Just like the equal-parts Negroni, the three-ingredient classic that inspires an entire section of its menu, Four Walls at The Joseph Hotel blends three distinct influences: Nashville, the American West and Italy.
The bar’s name references the 1957 song by country star Jim Reeves, a key figure in the Nashville sound whose smooth, polished style contrasted with rougher honky-tonk tunes. Guests know the night is winding down when Reeves’ voice drifts through the lounge, crooning about those “four walls” closing in while he waits for his love. The soundtrack mixes blues, roots rock, soul and hints of trip-hop, and the venue spotlights local emerging musicians alongside its curated playlist.
Four Walls also nods to the spaghetti Westerns of 1960s and ’70s Europe. Red fringe drops from the ceiling and animal-hide-covered walls evoke the cowboy spirit, while films play on twin television screens. Drinks are prepared behind a blood-red Rosso Levanto Italian marble bar and several cocktails take their names from films by Sergio Leone and his peers. The Fistful of Dollars, a milk-washed cocktail referencing Clint Eastwood’s breakthrough role, blends Scotch with Linie Aquavit, Earl Grey, Campari, Benedictine, cacao nib bitters and a touch of truffle. The Leone combines bourbons with Aperol, green Chartreuse, maraschino, house bitters and orange oil.
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Celebrating its first anniversary in July, Four Walls was the final component of the 297-room hotel to open. Fans of the Negroni will find plenty to love: the menu offers nine variations, each built around Campari. Some take creative liberties, replacing gin with rum, mezcal, rye or tequila; the house signature is barrel-aged in a jeroboam for at least 45 days.
Lead bartender Mickey Stevenson directs the beverage program, which refreshes seasonally — typically twice a year — to feature fresh, available ingredients. Beverage consultant Kenneth Vanhooser, whose resume includes cocktail programs for The NoMad and Boulud Sud, contributed to drinks like the Gentleman Jim, a savory Manhattan infused with bay leaf, celery and cardamom named for Jim Reeves. A concise selection of bar snacks echoes the light plates you might enjoy at a Milan café during aperitivo hour.
Personal touches elevate the guest experience: when patrons discover a favorite cocktail, the recipe is typed on an Italian Olivetti typewriter nicknamed “Olive.” Bartenders also create short notes or poems for birthdays and anniversaries. Currently, Four Walls is hosting a series of collaborations with teams from the World’s Best Bars, inspired by exhibitions at Nashville’s Frist Art Museum. Following a partnership with New Orleans’ Jewel of the South, the bar will welcome the team from London’s Lyaness to coincide with the Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendezvous exhibition. The Fashionably Late package pairs an overnight stay with exhibit tickets, late check-out and a signature cocktail — just be sure to finish your drink before the twangy guitar signals it’s time to go home.