The Most Delicious Whiskey Bars in Louisville

Buck's Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (282) • $$$

"Celebrating a friend's special birthday at this fine establishment. Love this space and place. Just beautiful with old school service and style. Heck my flower stem is still blooming and it's been 2 weeks.Food was delicious, quantities were generous and the service was amazing. We will definitely return!"

The Last Refuge

★★★★☆ 4.2 (32)

"Such a cool place. Beautiful spaces - enough options you can be in with the crowd or in a small intimate booth. When fully opened different areas would be reservable for events. Features Bob Dylan's bourbon- he explained that the cogs pictured on the bottle represent the sculptures he makes/sells and then gives the profits to charity. Can't wait for all the spaces to open!! It's so refreshing to see church space revitalized!!"

Happy Hour Liquor & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (7)

"Living on Lexington's south side, Happy Hour Liquor is super-convenient for me. And being able to support one of our local Yelp Elites, owner Aaron R., makes shopping there a special treat!Located on the Bypass in Nicholasville, it's an easy in/out which doesn't require you to descend into the traffic light central that is downtown Nicholasville. That factor, plus having a convenient drive-through window, staffed by mask-compliant, friendly folks keeps me coming back.They handle special orders and requests and always make sure to have Le Fin du Monde available for me. It's a delicious high ABV Belgian style triple/tripel ale brewed in Canada which reviewers have described as having notes of coriander, pepper, spices, bananas, and oranges. Get ya some if you haven't tried it!Back to Happy Hour Liquor, they have a massive bourbon selection, select barrels, and a wide selection of craft beers. They have holiday themed displays, which can be useful for those needing celebration ideas. Currently, you'll find Valentine's Day displays around the store.They plan to host events, including local networking events, bourbon clubs, and various type of tastings. And to top it all off, they're currently installing a bourbon bar/patio which will be top-notch from all I've heard! And this will further establish Happy Hour Liquor as a destination spot well worth making the drive to from anywhere in central Kentucky.Owner Aaron R. puts it best:"When was the last time you walked into a liquor store and felt at home? Sure, many liquor and wine establishments have an expansive selection of spirits, fine wines, affordable drinks shoved into spaces without care and without thought. You know those bottles are just sitting on the shelves, getting dusty because no one seems to take the time to explain to anyone what they actually are, what they pair well with, etc. In fact, when most of us even think about a liquor store, we don't exactly think of the most inviting place in the world.​Get ready to have an unseen experience of a liquor store, because Happy Hour Liquor (formerly Bypass Liquors) is making that happen through customer service, extensive knowledge of their products, and a stellar high-end bourbon bar (coming soon) that you can't find anywhere else. Stop by and meet the staff, browse our selections and grab a pour that will treat you like a warm Kentucky hug. Cheers!"Give them a shot, you'll be glad you did!"

Repeal Oak Fired Steakhouse

★★★★☆ 4.4 (518) • $$$$

"Oh my god! So very good. Andre was exquisite in his service! Food was perfectly prepared. You must have the bread so awesome. Tuna tartar superb some the best we have had ever.Steak and Scallops were to die for.Great cheesecake and coffee ended a wonderful dining experience. Highly recommended."

Billy Yanks

★★★★☆ 4.4 (126) • $$

"Had a nice brunch there, which I think is new for them? Restaurant was empty when they opened at 10am. Really good food, though. The biscuits and gravy with chicken were excellent. My daughter loved their unique breakfast "burger" and I had the waffle with fruit and lemon curd. Very good!"

The Silver Dollar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (889) • $$

"Used to love this place and used to get the chilaquiles with smoked chicken nearly every weekend, but it left the menu during Covid. After the recent reopening I saw it had returned to the (online) menu so I went in during brunch to revisit. Didn't see the smoked chicken as an option for the dish, but asked and was told I could get it, so I did. However what came out was the chilaquiles as on the menu without the chicken, and was given a separate bowl of not-smoked chicken tossed in some red sauce. So I had an $11 plate of chips with cheese and verde and Cisco chicken for $6. Disappointed the original dish didn't really return, and even more disappointed I was still sold it and was given a make-shift substitution. Just be honest. Oh well.Several other complaints, but I'll just leave it at that. Hate it because I was so excited."

Doc's Bourbon Room

★★★★☆ 4.4 (79) • $$

"This was such a fun dining experience. Great oysters. Amazing service. The smoked roasted chicken was delicious. Ordered a side salad with it. The chips were good, but probably wouldn't order them in the future. Old fashioned was great!"

