VIRGINIA WINE
THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL
SOUTHERN SODA
RYE WHISKEY
TH E
SOUTHE
RN
ISSUE
100 TO DRINK
BEST PLACES
THE
IN THE
SOUTH
PLUS! Homemade Pickled Okra! Iced Tea Cocktails!
The 5 Best Mint Juleps! !Southern Brews We Love!
John T. Edge on Eating and Drinking in the South!
100 TO DRINK
BEST PLACES
THE
Looking for the perfect Sazerac? Thirsty for an ice-cold southern
brew? Wondering where to get your whiskey fill? Consider this your
ULTIMATE GUIDE to drinking well from Virginia to East Texas.
36 imbibemagazine.com ~ march/aprl 2011
LEFT PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Barista
Jennifer Jurs at Hope and Union, bartender Jenny
Pittman at Proof on Main, FIG owner Adam Nemirow,
a mocha at Morning Times. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT: Beer and bbq at The Pit, coffee
at Hope and Union, cocktail art at Holland House,
behind the bar at Patterson House, skillet cornbread
at The Pit, copper mugs at Husk.
IN THE
SOUTH
It's no secret that southerners are serious about their drinks. And in compiling this list of our 100 favorite places to drink in
the South, we had to practice some serious southern-style restraint. To narrow our scope, we focused largely on spots that
do several things well—impeccable cocktails, stellar wines, inspired brews. And in terms of geography, we didn’t venture
north of Alexandria, Virginia, or west of Dallas. The range of styles and flavors represented shows the incredible diversity
of the South's drinks culture, and whether or not you live in this part of the country, this list will surely provide plenty of
inspiration for your imbibing wish list. STORY BY IMBIBE STAFF PHOTOS BY TERRY MANIER
march/april 2011 ~ imbibemagazine.com 37
LEFT: A freshly poured cocktail at Proof
on Main. TOP: Andrew Noye, beverage
manager at Blackberry Farm. BELOW: A
barrel of whiskey at The Oak Bar.
Blackberry Farm Photo: Beall and Thomas Photography
BEST HOTEL BARS
BAR UNCOMMON
You only need two words to
describe the appeal of Bar
UnCommon: Chris McMillian.
The revered New Orleans
bartender mixes respectfully
revised classic cocktails at this
Renaissance Pere Marquette
Hotel bar. Enjoy true southern hospitality while you sip
a Clover Club made with gin,
raspberries, lemon and egg
white, then try the Winkle,
made with the same core
ingredients, a different gin,
plus sage.
817 Common St., New
Orleans, LA, 504-525-1111;
baruncommon.com
BLACKBERRY FARM
Set amid the bucolic, rolling
green foothills of the Smoky
44 imbibemagazine.com ~ march/april 2011
Mountains, this 4200-acre
estate is home to one of
the finest boutique hotels
in the country, and it has
jaw-dropping food and drink
menus to match. Settle in at
the Dogwood Bar or Barn Bar
and feast your eyes on the
amazing whiskey list, which
includes an expansive selection of bourbons.
1471 W. Millers Cove Road,
Walland, TN, 865-380-2260;
blackberryfarm.com
CAPITAL BAR & GRILL
Open since 1870, the stately,
ornate Capital Hotel’s hallowed halls have seen some
famous faces, from Ulysses
S. Grant to former President
Clinton. Steep yourself in history while you sip a Sazerac
or Old Fashioned alongside
modern concoctions, like
the CBG Tortugas Punch,
made with rum, mint tea and
falernum.
111 W. Markham, Little
Rock, AR, 501-374-7474;
capitalhotel.com
DRINKSHOP
Trendy and geeky go hand in
hand at Drinkshop, where ice
is hand-chiseled into spheres
and cubes tailor-made for
each drink. With its ultramodern décor, DJ and rooftop
patio offering spectacular
views, the scene is very seeand-be-seen, but the carefully
crafted drinks steal the show.
3377 Peachtree Rd N.E.,
Atlanta, GA; 678-500-3100;
starwoodhotels.com/whotels
FLORIDA ROOM
Miami is all about color, style
and flair—all of which the
Florida Room has in spades.
Designed by singer Lenny
Kravitz’s design team, the
sleek Florida Room set in the
basement of the Delano Hotel
features a sparkling, clear
lucite baby grand piano and a
mid-century modern glamour
that befits the extensive craft
cocktail list.
1685 Collins Ave., Miami, FL;
305-674-6152; delano-hotel.com
LEMAIRE
Located in the plush Jefferson
Hotel in Richmond, Lemaire
features a world-class wine
list, a tempting cocktail menu
and tasty bar snacks. Try a
pimento cheese sandwich or
cornmeal-crusted oysters,
and sample a Basil “Sazerac,”
which blends bourbon with
an orange-basil syrup and a
touch of green Chartreuse.
