America’s pastime brings to mind beer, hot dogs, and Cracker Jack. It’s time to add whisky to that list. Although very few baseball stadiums have bars where you can purchase pours, most cities have a standout establishment within walking distance or a short ride away. There, you might be able to enjoy anything from pizza to prime steak with craft cocktails, curated flights, rare selections, or your favorite whisky. From sports bars to speakeasies, here’s where to get your fix before the opening pitch.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
Boston
This cozy British gastropub is a block’s walk from Fenway Park, making it an ideal spot for Red Sox fans and haters alike to suck down local raw oysters, whisky-smoked mussels, and whisky before the game. Pull up a stool at the long, dark wood bar or snag a cognac leather banquette and peruse the list of 375 options, including six single-barrel selections, WhistlePig The Badönkådonk, The Last Drop 56 year old, and Mosstowie single malt. Can’t choose? Try one of 11 flights or get the signature Ideal Manhattan, made with their Buffalo Trace single barrel. If you’re a planner and have at least 10 people, book a pig roast. After a first course of local oysters, clams, and shrimp, they bring out a whole pig that’s been roasted for 14 hours, served with seasonal sides.
Village Whiskey
Philadelphia
A 16-minute drive from the Phillies home base at Citizens Bank Park, this Prohibition-era speakeasy by chef Jose Garces is worth the Uber. Order the award-winning Whiskey King burger, a wagyu patty with maple-bourbon-glazed onions, bacon, blue cheese, and seared fois gras. Or pick one of the eight flights (each includes three 1-ounce pours) and ask for the chef to pair it with a five-plate tasting menu for your table. Knowledgeable bartenders craft cocktails with Old Forester 86 proof, though you can swap in your favorite for an upcharge. There are more than 200 whiskies, ranging from bourbon and rye to scotch, Japanese, and Irish, and loads of Pennsylvania distilleries. Notable pours include Glenmorangie 18 year old Extremely Rare ($58), Old Forester 2024 Birthday bourbon ($53), and Johnnie Walker Blue ($66).
Barfly’s
Baltimore
Don’t let this casual neighborhood pub fool you: A TV may be nestled between the shelves of spirits, but it’s serious about whisky, featuring more than 600 bourbons, ryes, scotches, and more. Regular whisky selections come in 2-ounce pours, while high-end ones (like Pappy) are 1-ounce. The other thing they’re serious about? Pizza. The flavor of the week could be anything from Big Mac (with beef, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed crust) to chicken cordon bleu to spicy pork and pineapple. If the current offering doesn’t appeal, one of the 15 standard pizzas should do the trick. Then play a game of darts and take the nine-minute drive to Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
ASW Distillery Battery Atlanta
Atlanta
Located adjacent to Truist Park, this contemporary tasting room offers a behind-the-scenes peek at ASW’s handiwork, with a copper still on-site (making vodka and gin). Grab a leather stool and chat up the friendly team about their bourbons, ryes, and malt whiskeys— some are seasonal and only available in their three tasting rooms. Throughout the baseball season, they feature Braves-inspired cocktails, such as the I’m Your Huckleberry. Named for pitcher Spencer Strider, who has a mustache like Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday in “Tombstone,” it’s made of bourbon, lemon juice, huckleberry syrup, and mint. They also have several renditions of their Fiddler Chin Music bourbon, which is aged in barrels that include hand-charred, unfinished maple bats from Tennessee’s Old Hickory Bat Company.
Delilah’s
Chicago
If you’re able to take a six-minute car ride to Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, venture to this dark bar with vinyl booths and stools, local artists’ work on the walls, and a chalkboard displaying the day’s specials, including a $3 shot of a select whisky.
Though some may consider Delilah’s a dive bar, their 1,000-plus whisky offerings range from everyday (Jim Bean, Maker’s Mark, Four Roses) to upscale (Black Maple Hill 23 year old rye, Springbank Jewels of Scotland, and more) and span the globe. They carry 35 Ardbeg expressions, 35 from Bruichladdich, and 40 different Compass Box bottlings, and about 70% of the offerings are extinct whiskies. DJs spin punk, ska, metal, and similar music Sunday through Thursday nights, and on Fridays and Saturdays, patrons pick the music from the jukebox. There’s also a smaller bar upstairs, though it’s more focused on agave and sugarcane-based spirits.
Society Lounge
Cleveland
No matter what you’re wearing to watch the Guardians, this stylish speakeasy will make you feel fancy as you sit on a plush couch beneath a glistening chandelier. The bartenders take pride in making their specialty cocktails with house-made syrups, like the Agent Vinod (single malt Indian whisky, bitters, and mukhwas ginger syrup, smoked with sandalwood right in front of you) as well as any classic. You can also order a pour from about 200 whiskies, predominantly bourbon but also rye, other American, Canadian, Irish, scotch, and Japanese. Though they mostly serve light bites like charcuterie, and hum mus and feta with naan, if you have a sweet tooth, try the s’mores pot. It’s a bowl of chocolate mousse topped with toasted marshmallows, with graham crackers on the side to dip. When you’re done, walk nine minutes (or Uber two minutes) to Progressive Field for the game.
