Chain Gang

As interest in whisky has surged around the globe, so have the number of whisky-focused bars and restaurants. But while exploration, surprises, and new experiences are fun, they can also be disappointing, and sometimes travelers prefer to go with the tried and true. If you’re seeking a great whisky experience on your next road trip but don’t want to roll the dice, one solution is a chain or multi-location bar with a reliably excellent whisky program. In many cases, their size gives them clout to offer more private casks and more highly allocated labels than a single bar could. Standout whisky chains are few and far between, but there are some excellent choices.

YARDBIRD

Locations: eight restaurants in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, Washington D.C., and Singapore
Try this: Lobster Mac & Cheese and Smoke on the Water cocktail (Sazerac rye, toasted demerara, bitters, and cinnamon smoke)

This Southern-themed restaurant and bar chain takes an upscale approach to delicious comfort food, with several spins on fried chicken, plus shrimp and grits, barbecue, biscuits, and deviled eggs. The eight outposts are all in major cities (Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Singapore) with solid whisky lists and a domestic focus, averaging about 100 options, with the most in Miami and Denver. They offer 2-ounce pours, with many under $30, and most offer three or four flights, which vary by location, but all seven U.S. eateries offer the Beams of Sunshine bourbon flight, with three 1-ounce pours of Basil Hayden Toast, Maker’s Mark 46, and Knob Creek Single Barrel for $30.

The signature Whiskey Business cocktail features peanut butter fat-washed Wild Turkey bourbon, crème de moka, and chocolate bitters ($18). Another oddity cocktail is Clear as a Country Mornin’ with milk punch-clarified Maker’s Mark ($20). All locations except Las Vegas and Singapore, which has the most different food and drink menu, offer an attractive happy hour that in most locations runs weekdays from 3-6 p.m. with a classic Old Fashioned (Four Roses Yellow Label bourbon) for just $8, a Jim Beam Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade for $10, and food specials too.

WHISKEY CAKE KITCHEN & BAR

Locations: 12 restaurants in Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas
Try this: Whiskey Cake dessert and tableside Smoked Old Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve bourbon

Despite its name, this Texas-based brand is far more about brown spirits than desserts, though it does operate full-service restaurants with ample kitchens. They describe the concept as “everyday tavern,” but regardless of the laid-back vibe, its cuisine is more elevated than that suggests. The menu features sophisticated takes on comfort foods, such as goat cheese fondue, crab fritters, and Thai barbecue duck wings, an upgrade from the usual Buffalo chicken. They also highlight seasonal ingredients from local farmers and ranchers, and because of this local focus , menus vary slightly by location—the fresh bread in Houston is from Slow Dough, for example, and in Jacksonville it’s from Village Bread Co. The one constant is the signature Whiskey Cake dessert, sticky toffee pudding with bourbon anglaise, spiced pecans, and homemade vanilla whipped cream.

The same goes for the bar, with a local spin and house-made syrups, fresh juices, and garden-to-glass cocktails, plus a barrel select program. Whiskey Cake has 12 locations across major cities—in and around Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin; Tampa and Jacksonville; and Oklahoma City—each offering an average of 225–250 whiskies. Currently, the largest selection is at The Woodlands in Houston, with over 300 choices including scotch, Irish, Japanese, and Canadian, with a focus on American whiskeys, especially Kentucky and Tennessee, and the Texas locations highlight Lone Star state distilleries. Each spot has six to eight private barrel selections at a time, including picks from Stellum, Old Elk, High West, Redemption, Buffalo Trace, and Yellowstone.

Every location features its own take on a rotating selection of bartender-curated whisky flights that change monthly. There are also standardized flights of four 3/4-ounce pours, like a bourbon flight with Old Forester, 1792 Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, and Woodford Reserve for $18. Signature whisky cocktails are a core focus, led by a Smoked Old Fashioned and barrel-aged Manhattan. All regular pours are 2 ounces, from Redemption rye at $9.50 or Aberfeldy 12 year old at $12.50 to Westland American single malt for $20 or Compass Box Hedonism blended grain for $30, topping out with Macallan 25 year old at $300. Jonniene Mortiz, manager of the Tampa locations, says, “Our bar team’s favorite under-the-radar bottle is J.T.S. Brown bottled in bond. It’s wildly undervalued and super versatile.”

BOURBON STEAK

Locations: 11 restaurants in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.
Try This: Michael’s Tuna Tartare and Single Barrel Old Fashioned

Whisky and steak is a classic pairing, and most high-end steakhouses have deep whisky lists. But among the chains, only one has the word “steak” in its name: Bourbon Steak by chef Michael Mina, who has earned multiple Michelin stars, numerous James Beard awards, and Bon Appetit’s chef of the year.

