Enjoyed: Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Whiskey River Old Fashioned”.

Ingredients: Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, cherry bitters.

The occasion: The stars aligned, and somehow, a small family reunion happened in Nashville. My sister, my nieces C and Y, and Y’s fiancé drove down from Indiana for the weekend. Most of us spent Friday together shopping for boots, then eating dinner at a BBQ joint, then attending the Grand Ole Opry. On Saturday afternoon, the Indiana family hit the Honky Tonks on Broadway, and I joined them. (Lordy, we did all the typical-tourist-things, didn’t we?) This particular “saloon”–opened just a week prior– was our first stop of several. I had to start the day with an Old Fashioned, especially due to the name of the bar.

My rating: **** out of 5. I usually scoff when a cocktail is presented to me in a plastic cup, but this is downtown Nashville, and festivities may get out of hand, so I understand. The sweet young bartender gave me a generous pour, which I suspect is not typical, since watered-down drinks and plastic cups often go together, in my experience. Nelson’s made-in-Tennessee whiskey was totally satisfying-I picked up pleasant cinnamon and smooth caramel flavors. The brand promotes itself as “whiskey worth singing about” and indeed, I could see this happening, especially in Nashville!

Final thoughts: During our visit, the band at Whiskey River Saloon was playing Springsteen, Eagles, and Tom Petty tunes. This, I enjoyed. I was out of my element later, when the bars’ bands were playing more recent country hits and the patrons were line-dancing. Maybe I should have had tequila shots alongside the nieces to help lower my inhibitions and get my feet a-movin’.