Old Seelbach Bar

★★★★☆ 3.5 (124) • $$

"Lots of bourbon to choose from here. I had the Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen. It was smooth. Also had Against the Grain beer, which was light and also good. My husband ordered a Guinness which was in a bottle. Unfortunately it was old and flat. As the call is the Guinness Couple, we feel authorized to say, this beer was in poor taste. Not sure what happened to it, but it was horrible tasting. He also got The Seelbach mixed drink. We differed here. He liked it, and I didn't. So try it, and you might like it. Everyone's tastes are different.Service was hit or miss. Sit at the left end of the bar when you walk in because that's where the bartenders make drinks and you get better service. We sat in front of the register and struggled to get service. In their favor though, it was busy and they only had one bartender making drinks for the whole place. Bar back was constantly moving keeping up. An ok bar, but I've been in much nicer. Just get a drink and give it a try for yourself."

Sidebar At Whiskey Row

★★★★☆ 4.3 (883) • $$

"The bartender was super awesome. Great with places to visit throughout the city. The drinks were great. I have to say might be one of the best burgers I have ever had. Laid back atmosphere. I will be back for sure when in town."

Merle's Whiskey Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (880) • $$

"I'm always looking for a great place that serves southern food and when you live in the South you expect to find some top notch southern food. Tonight, I visited Merle's Whiskey Kitchen which is right in the heart of Downtown Louisville. This establishment is known for their rather large selection of bourbon whiskey as you'll find every type of bourbon whiskey featured from Kentucky and also other various bourbon whiskey to choose from. On this trip however, I decided to it try the whiskey but instead make having dinner my priority. What surprised me is that the menu here gets right to the point and isn't pages and pages of food but instead a very appropriate selection of food to choose from. With chicken to tacos and more, I firmly believe you won't have a problem finding something that will tickle your taste buds and satisfy your hunger. Being as I'm a big fan of chicken and waffles, that was my main course on this trip. The chicken and waffles are some very well each with three separate decently sized Belgian waffles each topped with its own chicken tender with some bourbon maple syrup on the side. The chicken tenders were very juicy and tender and the waffles along with the syrup I poured on them as well as the chicken was so very good. For the sides I tried their shareable Mac and cheese which is definitely a shareable portion for two (and since my wife was with me we got quite a lot out of it). The Mac and cheese was very creamy and quite good. We also tried their pretzels and queso and I have to say that I've never had queso quite like this. It almost had a sort of a hummus texture if you were to keep mixing the queso. It's absolutely delicious and I could've ate just it straight from the bowl. The atmosphere here is very welcoming and that of a very medium tone when it comes to the lighting which is very pleasing to the eyes and not too bright at all. It makes whatever you're enjoying from a cocktail to some food a very pleasurable experience plus, the staff are all very knowledgeable and very friendly when it comes to answering any questions you may have. I absolutely recommend checking out Merle's Whiskey Kitchen if you're ever in the Louisville area as I know it's certainly a place I will be frequenting again and again."

Hell or High Water

★★★★☆ 4.2 (299) • $$$

"Cool and calm ambiance. Really friendly staff and their drink recommendations were good."

Circa 1856

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Had to say we just visited and were very pleasantly surprised. The venue has a great ambiance and feel with plenty of space and seating both inside and out. The venue felt welcoming like someone's living room. My wife and I enjoy bourbon and have had ChickenCock in the past and are regular product fans so this visit was a must and I think others will not be disappointed. The drinks are delicious and well made, cordial staff and a great time all around. We'll be back for sure"

SmokeWorks

★★★★☆ 3.8 (260) • $$

"We were there on 05/25/24. They have a small area where you could have a private dinner for maybe 10 or so. The rest of the place is filled with booths and tables with a long bar in the back. Rustic decor and fun signs. We all thought the light up "occupied" signs outside the single stall restrooms were fun.Our party of four was happy with our drinks and meals. The drinks were delicious. We had the Peanut Butter Old Fashioned, the Bourbon Peach Tea, the Manhattan, and a shot/beer combo. We were all pleased with the drinks. I also have to say that their prices for drinks were really good. Maybe because it is a college town. The cocktails were $7-$9. That is way cheaper than our area. We ordered the Stadium Burger, Brisket Tacos, and two trays. One tray was brisket, ribs, fries, and cole slaw. The other was brisket, pulled pork, fries, and loaded mashed potatoes. The server brought us trays with small cups of each of the sauces they had. This was a nice touch and allowed us to compare them. I prefer bbq that has a rub and I can use my own sauce, so I was happy with my food. The fries were crispy and sprinkled with their rub. Our server was attentive and pleasant. We would definitely go back. In fact, I wish they weren't four hours away so I could go more often."

