Eat, Imbibe & Explore: Quench Your Thirst

Williamson County and its surrounding environs may not have as many bars as Nashville, but Shelbyville is home to the Guinness Record Book-certified “World’s Longest Bar,” so take that Lower Broad. The record holder is Humble Baron, the showpiece attraction at Nearest Green Distillery that boasts 518 linear feet of bar seating snaked around the expansive showroom that hosts musical acts of many genres along with karaoke nights and line dancing. As expected, the bar menu features cocktails made using Uncle Nearest Tennessee whiskey, bourbon and rye, but other options are available for those who might not be fans of “brown water.”

The cocktail lists at three different speakeasies in Franklin are more extensive than at record-holder Humble Baron’s, even if their bars are intentionally much smaller and harder to find. Amendment XVIII Cocktail Club is named as a nod to the constitutional amendment that established Prohibition during the 1920s and drove tipplers into hidden underground bars.

Amendment 18 isn’t underground, but it certainly is hidden. Tucked away in the alley behind Mellow Mushroom, you’ll have to open an imposing gray electrical box and pull the “Frankenstein switch.” If the light turns green, there’s room for you inside, and someone will be along directly to whisk you away to what feels like a century-old Jazz Age club. Stamped tin roof tiles, vintage photographs and dramatic light fixtures set the mood for enjoying modern takes on classic cocktails created by talented mixologists.

Dottie’s Speakeasy doesn’t really even have its own address. Accessible via a lit green hidden path from the lobby of the Inn at Southall, Dottie’s is open on Friday and Saturday nights with complimentary admission for guests of the property. In addition to excellent cocktails, Dottie’s is also a venue for smaller musical acts.

The Country Boy Restaurant has been a favorite spot for country breakfasts and lunches since 1968, but a recent addition has made it even more appealing for the 21st century. A former storm shelter beneath the restaurant has been converted into a modern speakeasy called The Tornado Room, and it’s drawing plenty of attention in Leiper’s Fork. Look for the green light over the basement door outside to find the entrance to a delightfully moody music room and craft cocktail bar.

Spring Hill residents frequent a quaint white home right off of Main Street that has been converted into Reunion Wine & Cocktail Bar. In addition to cocktails and an international wine list available by the glass or “buy the bottle,” Reunion serves charcuterie, dips and flatbreads to accompany the libations. In the winter, igloos erected on the front yard provide even more festive seating during two-hour rental time blocks.

In Nolensville, the former Happenchance Social is undergoing a transition into The Regal Room under the same management. They promise an urbane atmosphere in the suburbs and unparalleled cocktails.

Columbia also boasts several interesting watering holes. Whiskey Alley Saloon started out as a throwback to the Old West, but it has been converted to a more modern vibe with a spirit list that includes aged scotches and añejo tequilas you would never find in Dodge City. American Barrel Cocktail Cafe concentrates on both the “cocktail” and “cafe” parts of its name. The pleasant gastropub serves lunch and dinner Thursday through Saturday along with an inventive menu of cocktails plus wine, craft beer and mocktails.

Those seeking a genuine dive bar in Williamson County need look no further than The Pond in Franklin. It’s the sort of place where most of the decor is beer signs and posters from bands that have previously appeared on the bar’s small stage, the kind of spot where they’ll tell a phone caller you’re not there if you don’t want to be found, and where almost every item on the food menu is either fried or griddled.