Clark & Bourbon
St. Louis
Located across from the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium, this open-plan steakhouse weaves whisky into the oysters, crab cakes, smoked beef brisket empanadas, burgers, and even the asparagus. You can’t go wrong with a smoked Gold Rush, Boulevardier, Manhattan, or Old Fashioned, with your choice of one of seven Suntory Global Spirits whiskies ($24 each). But while it’s fun to watch the chefs and bartenders do their work, for an extra-special experience, book the private Whiskey Room in the back of the restaurant. With a large rectangular table, leather chairs, and backlit shelves of small barrels and bottles covering the walls, it’s like stepping into your own whisky library. Sample from 500 bourbons, ryes, and selections from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and more, including rare, small-batch, single-barrel, and local offerings. Prices start at $12 for 1 1/4 ounces and go up to $125 for Kavalan Pedro Ximénez Single Malt, $140 for Benriach Authenticus 30 year old, and $175 for Bruichladdich Black Art 6.1. Or if you wish to try something new and don’t want to misjudge, the on-site whisky pro can help guide your selection.
Bayou & Bottle
Houston
Just off the lobby of Four Seasons Hotel Houston—and a five-minute car ride or 14-minute walk from the Astros’ home turf at Daikin Park—baseball fans frequent this friendly spot. Inspired by the local melting pot of cultures, the food menu ranges from birria bao to lobster tacos to wings. The whisky list isn’t too shabby either: There are more than 200 from around the world, with a high concentration of bourbons. Insider tip: Not all of their inventory is listed, so ask if they’ve received any new rare bottles. All bartenders are certified bourbon stewards and can help you curate your own flight of whiskies. Or try the overproof single barrel bourbon from Garrison Brothers ($30 for 1 1/2 ounces)— fittingly, it has notes of Texas sheet cake. For soda lovers, there’s the Dr. Pepper Old Fashioned ($18), featuring Old Overholt rye, amaro, calvados, cherry vanilla and Angostura bitters, and Levels of Grandeur Dr. Pepper syrup. Lastly, if you have time, there are two Topgolf Swing Suites to work on your game.
Radiator Whiskey
Seattle
Take one step inside this unpretentious spot, and you know you’re in good company: A huge barrel sits on its side behind the bar, housing seven smaller barrels. Some of these contain barrel-aged cocktails, others single barrel selections. Their 350 whiskies also include more than 60 limited production, special allocation, and rare bottles. Overall, the list ranges from Bushmills ($10/1 oz.) to Michter’s 25 year old bourbon ($500). You can also build your own flight of three 1/2-ounce pours or enjoy a craft cocktail. And don’t forget some Southern comfort food, like tater tots topped with pulled pork, seafood gumbo, or call a week ahead to order a smoked half pig’s head. Located upstairs at Pike Place Public Market, you’re a five-minute car ride from T-Mobile Park, home to the Mariners.
The Whiskey House
San Diego
This dimly lit speakeasy currently holds the Guinness World Record for the Most Whiskies Commercially Available in the World—more than 4,500 from 28 countries. This includes single barrels from the likes of Angel’s Envy, W.L.Weller, and Jefferson’s Ocean, as well as rare whiskies like 1957 Macallan 25 year old Anniversary Malt and Laphroaig 34 year old The Ian Hunter Story. Still can’t decide? Try one of close to 40 flights of 5 half-ounce pours, including Insane Pappy for $599, or build your own. The cocktail menu is heavy on whisky drinks, with several Old Fashioned and Sazerac variations in addition to other classics and unique libations. If you need a nibble, mix and match your own charcuterie board, or pick from burgers, sausages, sandwiches, and more for a meal. To make things even better, you’re just an eight-minute walk away from the Padres’ home field at Petco Park.
Bourbon & Bones Chophouse | Bar
Phoenix
Better than box seats, this cocktail bar is literally in Chase Field. You can sit inside at a booth, high top, or table, or head to the tiered balcony outside, where you can watch a Diamondbacks game from a booth, patio seating, or bar-rail seats with a drink in hand. Try an Imperial Old Fashioned (made with Benchmark bourbon and orange and cherry liqueurs), a Smoked Rye Manhattan, or one of about 150 whiskies, including barrel picks that range from Redemption High Rye bourbon ($12/2 oz.) to W.L. Weller Antique 107 ($50). The short food menu is elevated bar fare: Share sushi, spicy parmesan sweet potato fries, or beef skewers with garlic sauce, or order a meatball sub or spicy crispy chicken sandwich with sriracha mayo.
