Bars With 1,000-Plus Whiskies

It’s certainly exciting to visit a bar displaying hundreds of whisky bottles on its shelves, and such venues can be found in many—if not most—American cities. But what about those with a thousand, or several thousand whiskies on the menu? They’re more like your favorite allocated dram: Harder to come by, but oh-so rewarding when you get to experience them. With their encyclopedic menus of 1,000-plus whiskies, these 10 bars from around the country should definitely be on your bucket list.

Aero Club Bar

San Diego, California

This spot originally opened in 1947 as a place where owner and pilot Marianne Profit could enjoy a drink with her fellow pilots, and was later purchased by Bill Lutzius, who turned the space into a whisky bar. The establishment is currently owned by a group of friends intent on keeping its history alive, including original décor reflective of Profit’s love of flying and a menu of over 1,000 whiskies, including such allocated bottles as Double Eagle Very Rare ($500/1 oz.; $900/2 oz.), Macallan No. 6 ($375; $750), and Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old ($300; $550). The bar is also home to a retro arcade with a rotating selection of games. aeroclubbar.com

Canon

Seattle, Washington

This restaurant and bar claims to have the largest inventory of spirits in the world, including around 4,000 whiskies, despite being smaller than most restaurants, with just 1,400 square feet of guest space available. On the massive, 184-page whisky list there’s a section playfully called “Hardcore Porn,” comprising rare and antique bottlings ranging in price from $52/1.5 oz. for Old Crow 1990 up to $2,600 for Cedar Brook Sour Mash 1880. The bar also specializes in over-the-top, unusual cocktails, such as Canon’s Cannon ($22), featuring Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (which the bar has re-barreled in its own private select barrel), plus St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Luxardo Abano amaro, house-made blueberry-and-thyme shrub, and Angostura bitters—all served in a mini cannon, with liquid nitrogen used to give the impression that the cannon is emitting smoke. canonseattle.com

The Flatiron Room

New York City

This NoMad neighborhood restaurant and bar (there’s a location in Murray Hill, too) has classic supper club vibes, with a stage where live music covering a span of genres is performed nightly, but it’s best known for its stellar whisky list, including over 1,000 labels from around the globe. If you’re having trouble deciding what to order, you can sample a bit of everything by opting for the Discovery flight, which is one of more than a dozen on offer and includes .75 oz. pours of Uncle Nearest 1884 Tennessee, WhistlePig PiggyBack rye, Toki Japanese, Knappogue Castle 12 year old Irish single malt, Compass Box Spice Tree blended malt scotch, and Port Charlotte 10 year old Islay single malt scotch for $65. theflatironroom.com

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Washington, D.C.

This famed watering hole carries 2,687 different whiskies (check out the website for an up-to-date ticker!) spanning at least 13 countries. This spot is one of a handful of Scotch Malt Whisky Society partner bars in the U.S., meaning it has a large selection of the Society’s single cask picks. Elsewhere on the 70-plus-page menu you’ll find bottles dating back to the pre-Prohibition era, such as J.A. Dougherty’s Sons 13 year old rye distilled in 1916 and bottled in 1930 ($400/1 oz.; $800/2 oz.) to modern-day limited releases and a collection of more than six dozen of its own hand-picked and branded private barrels of bourbon, Tennessee, single malt scotch, and more. jackrosediningsaloon.com

Jig & Reel

Knoxville, Tennessee

This pub celebrates the heritage of the Scots- Irish immigrants who settled in Appalachia during the 1600s with nightly live Celtic, Irish, Scottish, old time, and bluegrass music, and special singer-songwriter performances, plus 1,077 whiskies on offer. Though there’s a decent representation of American, Irish, and international whiskies on the menu, scotch is the focus‚ and, like Jack Rose, the bar is a Single Malt Whiskey Society partner. In addition to 10 different scotch flights, you can find rarities like Banff 38 year old 1975 ($200/1 oz.) and Caperdonich 1972 ($200), both from the Duncan Taylor Tantalus Collection, as well as selections from new scotch distilleries that are making their mark on the industry, including Isle of Raasay, Ardnamurchan, Isle of Harris, and Lochlea. jigandreel.com

