The “Nashville” Drink List.

With the success of ABC’s Nashville TV series, it was only a matter of time before bartenders everywhere started creating drinks based on the show’s characters. Well, they haven’t yet, but this weekend we visited some friends to binge-watch Season #2, to bring them up to speed for Season #3 which starts in just six weeks, and they had a full bar, so I decided to make up my own …and I got totally hammered in the process. Here’s what I came up with — now remember this is a work-in-progress so I’ll be adding to it and I encourage your feedback and help to make it better (we’re on to something here) — so next time you’re at a bar, ask the bartender for one of these:

The “Rayna James”

She’s really the lead character, so she gets he first drink. A Rayna James has to be independent and tough enough to roll with the cowboys, yet fiery and sexy as hell, to boot. That is, guys and girls alike should have no problems ordering a Rayna James:

• Two shots (2 oz) Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum
• Schweppe’s Ginger Ale
• Grenadine
• Cherries
• Fresh ginger (optional, for added heat)
• Ice—on the rocks, of course!

Fill a beer mug or pint glass with ice — that’s right, a beer mug or pint glass, this ain’t your momma’s Rum & Ginger — add two shots of the Spiced Rum, top off with the ginger ale, a splash of grenadine, a couple of cherries (one for Deacon, as if it weren’t obvious), and some fresh, ground ginger — it’s all about the ginger, baby! A Rayna James is kinda like a Roy Rogers meets a Dark ‘n Stromy, but with much more fire down below.

The “Deacon Claybourne”

The Deacon Claybourne is very simple — just a double shot, even a triple shot — of Jack Daniels, on the rocks, of course. Or fuck it, just grab the whole damn bottle and a handful of ice, and tell everyone to leave you the fuck alone.

• 2 oz,, or 3 oz. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
• Ice

Instructions are simple — drink it and then tear the room apart.

The “Dayna”

When you combine Deacon and Rayna, you get a Dayna, the drink equivalent of which is a Jack and Ginger:

• 1 part Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
• 3 parts Seagram’s Ginger Ale
• Ice— always on the rocks, of course!

No garnish, no frills, just Jack and Ginger on ice.

The “Luke Wheeler”

A Luke Wheeler is just as ballsy and tough-guyish as a Deacon Claybourne, but a little more gentlemanly. Go with a double Gentleman Jack on the rocks, with a squeeze of lemon, just for kicks.

• 2 oz. Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
• Squeeze of 1 lemon wedge
• Ice

The “Layna”

Now, of course, a Layna is going to be a Gentleman Jack and Ginger and let’s throw in a wedge of lime to give it some added frill the Dayna doesn’t have:

• 1 part Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
• 3 parts Seagram’s Ginger Ale
• Lime wedge
• Ice—yep, on the rocks, as always. You got it!

The “Juliette Barnes”

A Juliette Barnes is nothing more than a Shirley Temple that gets a little bit of Deacon, Avery, and Jeff Fordham in her…

• 1 shot (1 oz) Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
• 1 splash Kahlua
• 1 dash Bitters
• Sprite (or Twist-up)
• Grenadine
• Cherries
• Gumball (any color)
• Ice

Fill mason jar half way with ice, douse with grenadine, throw in some cherries, a shot of Jack Daniels, a splash of Kahlua, a dash of bitters, top off with Sprite and — voila! — you have a Juliette Barnes. For added trailer-parky-ness, use Twist-Up, the cheaper Wal-mart version of Sprite. And if you want to feel like a country pop princess, throw in a gumball for good measure.

The “Avery Barkley”

An Avery Barkley has to be manly yet very sensitive and a good friend that’s always there when you need it — which immediately makes me think of coffee. So start with a fresh brewed cup of good coffee — like Starbucks Pike Place, in a manly beer mug or pint glass, then add the “sensitive” — Kahlua — followed by the extra manly Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 — in equal parts, to taste. And since Avery landed a superstar girlfriend — the icing on the cake — you can top it with whipped cream, but don’t forget Scarlett’s cherry (optional).

• 1 cup of brewed coffee, preferably Starbucks
• Equal parts Kahlua and Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
• Top with whipped cream and a cherry (optional)

The “Scarlett O’connor”

Just like the character, a Scarlett O’Connor is probably the most complex of the Nashville drinks. I had to ask a real live, professional bartender (who was also a die-hard fan of the show) what drink he thought best represented Scarlett. After a bit of thought, he told me, definitely, a Bourbon Daisy, but with a little more kick. He said, “Scarlett may be from Oklahoma but she’s pure Kentucky Bourbon with a fair share of Southern Comfort.” So here’s what we came up with:

• 2 shots (2 oz) Maker’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon
• 1 shot (1 oz) Southern Comfort
• 1/2 oz Lemon juice
• 1/2 oz Grenadine
• Club soda
• Cherries and orange slice for garnish

Fill a mason jar with ice, add bourbon, Southern Comfort, lemon juice, and grenadine, shake, top it off with club soda, and garnish with cherries and orange slice, then go and be alone somewhere.