Augusta Distillery

★★★★★ 4.6 (14)

"First of all, the space is beautiful, very impressive. They have clearly sunk a lot of money into this place. We only sampled one straight bourbon and it was pretty hot. We also tried the whiskey sour and a local-ish draft beer. Everything was fine, and I wish them all the best, just not sure we'd drive an hour to come back here again."

Taste Fine Wine & Bourbons

★★★★★ 4.6 (153) • $$

"Love stopping in and trying new wines! The bourbon selection is great as well! So cozy and love all the new seating! Service is fantastic as always!"

House Of Commons

★★★★★ 5 (12)

"Walked in expecting this to be a typical nice cocktail bar to go to for a date night, but ended up being an extraordinary experience. Dave (owner/bartender/bourbon guru) recommended we get ourselves a bourbon flight, since it was his specialty. He asked a few questions about preferences and price range, and thoughtfully spent time curating a flight tailor made to the info I provided, explaining every detail of each bourbon along the way. Dave is a master of his craft! I could have been there for hours just absorbing his knowledge on anything drink, and I believe it's his service (and I'm sure any other employee there) that you're paying for, it just so happens that he serves some of the finest whiskey along with his incredible knowledge.If you're in Frankfurt for a trip along the bourbon trail, go to this place! You'll gain more knowledge about bourbon there than at any distillery. I will definitely be back for more."

Barrels & Billets

★★★★☆ 4.4 (48)

"Barrels 7 Billets is located right next door to Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (and found out that they are owned by the same company). What brought my husband and I to this business this afternoon was a $5 coupon that we received from Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (we were given the coupon right after our tour). And being that we are in Kentucky, we decided it would be fun to try a bourbon tasting (but the $5 coupon also works on a tour, retail items, etc). We walked in around 1:45 pm and were greeted by the 2 employees behind the table, right by the entrance. We were seated at a table. After looking over the tasting menu, we ended up choosing:Bourbon Tasting, $15 prior to tax- My husband opted to do the tasting. He picked Lucky Lumber, Timeless Timber, Night Flight and custom bourbon. You can answer 13 questions online (just scan the QR code) and then you will get a customized taster. My husband liked the lucky lumber, which is supposed to be "easy drinking" but I thought it was horrible. My husband didn't like the Timeless Timber as much and thought the wood flavor was too strong and didn't complement the bourbon well. But he did like the Night Flight and thought the smoke flavor with the bourbon. And he also did like the customized bourbon. You also have the option of buying a bottle of your customized bourbon for $55. 4 Mini cocktail tasting $15 prior to tax- I opted for the cocktails. Surprisingly I really liked the first one, the Rise and Shine, which has coffee. I actually do not like coffee but I did like the hazelnut flavored creamer in this first cocktail and would love just a large glass of that. I also liked the next one, the gingy sour. The flavors were very nice and light. The Nutty Batter was my least favorite, which was made with the Lucky Lumber. I thought the cocktail was just too strong in flavor and didn't really enjoy any of the things mixed in it together. Marry Me Watermelon is made with their in house made vodka. I didn't like this as much but I would still probably drink a glass of this. ------------------------------ (Total= $21.20 after tax + after discount)You can get your own water. Service was friendly and the employee who poured our tasters was friendly. She checked up on us twice to make sure we were okay. There are 2 unisex restrooms. I only used one of them, in which it was clean and adequately stocked with the essentials. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend to anyone wishing to have a bourbon tasting. You can also do a tour with a customize bourbon bottle, which is $55."

Third and Main

★★★★☆ 4.1 (407) • $$$$

"This place was absolutely amazing. We went during happy hour and had the lobster shrimp and sushi! It is such an amazing low place in the little town. We'll definitely be back."

Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.9 (7)

"If you are planning on touring the Heaven Hill distillery definitely grab a craft cocktail or a pour of one of the amazing selections from the Heaven Hill line.I had the pleasure of visiting the distillery in the past but never had the chance to experience the 5 Brothers bar. It's a gorgeous bar that is spacious and has indoor and outdoor seating areas. It was derby week when I went and they also had some musicians setting the mood for the bar. Amazing pour selections to be had here and unique offerings from their mixologists. They also offers some snacks as well.If you have time to kill before or after a tour take the flight up the stairs to this beautiful bar!"

