5 Bookshop Bars to Try in Tennessee and Kentucky

Reading, writing, and sipping spirits is a combination as old as storytelling. Meet five bookstore-bars in Tennessee and Kentucky that are worth gassing up for a road trip. This itinerary, in total, is about an 8-hour drive, but we don’t recommend doing it all in one day, because that doesn’t leave time for sipping and savoring.

The Reading Room

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Linden Marno-Ferree opened this used bookstore and bar in October 2025, armed with a background in fine dining and hospitality. So, The Reading Room, nestled in the city’s creative Brainard neighborhood, has a cocktail program that stands on its own. “Almost all of the salt, fat, acid, heat thing that applies to food can be done with cocktails,” she says. Her cocktails rely on spices to add new twists to old favorites, such as the Dolores, a take on a lemon drop with orange-blossom water and limoncello. “It’s both for people who want a simple drink and those who have a more refined palate,” she says. The cocktails, mocktails, and wines pair well with the used book selection—all books are a flat $8—as well as the cozy space for browsing, reading, and conversation. 

The Raven Book Lounge

Brentwood, Tennessee

The newest stop on this bookstore-bar road trip, The Raven opened in April 2026 as a second act for entrepreneur Danniele Reeves. After her husband passed away, she wanted to connect to the community just south of Nashville, and to combine two of her favorite pastimes: reading books and drinking wine. Housed in a former restaurant space and updated with a dark academia aesthetic, The Raven serves charcuterie and sliders along with its wine selection, designed to be enjoyed during community mahjong games, D&D nights, book clubs, and other reader-centric activities. 

The Hidden Chapter Bookstore

Fort Thomas, Kentucky

During the pandemic, Dave and Lacey Mulcahy turned their spare bedroom into a “magical realm” of books. When they ran out of space, they cashed in part of Dave’s retirement savings to open a combination speakeasy bar, coffee shop, and bookstore just across the river from Cincinnati. They stock new and used books alongside coffee, tea, specialty drinks, wine, beer, nonalcoholic options, and—because it’s Kentucky—bourbon, including a bourbon hot cider.

The Book & Bottle Shop

Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Rachel Sanders had neither bookstore nor bar experience when she opened the shop in this small town an hour north of Nashville in November 2024. But she was an avid reader with a lifelong dream of opening a bookstore. Having worked in marketing for the city parks department, she had a sense of what downtown Hopkinsville needed. “There were plenty of coffee shops. We needed a wine bar.” She and her husband, Scotty, renovated an 1800s building with storybook vibes into a bookstore bar with new and used romance, mystery, thriller, and more, plus wine, small plates, and desserts.

Kenton Stories With Spirit

Maysville, Kentucky

The small town of Maysville has a big reputation as the “birthplace of bourbon.” So, it stands to reason that its bookstore-bar would have more than 50 bourbons available for sipping. Wine tastings, bloody mary’s, sangria, and more round out the drinks menu. Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, it’s also a reliable stop for coffee, tea, sandwiches, and snacks. The shop, in Maysville’s historic downtown, looks like a friend’s living room, with shelves stacked with good books and interesting local art, and comfy couches ready for a good read or a conversation. Live music and board game nights, monthly book clubs, author readings, and wine tastings have helped build the loyal community following.

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