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The Proper Old Fashioned
The Proper Old Fashioned at Garden & Gun Club
Chandler Bondurant

The Essential Whiskey Bars Around Atlanta

The best bars to sip whiskey, bourbon, and scotch

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The Proper Old Fashioned at Garden & Gun Club
| Chandler Bondurant

Whiskey, bourbon, and scotch are in abundance at bars throughout metro Atlanta. Some bars carry extensive whiskey collections ranging from American and Canadian to scotch, Irish, and Japanese selections. Still, others focus their offerings on small, independent distilleries based both stateside and abroad. This list includes a few of the metro area’s best bets for whiskey —whether it’s sipped neat, on the rocks, or in a flight.

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Branch & Barrel

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Located in Avalon in Alpharetta, this whiskey bar and gastropub has a pretty sizable collection behind the bar which range from well-known bottles like Elijah Craig to smaller brands like Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery’s Bellemeade offerings out of Tennessee. The cocktail program focuses heavily on bourbons and whiskeys here, too.

Branch & Barrel

Little Alley Steak

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This historic Roswell steakhouse is known for its substantial whiskey and Scotch collection, which numbers over 200 selections. There’s everything from George T. Stagg to Basil Hayden to Laphroaig behind the bar at Little Alley. A second outpost opened last year at the One Alliance Center on Lenox Road in Buckhead — the same complex as Mission and Market — and includes over 400 bourbons.

The Whiskey Project

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The Whiskey Project in Roswell, located on Oak Street in the former Oak Street Cafe space, isn’t kidding around with its namesake spirit. There are 16 brown water cocktails on the menu and nearly 1,000 spirits to choose from — most of which are whiskeys and bourbons. They even call the backbar the “whiskey wall”.

Garden & Gun Club

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Garden & Gun Club at the Battery Atlanta is an all-day restaurant and cocktail bar which takes its name from the Charleston-based Southern lifestyle magazine. A 21-seat cocktail bar sits in the center of the front room and focuses on bourbon and whiskey and classic brown spirit cocktails, like the old fashioned. There’s over 30 whiskeys and bourbons to choose from here. Order bourbon service for the table for $25. Cocktails are mixed and served table side.

Southern Art and Bourbon Bar

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Don’t let the Intercontinental Hotel lobby location be the reason for not grabbing drinks here after work. The bourbon bar offers over 70 whiskey selections on its menu as well as live music. There’s a good chance of celebrity sighting, too.

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Local Three Kitchen & Bar

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There’s a 10-page list this Buckhead restaurant and bar that includes bourbons and whiskey, scotches and single malts, and even a handful of Canadian, Irish, and Japanese selections. Local Three has a pretty pricey Mitchter’s 20-year as well as a Macallan 25-year that definitely breaks the bank.

Biltong Bar

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After finding success in Ponce City Market, Biltong Bar opened a second, much larger location in Buckhead late last year that includes an expanded and whiskey-heavy bar menu. The cocktails here are meant to pair with the meaty menu and rely heavily on rum, scotch, rye whiskey, and bourbon as base spirits, accented by French vermouth, amari, and sherry.

Heidi Geldhauser

The Southern Gentleman

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Located in the Buckhead Atlanta shopping district, Southern Gentleman describes itself as a modern American whiskey bar. It carries over 120 bourbons and ryes as well as Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Taiwanese, and Japanese selections.

The Southern Gentleman

Holeman and Finch Public House

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It’s no surprise the bar that helped begin Atlanta’s cocktail movement years ago would also have a great whiskey, bourbon, and Scotch selection. High-ticket offerings include a Chivas regal 25-year and Elijah Craig single barrel 18-year.

Holeman & Finch holeman & finch, foursquare/vyne a.

The Pinewood

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While Wednesdays are specifically reserved for whiskey deals, there’s never a wrong day to sip brown liquor at the Pinewood in Decatur. Be sure to ask for the bar’s whiskey list which includes budget-friendly bourbons to wallet-busting single barrels and reserves. Flights are also offered and can be curated. Whiskey Wednesdays include half-priced whiskey cocktails around $5 apiece. FYI, the old fashioned is on tap.