Multnomah Whiskey Library

Portland, Oregon

This venue—another Single Malt Whisky Society partner bar—is really three bars in one: There’s the main space, a cocktail bar called The Green Room, and a members-only bar, and among all of the spaces is a total of around 3,000 whiskies to choose from. The bar claims to have been only the third in the U.S. to open a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old, the oldest bottling the Japanese distillery has ever released, which it offers guests for a whopping $3,750/.75 oz. Another rarity on offer is a single barrel of 9 year old Laphroaig aged in virgin medium-toast French Oak and bottled at cask strength, priced at $45/1.5 oz. Expect to find a highly educated bar staff here—each week they attend a mandatory spirits and cocktail education session—that will happily tailor a whisky flight to your specific requirements. mwlpdx.com

Purgatory Craft Beer and Whiskey Bar

Spokane, Washington

This whisky-focused pub features 1,010 bottles on its backbar, with a 15-foot ladder in frequent use by the staff to reach them all. Each bartender here curates their own whisky flight, which is swapped out every 2-3 months, and there’s a special flight every week, ensuring repeat customers can find something new to try each visit. Frequent customers may also want to opt for the Spokane Whiskey Club, which is $40/ month and includes benefits like a monthly featured whisky pour, discounts, merch, and advanced updates on new or allocated whiskies that come into the bar. There are quite a few special and rare bottlings to be found on the Commander’s List section of the whisky menu, including Bladnoch 30 year old ($95/0.5 oz.; $275/1.5 oz.), Glendronach 20 year old Signatory Vintage bottling distilled in 1970 ($205; $600), and one of just six bottles available in Washington of Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Amburana ($55; $150). thepurgatory.com

School House Kitchen and Libations

Arvada, Colorado

This spot’s bar space was originally a one-room schoolhouse built in 1882, with a dining area and upstairs lounge added in the 1930s. Paying homage to its history, the bar features school chairs converted into barstools, tables decorated to look like the periodic table of elements, and a long, 20-seat bar top covered entirely in No.-2 pencils. There are approximately 2,100 whiskies to choose from, including a variety of exclusive single barrel picks, which can be enjoyed by the 1 oz., 1.5 oz., or 2 oz. pour, or you can take home a whole bottle. On the cocktail list, favorites include the Mathematics Manhattan ($12), which is barrel-aged for 3 weeks and comprises Larceny bourbon, house vermouth, Angostura bitters, and an Amarena cherry, and the Olde School House ($12), which is also barrel-aged 3 weeks and features house-blended whiskey, Maraska Maraschino liqueur, and orange peel. schoolhousemenu.com

Warren American Whiskey Kitchen

Delray Beach, Florida

This upscale restaurant and whisky lounge opened its doors in 2021, boasting 1,000 different whiskies from around the world, which it claims is the largest selection in southern Florida. The list is carefully curated by a dedicated “spiritual advisor,” John “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, who offers reservation-only whisky tasting experiences at the venue’s four-seat private bar called the Warren Whiskey Library. Notable bottlings include Dalmore 25 year old ($125/1 oz.; $250/2 oz.), 30 year old ($400; $800), 35 year old ($600; $1,200), 40 year old ($1,000; $2,000), and 45 year old ($1,800; $3,600); and an extensive Macallan collection, plus special Macallan-based cocktails, like The Bow And Arrow ($26), blending Macallan 12 year Double Oaked, Los Vecinos del Campo mezcal, simple syrup, citrus, and pineapple. warrendelray.com

Watch Hill Proper

Prospect, Kentucky

This restaurant and bar, located just northeast of Louisville, asserts that it’s home to the largest selection of American whiskey in the world, at 2,053 selections in total and 42 states represented. Other than wine, American whiskey is the only drink on offer here, which means that all 18 cocktails on the menu feature the spirit, including classics like the Boulevardier ($18), made with Angel’s Envy Port Finished bourbon, Montenegro amaro, house-blended vermouth, and Select Aperitivo, and house signatures like the Coal Miner’s Daughter ($17), a smoked cocktail featuring black cardamom-infused Longbranch bourbon, Ramazzotti amaro, honey, ginger, and lime. While this spot is open to the public, it offers a membership program with benefits including unlimited reservations, discounts and credits, special events, and more. Bonus: If you become a member here, you also gain membership access to Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland, plus the super-exclusive, members-only JB’s Whiskey House in Nashville. watchhillproper.com