Chris Chamberlain

For Nashville Lifestyles

Several new cocktail emporiums have opened that pay homage to properly mixed drinks while still projecting a comfortable and convivial vibe. Nashville Lifetyles gives them a spin.

Old Glory

1200 Villa Place; 615-679-0509; facebook.com/Old-Glory

Sisters Alexis and Britt Soler made their mark on Nashville as popular bartenders at No. 308 on the east side. Now, they’ve brought their mixology game to midtown with an absolute stunner of a bar named Old Glory. Located in the former boiler room of the White Way Cleaners building in Edgehill Village, the soaring ceiling and dramatic entrance staircase combine to create the most visually intriguing eating and drinking spot that this town has seen in a long time. The talented bar staff pushes out an impressive volume of solid drinks including some made with rare ingredients. Just look for the golden triangle around the door hidden away in the middle passage behind Taco Mamacita.

The Green Hour

1201 Fifth Ave. N.; 615-454-5432; temperednashville.com

By day, this popular Germantown spot is the home of Tempered Cafe and Chocolate, a decadent European-inspired destination for a truffle, espresso or a glass of wine. But at night, the spirits come out and the space converts into Nashville’s first absinthe-centric bar, The Green Hour. Proprietor Jeremiah Blake exalts the mysterious and historical liquor through creative cocktails and the traditional absinthe drip, a ritual that employs a slow trickle of water onto a sugar cube to dilute the anise-flavored spirit. Look for a glowing green light in the window of the chocolate shop as a sign that The Green Hour is open and the absinthe is flowing.

Bar Sovereign

514 Fifth Ave. S.; 615-244-3174; barsovereign.com

Continuing the theme of hard-to-find drinking establishments, Bar Sovereign’s entrance in a small industrial downtown strip center is only marked by a small metal plaque at waist level. But once you find it once, you’ll probably come back again and again to enjoy its tight menu of creative cocktails made using top-shelf spirits. The eclectic decor of the main dining and drinking space is a riot of modern art and kitschy furnishings, drawing the eye in every direction to discover yet another new quirky detail, but the overall effect demonstrates the desired attitude of the bar’s owners: a place to have fun and enjoy fine drinks and fellowship without drama or pretense.

Bastion

434 Houston St.; 615-490-8434; bastionnashville.com

Josh Habiger is best known in Nashville as one of the opening chefs at Strategic Hospitality’s wildly successful Catbird Seat, but Habiger has also worked in bars and restaurants all over town and around the world. When it came time for him to open his own place in partnership with Strategic Hospitality, he chose the burgeoning Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood near the old Greer Stadium as the site for Bastion, his comfortable bar and attached restaurant. On the bar side, nachos are the only food item to accompany a well-curated menu of cocktails, punches and beers. But these aren’t ordinary nachos. They are some of the most delicious bites ever layered on a tortilla chip and the perfect pairing and sharing food that befits the casual and communal vibe at Bastion.