Mac McGee Irish Pub

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This is the Decatur Square Irish pub is the place to head to for whiskey (and soccer, too). Mac McGee’s offers over 150 bottles of Irish, American, Canadian, Japanese whiskeys, and Scotch. Tasting are held regularly here as well as whiskey dinners.

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The Bookhouse Pub

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The Twin Peaks-inspired bar is a regular stop for Atlanta’s hospitality industry employees and locals looking to whet their whistles. Several budget-friendly bourbons, scotches, and a variety of Asian whiskeys are on the list. This list also includes a pricey but worth it Yamazaki 18-year.

Book House/Official

Edgar's Proof & Provision

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Headed to the Fox for a Broadway show or a concert? Stop by Edgar’s Proof & Provision in the basement level of the Georgian Terrace Hotel across the street. There’s plenty of brown liquor to go around here and very strong whiskey cocktails, too. Order the firm handshake with Redemption Rye and fernet.

Kimball House

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This award-winning Decatur bar may be known for its oysters and killer cocktails, but there’s a pretty impressive line-up of bourbon, whiskey, and Scotch here, too. Order the bottle old fashioned with bourbon, rye, gomme, and cola bitters for the table. It serves four people.

Kimball House Kimball House

The Porter Beer Bar

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Sure, there’s more than 400 beers on the menu at this Little Five Points bar but it also offers an impressive whiskey collection behind the bar, too.

White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

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Located downtown at the corner of Baker and Peachtree Streets, White Oak Kitchen offers close to 80 whiskeys and scotches behind its bar and a number of solid brown liquor-based cocktails.

White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

Highland Cigar Co.

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For many the most perfect of pairings is that of a whiskey (or scotch) and a good cigar. This cigar lounge on North Highland offers it all, including cocktails and over 200 bourbons, whiskeys, scotches, and single malts behind its bar.

Red Phone Booth

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To enter this downtown bar and cigar lounge, there’s a secret password to be entered via telephone found in, what else, a red phone booth. Once in, the bar offers over 180 whiskeys, scotches, and Japanese selections. Try the rye and cognac-based sazerac here or the Manhattan. There are over 100 different types of cigars, too. The trick to getting in? Ask a hotel concierge or bartenders at nearby bars.

Branch & Barrel

Located in Avalon in Alpharetta, this whiskey bar and gastropub has a pretty sizable collection behind the bar which range from well-known bottles like Elijah Craig to smaller brands like Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery’s Bellemeade offerings out of Tennessee. The cocktail program focuses heavily on bourbons and whiskeys here, too.

Branch & Barrel

Little Alley Steak

This historic Roswell steakhouse is known for its substantial whiskey and Scotch collection, which numbers over 200 selections. There’s everything from George T. Stagg to Basil Hayden to Laphroaig behind the bar at Little Alley. A second outpost opened last year at the One Alliance Center on Lenox Road in Buckhead — the same complex as Mission and Market — and includes over 400 bourbons.

The Whiskey Project

The Whiskey Project in Roswell, located on Oak Street in the former Oak Street Cafe space, isn’t kidding around with its namesake spirit. There are 16 brown water cocktails on the menu and nearly 1,000 spirits to choose from — most of which are whiskeys and bourbons. They even call the backbar the “whiskey wall”.

Garden & Gun Club

Garden & Gun Club at the Battery Atlanta is an all-day restaurant and cocktail bar which takes its name from the Charleston-based Southern lifestyle magazine. A 21-seat cocktail bar sits in the center of the front room and focuses on bourbon and whiskey and classic brown spirit cocktails, like the old fashioned. There’s over 30 whiskeys and bourbons to choose from here. Order bourbon service for the table for $25. Cocktails are mixed and served table side.

Southern Art and Bourbon Bar

Don’t let the Intercontinental Hotel lobby location be the reason for not grabbing drinks here after work. The bourbon bar offers over 70 whiskey selections on its menu as well as live music. There’s a good chance of celebrity sighting, too.