The “Gunnar Scott”

A Gunnar Scott is a Black Velvet — a traditionally British cocktail made with Guinness and Champagne — but with an American twist — it’s half Guinness Stout and half cowboy champagne, er, Budweiser — equal parts British gentleman (even though Guinness is traditionally Irish) and American bad ass.

• 1 part Guinness Stout
• 1 part Budweiser (regular, not Bud Light)
• No ice

This is also known as the Irish-American variation of a Black & Tan. There’s a process to making a perfect Black Velvet or Black & Tan, you can read about it here. Make sure your bartender takes the time to do it right, otherwise refuse it.

The “Jeff Fordham”

A Jeff Fordham has to be very businessy, prickish, and bitter — a Manhattan for sure — but I’ll resist my temptation to tell you to use the cheap-shit whiskey and instead tell you to use Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 (because it’s a Tennessee Whiskey and it will make for a great drink) and an extra dash of bitters. And because he managed to bang Juliette, he gets a cherry for that.

• 2 parts Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7
• ½ part sweet vermouth
• Dash of bitters
• Cherry

Stirred, no shaken, because he’s no James Bond.

The “Zoey Dalton”

First off, a Zoey Dalton has to have class — lots of class — so it has to be a martini (of sorts) with only the best ingredients, and most importantly it has to be refreshing, comforting, and fun, because that’s what Zoey is. But that’s not all, it must also be super sweet with delicious color and perfect tone. So a Zoey has a lot to live up to, his can only be achieved as follows:

• 2 shots (2 oz) Stolichnaya Vanilla Vodka
• 1 shot (1 oz) Godiva chocolate liqueur
• 2 HEAPING scoops of Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream
• Whipped cream
• Cherry

Blend ice cream, vodka, and chocolate liqueur until smooth. Pour into a tall glass, top with whipped cream and a cherry — or two, if you’re sharing it with Gunnar or Scarlett.

The “Glenn Goodman”

A Glenn Goodman has to be totally asexual… so let’s start with a Tangueray and Tonic, but instead of tonic, let’s use one of those yuppie flavored NY Seltzers, and fruit — lots of fruit — whatever you got, cherries, berries, orange, lime, lemon — a nice rainbow of colors — add some ice, and there’s the “Glenn” part. Now for the “Goodman”: add a splash of Manischevitz and its Good to go, man. Unbutton those top two buttons on your shirt and drink away!

• 2 shots (2 oz.) Tangueray Gin
• 3 oz. Flavored seltzer
• Manischevitz Blackberry Wine
• 1 orange slice
• 1 lime slice
• 1 lemon slice
• A couple of cherries or berries (blackberries preferred)
• Ice

Variation: Tie a napkin around the the stem of your glass, and it’s a Glenn Goodman with a Scarf.

The “Will Lexington”

A Will Lexington has to be everything Will Lexington is: a real, honest-to-goodness, tough-guy cowboy heartthrob who just happens to be gay. To accomplish this, you need to start with a real American tough-guy beer, like Budweiser, then add some cowboy Tequila — like Jose Cuervo — and finally, just the right amount of fruity-ness. Let’s do a beer margarita…

• Two 11.5 oz bottles of Budweiser
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) Jose Cuervo Tequila
• 1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate
• Ice
• Coarse salt
• Lime wedge

In a pitcher, mix the two beers, frozen limeade concentrate, and Tequila. Throw in some ice and mix carefully. Don’t use a blender or you’ll have beer foam everywhere. Be gentle — -a Will Lexington is tough, but needs to be handled gently. Rim (no pun intended) your margarita glasses with lime and salt like you usually do, garnish with a lime wedge, and enjoy!

The “Layla Grant”

Is Layla Grant even old enough to drink? Assuming she is, at least in real life anyway, she’s not as naive as we think she is, but she’s still naive enough to be one of those lethal girly drinks that taste so good you never realize they’re fucking you up until find yourself on your knees in the restroom, hair pulled back, talking to Ralph on the white phone. That said, you wanna start with a tasty Creamsicle:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Strawberry, Raspberry, Peach or other fruity Schnapps
• 1 oz cherry juice
• 1/2 orange juice
• 1/2 pineapple juice
• 1 oz cream

Mix it all together, add ice, and serve. Garnish with a pretty umbrella if you have one.

The “Teddy Conrad”

There is no Teddy Conrad because he’s too much of an asshole and you’d have to be an asshole to order a drink named after him.

There you have it, a bunch of “Nashville”-themed drinks to keep your bartender on his toes. Feel free to print this out and bring it to your local bar. Also, feel free to comment on the various drinks —and any new variations, combinations, or ideas you come up with. As I mentioned before, this is a work-in-progress, so let’s keep it going!

— P.

Phil Autelitano is CEO of Mediarazzi — we develop TV channels and content for Roku — and obviously, a big fan of Nashville.

@PhilAutelitano