Merchants of Beer (and Good Times)

Merchants of Beer is quite possibly THE COOLEST building in Knoxville, located at 137 S. Central Street. This retro 1950’s dinner on the outside turned sleek modern bar on the inside, has over 50 taps of wine, cocktails, and beers. The unique venue also is a local hot spot for cigar lovers to enjoy!

Merchants of Beer, or MoB as locals call it, is welcoming from the moment you walk in. The retro bar is still there but has been updated with a glossed wood bar top that I imagine a skilled bartender has slid a pint across. As you sit at the bar, your choices await as all 50 taps are listed on the chalkboard above the massive line of taps that take up the wall behind the bar.

If you are like me and STRUGGLE to find a beer you like, then this is the place to go for experimentation. From lagers, IPAs, stouts, pilsners, and ciders (my favorite), the list of 43 brews MoB offers is not only listed on the chalkboard but on a menu that goes a little more in depth about the products. But if you are as uneducated on beer as I am, then the staff could be your new best friend.

The MoB staff assisted me in finding an adult apple juice the Tailgate Sweet Cider – 9, but also let me sample some local brews like the Shield Series: Imperial Stout- 38, the Tessellation IPA – 24, and the Dunkel lager – 36. With they have a plethora of 38 unique beers as well as a few staples MoB also offers a few select wines and craft cocktails which make up 1-6 on the 50 taps numbered.

Another cool feature to this Knoxville only joint is its market! If you find your new favorite IPA or ale, MoB keeps a walk-in fridge stocked with 6-packs and singles that you can purchase. The walk-in has three walls, with five shelves each, full of the local and staple beers offered.

MoB is active on Facebook, and Instagram rarely going two days without posting about their variety of events, the cool exterior, google reviews, or their amazing customers. They are hot on the hashtag trend and have created one of their own #mobknox. Hosting a weekly Wednesday Wine and Cheese Party, and multiple watch parties from sports like soccer to the currently #1 ranked University of Tennessee Men’s Basketball team, the bar shows their support.

This local spot is soon to be one of my favorite places in Knoxville, and I cannot wait to go back!

Pizza is my Happy Place

Rome was once the largest empire in the world, and I wholeheartedly believe it’s because they had delicious and intoxicating pizza.

My personal favorite has always been a traditional New York Style but honestly put extra cheese on anything, and I will eat it. Now, being a student in a college town, I have eaten my fair share of pizza. The usual order was to Papa Johns using the 50% off after a win code and then making the pie last the whole week.

But after a dinner excursion checking another local joint off our bucket list, with my best friend Ashley, I have found the holy grail.

Even though I ordered a calzone, let me tell you, the smell of pizza hits you in the face the moment you walk into Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria. With a placemat menu full of specialty pizzas and toppings list to create your own, it would be impossible to not find something you like. Trust me, the table beside us ordered anchovies…

If the pizza wasn’t enough to entice you out to the Old City, the music scene just might pique your interest with a musical guest taking the stage every day at 9 p.m. Every Monday night the University of Tennessee, student radio station WUTK, broadcasts live from the restaurant, with their specialty show Y’alltentative, an American Folk themed show. Every Thursday night at 6 p.m. WDVX presents their show Swerve with new artists each week.

The next perk to this local hot spot is the weekly trivia night with the Knoxville Trivia Guys. If you have a friend that boasts their knowledge you can put them to the test, starting at 8 p.m. every Wednesday night the questions begin!

Barley’s might be tucked in the back corner of the Old City but don’t miss out on this Knoxville gem!

How It All Started…

My best friend and I are about to finish our undergraduate degrees at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and in doing so, we have decided to take the last three months of our time to check off boxes on our bucket list.

The bucket list happens to include the many places to eat, bowl, sing, dance, and eat some more. These are all of the fun, cool, and trendy places to be in the Knoxville area. While we are neither, cool or trendy, we are pretty fun. And in the name of fun, we have already checked off our first item on the list.

The Mill and Mine is a location in the Old City. This music hall was the scene of the sold out Morgan Wallen concert that genuinely was unlike any other my BFF, and I have experienced. Morgan Wallen’s lights and video set stage was perfectly illuminated by the Mill and Mine’s crowd as Knoxville welcomed the artist home.

Many more ticks will be checked off the bucket list, but for now this spring semester senior needs some shut eye.