Bourbon Steak has locations in Scottsdale, Arizona; Los Angeles and Orange County, California; Delray Beach, Orlando, and Miami, Florida; Las Vegas; New York; Nashville; Washington, D.C.; and its 12th will open in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2026. For both food and drink, core menus are similar, but with seasonal or regional differences. While it has all the classic steakhouse offerings, there are surprises like a popular spinach soufflé in place of the traditional creamed spinach side, Mina’s signature tableside Tuna Tartare, the dish that made him famous at his breakout restaurant Aqua in San Francisco, and another specialty, his Lobster Pot Pie.

Each location has a long whisky list and also highlights local distilleries and regional spirits. “A common theme is our bespoke spirits offerings,” says Mina’s bar director Mike Lay. “We specialize in not only carrying every special whisky we can, but we also want to offer something unique that people can’t get anywhere else. We were fortunate enough to be on the ground level of famous and difficult- to-obtain niche product launches like Rare Character. Each location has several single barrel bottlings of American whiskey unique to that location.” Frequent suppliers for this program include Russell’s Reserve, Angel’s Envy, and Maker’s Mark.

Flights and cocktails vary more by location, as bartenders are given a fair amount of free rein. For instance, the Orange County restaurant has about 135 standard whiskies, plus five private barrels, a dozen rare & vintage options, and a list of Van Winkle selections. For its classic cocktails, each is offered two distinct ways: “Old School” or “New School.” The traditional Old Fashioned uses Sazerac 6 year old rye, sugar, and orange and Angostura bitters. The new take swaps in Plantation Pineapple rum for whiskey, along with passion fruit syrup, and peach and Peychaud’s bitters. There’s a tableside bourbon trolley, and all pours are offered as 1 or 2 ounces, including the five private barrel selections, all below $30/1-ounce, from WhistlePig 10 year old single barrel at $24 to Weller Full Proof Waldorf Astoria single barrel at $29. On the main list, High West Double rye is $20, while WhistlePig Boss Hog XI is $198, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 year old is $402, and Macallan 30 year old tops the list at $602

SEVEN GRAND

Locations: four restaurants in California, Colorado, and Texas
Try this: Bartender’s Choice whisky flight (no food menu)

Inspired by a whiskey bar in Ireland, the original Los Angeles Seven Grand opened in 2007 with an Irish hunting lodge aesthetic, and has since launched outposts in San Diego, Denver, and Austin. While there are only four locations, each is a standout destination for whisky lovers, with the biggest lists among multiple-location brands, including many single barrel offerings and typically six to eight current releases at each location, but up to a total of three dozen choices on hand. They all have a similar feel, with taxidermy, leather seating, and towering backbars displaying the impressive selections, and all offer live music and Suntory Toki draft Highball machines. Seven Grand takes an educational approach, with bartender-curated flights that are different at each location, and most notably a Whiskey Society series of twice-weekly tastings hosted by distillers and brand ambassadors at all locations.

In San Diego, for example, there are more than 800 bottles on the list, starting at well under $10 for 2-ounce pours, from Old Overholt rye at $7 up to $1,000 for Yamazaki 25 year old. There are more than two dozen private single cask bottlings, and the Whiskey Society hosts a visiting distillery every Wednesday and Friday night; one of the best buys in town, with a welcome cocktail, four-pour tasting flight, and light snacks for $25 (specialty distilleries can run higher). Denver is a hair smaller, with just under 800 labels, and a very extensive selection of Colorado whiskeys, with 1-ounce pours starting at $5 for Evan Williams. While pour sizes vary by state law, all locations offer a half-pour so you can more affordably sample rarities, of which they have plenty. Austin has a deep list from Texas producers, and Los Angeles has the biggest list of all at close to 900, but any of the Seven Grand locations stands out as an exceptional whisky bar, offering good value, learning experiences, and a passionate focus, with no food other than some light bar snacks and nibbles.

DEATH & CO.

Locations: 4 restaurants in California, Colorado, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Try This: Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Director’s Cut cocktail (Macallan Double Cask 12 year old, Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, Drambuie, and coconut)

The original famed Death & Co. location in New York City helped kick-start the nationwide mixology and craft cocktail trend. They have since opened in Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington, D.C., and plan a Seattle location. They also serve an eclectic food menu, with everything from homemade pickles and olives to platters of fried chicken. All locations also feature impressive happy hours with $13 cocktails and half-price bar food, but days and times vary.

Food and drink menus are different by location and change seasonally, but 70-80 whiskies, mostly domestic, Japanese, and scotch are typical, along with an elaborate hand-carved ice program. But the real focus is on craft cocktails; few people go to Death & Co. for a traditional Manhattan. The most recent Washington menu included the Banquo’s Ghost ($20), with Compass Box Glasgow blend, Vago Elote mezcal, coconut water, and Moroccan bitters, or the Sleeping Kerria ($24), with Nikka Days Japanese whisky, St. George shochu, Bitter Bianco, and sake. In New York, the Almond Thief blends Macallan Double Cask 12 year old with Jameson Black Barrel, apricot, lemon, orgeat, and biscotti garnish ($40).