Mammoth Cave Whiskey

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (2)

"Some items a little over priced but not bad at all I will stop here whenever I pass through Kentucky"

Meta

★★★★☆ 4.1 (123) • $$

"For my last night in Louisville, I just happened to accidentally stumble upon this place on the way back to my hotel. Hipster speakeasy vibe is written all over the spot. I appreciated the amount of space, and there were even a few tables outside. Bar seating, table seating, couch seating... I think I peeped a small room in the back too... all the options! When I was there, it was mostly empty, but people did come in and out. It was easy to tell who the visitors and regulars were haha. I enjoyed just hanging out, people watching, and chatting with the friendly bartenders. They have cocktails and mocktails in abundance... there's literally something for everyone. And they even had these chocolate shot glasses. So cool!All in all, the place just seems like a perfect neighborhood bar. They don't have food, but there's plenty of options around to bring in there. Music was great too!"

Bourbons Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (313) • $$$

"I'm a few days late posting this review but I couldn't let this one slip by. We made reservations for 5 last weekend. My daughter had been before and loved it, wanted us to try it out. We were promptly seated. Service was a little slow after that but we didn't mind with good company. We had the bone marrow, fried oysters and garlic and goat cheese spread appetizers. I would recommend all of them. Each one very flavorful. I'd have a hard time choosing just one. Everyone loved their main dishes as well. We were blasted but finished with a bourbon bread pudding for dessert that was also divine, save room!"

Proof on Main

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$$

"The food was phenomenal. My favorite dish was the Gnocchi. So delicious. The steak and potatoes were fantastic as well, lightly seared, great cut. Our server was very knowledgeable about local beers and the menu. I wasn't sure I was going to love the funky decor but I really did, at night it was more of a dimly lit vibe and the ambiance was great."

Neat Bourbon Bar & Bottle Shop

★★★★☆ 4.4 (59)

"This spot is like biting into a piece of decadent dark chocolate. It's sexy and dark in the best ways possible.The atmosphere alone is something to marvel at, they have vintage bourbon themed decor along with plush chairs, leather couches, and intricate carpets."

Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (260) • $$

"Well if you found yourself here, you either lost, buying for someone else, or even better, YOU LOVE WHISKY! Easily one of the best distilleries in Louisville and also one of the best brands of Whisky. These folks have the "dream" job. At least in my head lol. Working for an excellent brand, fine whisky maker must be a very priding job. These folks are nice, helpful, easily to talk too, and 9 chances out of 10 they know whisky. Which means there is an easy topic to go on about. We not only spent time shopping about, but we also checked the bar out! Let me say I could have easily spent all day in there (it's limited to 90 minutes because of very limited seating). The bartenders know their stuff, take pride in their work/job, and just like I said before easy to get along with! The decor upstairs is nice and feels more like a high-end ritsy bar, especially when these drinks are made! The level of detail, and perfection is amazing. They make the experience even better! Anywho I know your here for the whisky. I mean why else would you be doing reading this?They sell the four main lines: Bourbon, Rye, American I blended whisky, and sour mash daily! Now the others are a different topic, they have a "special release" daily too which can be from a variety of things including but not limited to: Bourbon 10yr, rye 10yr, toasted barrel finish, and barrel strength."

Steak & Bourbon

★★★★☆ 4.4 (430) • $$$

"It's seldom that a restaurant clicks all of the buttons for me, but this one did! Decor- upscale and tasteful- check; Service -impeccable - attentive but not bothersome- check; Food - OMG!!! - checkMy husband and I thoroughly enjoyed a special meal last evening. I had the 12-oz ribeye with caramelized Brussels sprouts. Before I get to those, let me mention the circle of rolls that came with a tallow butter candle burning in the center. That butter (and the herbs below it) seeped into those rolls and that literally became a party in my mouth. On the the steak. The steak was melt-in-your mouth tender and cooked to perfection. The caramelized Brussels sprouts were by far the best I have had in Louisville . They were loaded with maple bacon chips, candied pecans and a delicious balsamic dressing. I can't say enough about this dining experience. We will certainly be back. The establishment is located off Westport Rd on Herr Lane and there is plenty of dedicated parking."