Kentucky Nightlife

As Tommy, one of Howl at the Moon’s piano players, explains on the club’s website, “Every night…we try and throw a party, regardless of whether it’s a Tuesday night or a Saturday night.” The bar’s trademark dueling pianos serve as the epicenter of these nightly celebrations; patrons submit their favorite songs on slips of paper for the pianists and backing musicians to recreate. If the website’s playlist is any indication, the bands can handle popular songs from all genres and eras, from Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” to Kanye West’s “All of the Lights.” The performances are spirited: colorful lights splash upon a stage where servers, guests, and chairs that have somehow developed mobility all dance along to the music.

Fueling the celebration is the bar’s indulgent selection of drinks. Servers stand over patrons to plunge jello injectors into their mouths, and revelers grab colorful straws to help drain 86-ounce booze buckets filled with sangria or other fruity libations. Pomegranate liqueur and honey-infused whiskey sweeten specialty cocktails, and local beers add depth to coolers stocked with Stella Artois and Dos Equis.

Maker's Mark Bourbon House serves upscale cuisine and, of course, a long list of Kentucky-distilled bourbons. From the classy comfort of the wood-topped bar, warm your whistle with a flight of low-rye bourbons (Jim Beam, Knob Creek, and Woodford Reserve, $12), high-rye bourbons (Bulleit, Four Roses Small Batch, and Fighting Cock, $12), single-barrel bourbons (Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, and Elijah Craig 18 year, $15), or a rich palate of millionaire's row bourbons (Jefferson’s Presidential Reserve 17 year, Pappy Van Winkle 23 year and Parker’s Heritage Collection 27 year, $60). There are more than 60 creamy, smooth, oaky, toasted, and roasted flavors from which to choose.

Every Wednesday–Sunday, Comedy Caravan packs its showroom with popular headliners and tomorrow's sitcom stars. In an intimate setting where even the back rows sport good sightlines and sound, audiences chortle to the picks of Comedy Caravan's esteemed talent scouts, who booked bigwigs such as Jamie Foxx and Tim Allen before they rose to fame. Although the venue houses a full bar, Comedy Caravan doesn't implement cumbersome policies such as two-drink minimums or mandatory hair donation. Pizza slices, hot dogs, and ice cream are also available, and the standard 18+ age limit drops to 16+ for Sunday shows.

Four Pegs Beer Lounge enshrines an impressive arsenal of craft beers—there are about 12 of them on tap—and pub fare within its casual lounge décor of sturdy high-legged chairs, and elegant, Depression-era bartop. The cozy lounge structure in which Four Pegs set up shop exudes an old-school charm. The building's rich history dates back to 1935, when the memory of Prohibition was still fresh in patrons' minds, movie tickets cost a nickel, and life was still in black-and-white. Barkeeps mind shop behind a polished hardwood countertop, as guests sip satisfying liquid refreshment from breweries such as Founders, Dogfish Head, and Three Floyd's. The back-room arcade cabinets beckon drinkers and diners after they join beer and burger in delicious mealtime matrimony, officiated by the tempting menu of hearty pub starters and sandwiches.

Bars are great spots for declaring preemptive thumb war on unsuspecting foes, so you’ll need to stockpile rations for a lengthy campaign. Sidebar’s menu offers plenty of options, including appetizers such as onion straws ($5.95), quesadilla rolls ($5.95), Juan Parnello’s queso dip ($5.95), and Sidebar wings (6 for $4.95, 12 for $8.95). Dig your mouth-shovels into a tasty burger that’s hand-pattied daily with 80/20 Black Angus beef. Burger options include the Soprano (pizza sauce, onion, and two cheese sticks, $7.50), the Devil’s Advocate (spicy ranch sauce, sliced jalapeno, and provolone, $7.25), and the Double Jeopardy (two patties with your choice of cheese, $8.50). Sandwiches such as the Roebling Reuben ($7.95) are also available, as well as 12” pizzas such as buffalo chicken ($9.95) and The Big Bill with onions, peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and double cheese ($12.95).

At Yesterdays Billiards Bar and Grille, the clack of pool balls reverberates across rust-hued walls and tasty plates of burgers, sandwiches, and hearty pub fare. Towering patty melts, well-dressed Reubens, and overstuffed cheesesteaks send their toothsome smells wafting across the softly lit billiard-room, whose hardwood accents acres of inviting green felt conjure images of timeless sportsmanship free from hustling pool sharks and eels masquerading as cue sticks. A knickknack-framed bar keeps mouths well-watered with high-spirited cocktails and frosty draft brews.