcuterie and tinned fish.
I’ve taken a deep dive into some of Nashville’s most intriguing options for drinkers whose palates prefer the piquant. Local savory drinks range from spicy to salty to crisp, with recipes that go far beyond the dirty martinis you might be used to, and they feature a range of surprising ingredients: bacon, wasabi, even yogurt. Read on for a few that I’ve found particularly notable — and some that are next on my list to try.
The Michelle-lada, Old Glory
My love affair with savory drinks began with Old Glory’s Michelle-lada, a riff on the classic Mexican beer cocktail brainstormed by the bar’s co-owner Michelle Pham. It’s refreshing and spicy, and skips the tomato juice in favor of rich, umami-forward tonkatsu sauce, with a kick from Worcestershire sauce and the salt and sansho pepper on the rim. I think a dressed beer is the perfect summer drink, especially when you have somewhere to be later. It’s a great way to sip on something that feels special, but only packs the ABV punch of a light lager.
B.L.T. Bloody Mary, The Lipstick Lounge
If you’re missing that tomato juice or just nursing a hangover, Lipstick Lounge’s Bloody Mary menu might be perfect for you. I grew up in the D.C. area, where Old Bay is the Bloody Mary seasoning of choice, and I appreciate that East Nashville’s renowned lesbian bar makes their own mix. They pair it with a variety of flavored spirit concoctions: The Hateful Queen features black pepper vodka, while the B.L.T. is made with house-infused bacon vodka, and the Hot Tail has sriracha, extra spices and a jalapeño on top.
Also in East Nashville, swanky speakeasy The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club has a few savory options to choose from. I’m intrigued by their Tiny ’Tini, which is served with a single oyster, but on a recent visit I opted for a couple of their full-size signature drinks. The Energy Vampire is a gin-and-tonic with vermouth and lavender, providing layers of earthy, floral flavor that balance beautifully with the full-size capers the drink is paired with. It’s named for Colin Robinson, the soul-sucking What We Do in the Shadows character, and is just as mystifying but far more alluring and delicate. For an ideal dessert round, try the Four Lives, a clarified rum drink with shiso and wasabi gomme. It’s a multifaceted drink that looks like mist in a glass, and it tastes like salted caramel with a subtle hint of mint.
The Four Lives, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club
If you’re near Music Row, The Late Great, a cocktail lounge in Virgin Hotels Nashville, offers an array of playful country-themed cocktails. I’m curious about the White Lightning, a Mediterranean riff on a White Russian that combines vodka with Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill and lemon. The Stand by Your Man, meanwhile, is a tequila-based drink with barbecue fig jam, served with homemade jerky.
But a savory drink journey would be incomplete without a visit to the alchemists at The Patterson House,where savory drinks are in their DNA. Currently on offer on their Short Menu is their Pickle Martini, their variation on a current trend.
Ask for the Long Menu, though, where beloved recipes are enshrined over time, and you’ll find that their Bacon Bourbon Old Fashioned has its own page. Bacon-washed whiskey is one of the ingredients in the Patterson canon known as The Pantry, and it adds a smoky, fatty flavor to this surprisingly light drink. Introduced in 2009, at the height of the bacon craze, this is a Nashville classic for a reason — a combination that feels timeless and innovative all at once.
Plus, quenching our thirst for limoncello, issuing our first Malört Repört and sampling Tío Fun’s soft-serve margaritas
