A Day with Evan: Mother Bar, Schulz Brau, and Brother Wolf
My fellow Knoxvillians, my bank account just received terrible news: a stylish and fun new bar just opened less than a block from my apartment. It’s really tough to receive this horrible info, and I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers at this time.
But, you read that right! A brand new bar is coming to our Scruffy City, and I can’t wait for y’all to try it! It’s called Mother Bar, and it’s located on Emory Place, just a stone’s throw from Old City. On a very, very lazy Friday, I walked the one minute path from my apartment to this brand new bar to meet with the owners, check out the space, and try out a few cocktails.
Mother Bar
The owners, Jade and her husband Dyland welcomed me into Mother Bar, a space teeming with life – literallyb🌱 We sat together on a lush pink couch, surrounded by some beautiful decor, gorgeous hardwood floors, exposed brick walls – which, yes, made me very jealous – and lots and lots of plants. The plants made a bit more sense when I heard more about Jade’s background.
She owns Oglewood Avenue, a plant nursery on N. Broadway, and it was there that the idea for Mother Bar was born. Jade wanted to cultivate an environment where people could hang out, relax, and enjoy being around some flora and fauna without the pressure to buy any of it. Based on my experience, she has more than succeeded.
As gorgeous as the space is, the concepts at the basis of Mother Bar are even more exciting. Jade and Dylan told me that they want Mother Bar to be centered around events. From Love Island watch parties, to Twilight trivia, and even craft nights and workshops, Mother Bar has an extensive calendar with an event for even the Knoxvillian with the most niche of interests.
But, as we wrapped up our interview, it was time for the most important part of my – albeit not far – trip to Mother Bar: the cocktail tastings! I tried two delectable cocktails that Dylan served up: the Lavender Lemon Martini and the Bee’s Knees.
The Lavender Lemon Martini was a beautiful blend of citrus notes and soft, sweet, flowery tastes. It meshed with the carefully curated botanical vibes of Mother Bar wonderfully. The Bee’s Knees was a richer, tasty combination of gin, honey, and a hint of citrus that I cannot recommend enough.
As I sipped, they told me something that made my heart skip a beat and my wallet make an exasperated groan: they will also be serving paninis! You, dear reader, can expect three different paninis to make an appearance on the Mother Bar menu: the caprese panini, the prosciutto panini, and the pizza panini – which Jade said has been the star of the taste testings, and she describes as homey and nostalgic, like a childhood sleepover.
As we wrapped up our warm and lovely conversation, I was bombarded by two thoughts: first, I cannot wait to spend many a night at Mother Bar drinking some lovely takes on classic cocktails and eating my weight in paninis. Second, I need to ask my job for a raise.
Mother Bar is having lots of soft opening events all this week, with a grand opening scheduled for Saturday, October 4th, at 6pm! Go see Jade and Dylan, and tell them I say hello! Follow them on Instagram for a full schedule @motherbarknox! Also, make sure you check out Mother Shop, just upstairs from Mother Bar. It’s a gorgeous gift shop full of quirky, funky, fun, dopamine decor. (You can learn more about Mother Shop right here!)
After I left Mother Bar – and took a quick, unplanned cat nap – it was time to get back up and head to our next stop for the evening:
Schulz Brau
Now you may be wondering, dear reader, what does Evan know about Germany? Other than a middle school history lesson I slept through and a mistakenly-taken German language class during my senior year of college, not much. What does Evan know about Oktoberfest? Other than that it’s spelled with a K, also not much. But, does Evan enjoy any festivity that involves music, lederhosen, and craft drinks? You betcha.
My friends and I walked into the Knoxville staple, Schulz Brau, just in time to catch some of the Oktoberfest events – specifically my favorite, the stein holding competition. Now, I am more of a drinker of alcohol than a holder of alcohol, but it was very fun to watch. After the intense stein holding competition, the polka band took to the stage, as I ordered my next cocktail of the evening: the Apfelstrudel Martini.
Y’all absolutely have to taste this drink! With vodka, Berentzen Apple Liquor, Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps, and apple and lemon juices, this cocktail tastes like autumn in a glass.
As I enjoyed my new favorite autumnal beverage, my friends Kayla and Naomi and I tried to guess which Top 40 song the polka band was playing – spoiler alert, it was an incredibly entertaining cover of Pink Pony Club – and my roommate Tyler and friends Thomas and Matt seemed to be competing for who could get the most comically large stein of the evening. As the judge of the competition, I think it was a tie.
Before we could head to our evening’s final stop, I saw my good friend Fitz, and I decided to go on a mission. Through sheer grit, steady determination, and, granted, a little guilt-tripping, I managed to get him to do a shot. We took a Kammer Birne Pear Schnapps shot, and while I do not know what any of those words (other than pear) mean, it was scrumptious.
Although it was time for me to bid farewell to Schulz Brau, and with it Oktoberfest, you still have time to join in on the festivities! Head over to knoxvilleoktoberfest.com for a full schedule of events before Oktoberfest wraps up!
For the grand finale of my “lazy” Friday, my friends and I skipped over to: Brother Wolf
Brother Wolf
It seems, dear reader, that I just cannot keep away from this bar! There are dozens and dozens of amazing bars in our Scruffy City, but the minute Brother Wolf releases their monthly specialty cocktail menu, a hallelujah chorus erupts in my brain.
My friends and I, still high on life and polka music, walked in and found a table. For my first drink of two, I went with an old favorite: the Susano Spritz. Have I talked about this cocktail before? Probably. But, I just can’t shut up about it. It’s light, bubbly, and so, so refreshing. But, after a few sips, I started feeling dangerous, daring even. So, I decided to try perhaps the oddest addition to Brother Wolf’s September menu: the Corn Star.
Now, I love tequila. But, corn in a drink? I was trepidatious. But, Brother Wolf proved me wrong once again. The Corn Star is a tequila-based drink with additions of corn liqueur, dry curacao, clarified milk, and orange and lime. Believe it or not, that was a stand out drink of the night. With a smooth bite from the tequila, and a sugary, full-bodied citrus after taste, it was the perfect cap to my evening. Give it a try while you still can, and feel free to tell me that I’m right.
Brother Wolf’s September menu may be coming to an end soon, but their spooky October menu is just around the corner! So give them a follow @brotherwolfbar while we all anxiously await the next cocktail menu that will surely make our spooky season even better.
As my night wrapped up, and I sat with friends laughing probably far too loud for the crowd at Brother Wolf, I was reminded of one thing: lazy days are great, but time never stops. We have plenty of time to have a lazy day later in life. So, dear reader, get off your couch, throw on that sweater that you’ve been waiting all summer long to wear, and go spend time with friends at one of the many great places Knoxville has to offer! And, if you find yourself needing a recommendation, always feel free to ask me, your friendly Scruffy City concierge.
Written By: Evan Mays