Official

Local Three Kitchen & Bar

There’s a 10-page list this Buckhead restaurant and bar that includes bourbons and whiskey, scotches and single malts, and even a handful of Canadian, Irish, and Japanese selections. Local Three has a pretty pricey Mitchter’s 20-year as well as a Macallan 25-year that definitely breaks the bank.

Biltong Bar

After finding success in Ponce City Market, Biltong Bar opened a second, much larger location in Buckhead late last year that includes an expanded and whiskey-heavy bar menu. The cocktails here are meant to pair with the meaty menu and rely heavily on rum, scotch, rye whiskey, and bourbon as base spirits, accented by French vermouth, amari, and sherry.

Heidi Geldhauser

The Southern Gentleman

Located in the Buckhead Atlanta shopping district, Southern Gentleman describes itself as a modern American whiskey bar. It carries over 120 bourbons and ryes as well as Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Taiwanese, and Japanese selections.

The Southern Gentleman

Holeman and Finch Public House

It’s no surprise the bar that helped begin Atlanta’s cocktail movement years ago would also have a great whiskey, bourbon, and Scotch selection. High-ticket offerings include a Chivas regal 25-year and Elijah Craig single barrel 18-year.

Holeman & Finch holeman & finch, foursquare/vyne a.

The Pinewood

While Wednesdays are specifically reserved for whiskey deals, there’s never a wrong day to sip brown liquor at the Pinewood in Decatur. Be sure to ask for the bar’s whiskey list which includes budget-friendly bourbons to wallet-busting single barrels and reserves. Flights are also offered and can be curated. Whiskey Wednesdays include half-priced whiskey cocktails around $5 apiece. FYI, the old fashioned is on tap.

Mac McGee Irish Pub

This is the Decatur Square Irish pub is the place to head to for whiskey (and soccer, too). Mac McGee’s offers over 150 bottles of Irish, American, Canadian, Japanese whiskeys, and Scotch. Tasting are held regularly here as well as whiskey dinners.

Facebook

The Bookhouse Pub

The Twin Peaks-inspired bar is a regular stop for Atlanta’s hospitality industry employees and locals looking to whet their whistles. Several budget-friendly bourbons, scotches, and a variety of Asian whiskeys are on the list. This list also includes a pricey but worth it Yamazaki 18-year.

Book House/Official

Edgar's Proof & Provision

Headed to the Fox for a Broadway show or a concert? Stop by Edgar’s Proof & Provision in the basement level of the Georgian Terrace Hotel across the street. There’s plenty of brown liquor to go around here and very strong whiskey cocktails, too. Order the firm handshake with Redemption Rye and fernet.

Kimball House

This award-winning Decatur bar may be known for its oysters and killer cocktails, but there’s a pretty impressive line-up of bourbon, whiskey, and Scotch here, too. Order the bottle old fashioned with bourbon, rye, gomme, and cola bitters for the table. It serves four people.

Kimball House Kimball House

The Porter Beer Bar

Sure, there’s more than 400 beers on the menu at this Little Five Points bar but it also offers an impressive whiskey collection behind the bar, too.

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White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

Located downtown at the corner of Baker and Peachtree Streets, White Oak Kitchen offers close to 80 whiskeys and scotches behind its bar and a number of solid brown liquor-based cocktails.

White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

Highland Cigar Co.

For many the most perfect of pairings is that of a whiskey (or scotch) and a good cigar. This cigar lounge on North Highland offers it all, including cocktails and over 200 bourbons, whiskeys, scotches, and single malts behind its bar.

Red Phone Booth

To enter this downtown bar and cigar lounge, there’s a secret password to be entered via telephone found in, what else, a red phone booth. Once in, the bar offers over 180 whiskeys, scotches, and Japanese selections. Try the rye and cognac-based sazerac here or the Manhattan. There are over 100 different types of cigars, too. The trick to getting in? Ask a hotel concierge or bartenders at nearby bars.

Related Maps