Louisville, the city base for Bourbon Country, home to many of the country’s most iconic distilleries and brands. Besides being a strong food city, Louisville is also home to many classic American whiskey bars alongside cocktail hotspots. As smaller “craft” distillers sprout up everywhere in the region close to venerable spirits giants, local bars benefit from the greater choices. Downtown Louisville is also worth getting to for the explosion of downtown tasting rooms and distillery offshoots long in the works from many of the big names in American whiskey. Although there’s popular (sometimes pretentious) bars like Proof on Main, I prefer a mix of hip/casual and classic/old-school when in Louisville during my annual visits. Here are nine worthwhile watering holes.
The Silver Dollar
Think a funky honky-tonk in a historic fire station with one hell of a classic country vinyl collection, modern southern BBQ and a festive vibe accented by colorful lights. This is “The Silver Dollar,” which also happens to house an extensive collection of American whiskey (bourbons, ryes, moonshine) and tequilas, with bartenders crafting cocktails from those spirits.
What to Drink: Though listed by distillery, their spirits and cocktail list mainly features big-brand whiskies. Over a hearty chilies and elevated barbecue platter, try cocktails like Crazy Heart — a combination of Old Weller Antique 107 bourbon, Cardamaro cardamom liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino and root beer bitters. whiskeybythedrink.com
Meta
For years my favorite cocktail bar in Louisville was Meat, a unique haven for quality cocktails in a late-night setting upstairs in a former butcher shop. While that now-closed bar supposedly has plans to reopen, its talent has moved on, with owners Jeremy Johnson (formerly of Meat) and Hanna Kandle (formerly at Relish and Basa) opening Meta in 2013 with a strong musical focus, including Wu-Tang Wednesdays playing 90’s hip hop and jazz happy hours on Thursdays.
What to Drink: Pull up to the marble for the likes of Show ‘n Tell, combining gin, Chartreuse, lime, Peychaud’s bitters and “pie” syrup. metalouisville.com
St. Charles Exchange
St. Charles Exchange, in a historic restored space in downtown Louisville, evokes New Orleans and Savannah, featuring classic cocktails and — in keeping with Louisville in general — plenty of bourbon (though the list sticks to big brands). Despite the space’s old-world elegance, the vibe veers toward festive and casual. The food menu features playful and well-executed bar bites, like “Elvis On Horseback” (a twist on the classic “Devils on Horseback”) with traditional bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with peanut butter and dotted with smoked banana vinaigrette.
What to Drink: They are known for their Old Fashioned, and generally shine on American whiskey cocktails, but you can also steer to refreshing with a Kopplin Collins mixing gin, Oregon’s Imbue Vermouth, Rothman & Winters Orchard Pear, French bitter aperitif Suze and lime juice. When they first opened, I loved the vibrant, culinary cocktails like The Lioness, combining gin, dreamy Kalani Coconut Liqueur, ginger syrup, grapefruit and lemon juice, given a savory touch with Thai bitters. stcharlesexchange.com
Milkwood
From one of Louisville’s best chefs, Edward Lee, Milkwood (named after the Dylan Thomas play “Under Milkwood”), in the basement of Louisville’s Actors Theatre, also houses a delightful center bar.
What to Drink: Over Lee’s visionary Asian-influenced Southern dishes — like frog legs in bourbon brown butter, or a pulled-pork kimchi sandwich — sip playful cocktails with humorous names like The Cornhole (white dog, pear, ginger), or Dirty Pickle Back (vodka, celery, house pickle). milkwoodrestaurant.com
Rye
Rye on Market is a worthwhile stop for rye-whiskey-centric cocktails and plenty of other spirits besides. Hip yet low-key, the restaurant’s bar can be a cocktail respite accompanied by dishes like butter-poached shrimp over rice grits.
What to Drink: Although you can ask for any number of rye cocktails, cocktails cover the gamut, including Perico, combining Blanco Tequila, apricot, grapefruit, lime, coriander and cilantro. ryeonmarket.com
Garage Bar
In a former filling station with two classic cars facing each other on the front lot, Garage Bar staff churn out pizzas from a wood-burning oven, artisanal southern hams and a popular brunch. The garage doors roll up on nice days when the patio flows into the restaurant, like one big party.
What to Drink: The spirits menu focuses on — what else? — rye and bourbon. Cocktails are simple and straightforward, including a number of beer cocktails, like a Grapefruit Radler, combining grapefruit, lime, citrus soda and PBR (add tequila, if you like). garageonmarket.com
American Whiskey Bars
• Seelbach Bar
The Seelbach Bar is not exactly a cocktail haven — consider it stuck in time, but not the pre-Prohibition expertise many bars reach for; rather a dated, 70s-80s cocktail aesthetic. Skip the cocktails (even the namesake “Seelbach,” which is better at other bars around town) and peruse the extensive American whiskey selection at a bar where former regulars included the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Look for rare, only-for-the-Seelbach bottlings of Rathskeller Rye (like a 1983 bottle), complex and intense at cask strength. seelbachhilton.com
• Bourbonís Bistro
Another old-school outpost that is all about the bourbon, Bourbon’s Bistro pours just shy of 130 bourbons plus ryes and other American whiskies. Watch for rare and limited-edition reserves, and an array of whiskey flights — like a single-barrel or bottled-in-bond bourbon flight. bourbonsbistro.com
Jockey Silks
Another dated outpost — think lots of wood and red, circa 1970’s — inside the sprawling, touristy Galt House hotel complex. Nevertheless, Jockey Silks is a refreshingly mellow hotel bar offering over 150 bourbons at reasonable prices ($7–9 per pour), or by the flight. It’s a classic Louisville bourbon respite. galthouse.com/Dining/Jockey-Silks