101 W. Franklin St.,
Richmond, VA; 804-649-4629;
jeffersonhotel.com
THE OAK BAR AT THE
HERMITAGE HOTEL
Sparkling leaded glass, gorgeous wood paneling and a
rich history are hallmarks of
the Oak Bar, which has been
a Nashville institution since
1905. Here a young Dinah
Shore got her start, singing with the Francis Craig
Orchestra, and she’s just one
of the many VIPs, including
Bette Davis and Al Capone,
who have tipped back drinks
in this paneled room. Spirits
are taken seriously, with clas-
sic and seasonal cocktails,
and whiskey from the bar’s
own hand-picked Jack Daniels
barrel.
231 Sixth Ave. N., Nashville,
TN; 888-888-9414;
thehermitagehotel.com
PROOF ON MAIN
It’s not often you find a bar
that pays as much attention
to its spirits list as it does its
wine. But this Louisville spot
scores a rare trifecta with
signature cocktails, an excellent wine list with more than
100 bottles and 50 bourbons.
Sample one of four bourbon
flights, or settle in with a
Negroni Rye featuring Rittenhouse, Campari and Carpano
Antica.
700 W. Main St., Louisville,
KY; 502-217-6360;
proofonmain.com
THE OLD
SEELBACH BAR
Walk into the Old Seelbach
bar at the Seelbach Hotel, and
you might get an eerie feeling
you’ve stepped back in time,
or at least stumbled into a
historical re-creation of some
sort. The 110-year-old bar
prides itself on being historically accurate, right down to
the paneled walls and seltzer
bottles. Enjoy the hotel’s
namesake cocktail, or sip
from 40 bourbons in the same
place Al Capone and F. Scott
Fitzgerald drank.
500 Fourth St., Louisville, KY, 502807-3463; seelbachhilton.com
SWIZZLE STICK BAR
With the venerable Lu Brow at
the helm, you know any drink
at this bar in the Loews New
Orleans Hotel is going to be topnotch. Part of the Commander’s
Palace group of restaurants,
the creole-style food is as well
executed as the drinks, from
absinthe-spiked barbecue sauce
to a chicken confit po’boy. Don’t
miss Brow’s signature Bloody
Mary, made with a meal’s worth
of garnish.
300 Poydras St., New
Orleans, LA; 504-595-3305;
cafeadelaide.com
Dogwood Tonic
This refreshing cocktail is featured
throughout the spring and
summer at Blackberry Farm's
bar. It even includes a classic
Tennessee soda for a uniquely
local flavor.
2 oz. gin
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
4 oz. Dr. Enuf soda
Ice cubes
Glass: double Old Fashioned
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprig
Combine ingredients in an icefilled glass and stir using the
rosemary sprig.
Andrew Noye, Blackberry Farm,
Walland, Tennessee
march/april 2011 ~ imbibemagazine.com 45
Proof On Main, part of
the Urban Bourbon Trail.
The Seelbach Hotel.
Louisville by the Glass
Whiskey has been sold in Louisville since
1780, and the city once had more than 50
bourbon distilleries. Louisville remains at
the heart of Kentucky’s bourbon industry,
and the city is a great home base for exploring bourbon country. The Urban Bourbon
Trail is a selection of nine bars and restaurants that feature bourbon flights, bourbon
cocktails and selections of the spirit ranging
from admirable to jaw-dropping.
An Urban Bourbon passport is available at
each of the establishments and at the Louisville Visitor’s Center; have it stamped at
each participating venue, and you’ll get a
t-shirt to go along with your fuzzy memories.
There’s also an Urban Bourbon iPhone app
with a map and further details. For more
information, visit justaddbourbon.com. And
for more on some of Louisville’s best places
for sipping bourbon neat or in cocktails,
check out our feature starting on page 36.
1920
68 imbibemagazine.com ~march/april 2011
1933 –Prohibition is
repealed. Only six distilleries
remain in operation.
The 21C Museum Hotel takes the “museum”
in its name to heart, with original contemporary artworks in each of its 90 rooms and
an impressive art gallery on the lower floors.
Rated among the world’s best hotels, 21C is
an innovative blend of cultural attraction
and luxury boutique hotel. 700 W. Main;
21chotel.com
The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville
opened in 1923 and immediately became the
city’s most esteemed place to stay. Renovated and reopened in the 1980s, the Brown
remains one of the most beautiful and
impressive hotels in the South. 335 West
Broadway; brownhotel.com
The Seelbach Hotel was built in 1905 and
retains an aura of golden-era grandeur. Be
sure to check out the Bavarian-style Rathskeller and order a bourbon-based Seelbach
Cocktail at the hotel bar. 500 S. 4th St;
seelbachhilton.com
1935
1933 – James B.
Beam Distilling
Company is formed.
1934 – Sixty
distilleries are
refurbished and
prepare to reopen;
industry goes
through a period of
consolidation.
1935 – Investors open
Heaven Hill Distillery in
Bardstown.
1950
1942 – Austin Nichols
company introduces Wild
Turkey Bourbon.
Prohibition photo courtesy
of ProhibitionRepeal.com;
Heaven Hill photo courtesy
of Heaven Hill.
1919 – The Volstead Act passes;
onset of Prohibition begins in
early 1920. Many distilleries
close; 10 are licensed to make
whiskey for medicinal use (only
six actually use the license).
1930
Where to Stay in
Bourbon Country