11 Places to drink whiskey in Atlanta
Where to go when you want to drink the good stuff
Photo credit: James Camp/CL File
How do you improve on an impressive menu of Southern staples? It’s quite simple: Showcase an assortment of whiskey and hire a knowledgeable staff to guide patrons on sipping. Whiskies (bourbon, rye, Scotch), while all distilled from fermented grain, differ greatly in flavor depending on the type of grain and the barrel in which it is aged. Atlanta is host to a bevy of restaurants with an encyclopedic array of whiskies, some with pages of menus, tasting flights, and craft cocktails that let whiskey sing. Take it from James Joyce, who said, “The light music of whiskey falling into a glass — an agreeable interlude.” Here are 13 Atlanta joints with exceptional whiskey lists.
Brick Store Pub
This outstanding neighborhood pub, complete with an upstairs Belgian bar that has potent brews on tap, offers roughly 215 beers. The menu’s beer descriptions are humorous and approachable. The service is so friendly, no one will look you askance if you simply order a bottle of Sweetwater 420.
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Empire State South
This outpost of Hugh Acheson’s restaurant empire delivers the best spin on New Southern dining in Atlanta. Familiar dishes like pimento cheese, farm eggs, local trout, and pork belly are anything but clichés when they arrive at the table. Order your bourbon cocktails in a mason jar.
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Holeman and Finch
Holeman and Finch Public House has changed the face of Atlanta’s dining scene since opening in 2008. From the outset, H&F’s cocktail program set off a citywide race to blend obscure spirits into crowd-pleasing tipples. The 10 p.m. off-menu cheeseburger established a widely imitated gold stan...
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Kimball House
In a town where cocktails are taken very seriously, Kimball House quietly took over the title of everyone
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Local Three Kitchen & Bar
Local Three is the shared vision of Chris Hall, Todd Mussman and Ryan Turner. The three met in the fall of 2005 when Hall was the chef at the Sundial restaurant and Todd and Ryan had just opened Muss & Turner’s, “The Little Deli that Could” in Smyrna. The three quickly became friends and over plenty...
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Mac McGee Irish Pub (permanently closed)
Pub on Decatur Square with an Irish bent, offering savory pies, whiskey, beer, and daily specials.
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One Flew South
It bills itself as the first upscale dining experience in the world’s busiest airport — and it delivers, offering a melt-in-your mouth pulled duck sandwich, trout croquettes and a lively cocktail selection. It’s a good reason to leave town. The restaurant is located behind security in Concourse E, s...
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Southern Art and Bourbon Bar (permanently closed)
Chef Art Smith’s restaurant in the InterContinental Buckhead. Full bar. Validated hotel valet parking.
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Table & Main
Table & Main is first and foremost a place for people to enjoy themselves. That’s all any restaurant really is. No one goes out to eat to have a bad time. You come with friends, you eat great food, you have a bottle or two of wine, and you unplug from the world. Even if for just a few hours between ...
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The Pinewood (permanently closed)
The Pinewood offers reinterpreted Southern classics, ambitious craft cocktails, and regionally inspired Southern fare. Every day the bar offers a different special. May we suggest Whiskey Wednesdays?
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The Porter Beer Bar
The Porter delivers with a cheap, thoughtful, and satisfying menu, and beer to match. Most of the food is designed to please beer drinkers, and the regular menu doesn’t get much wackier than the combination of applesauce and the addictive applewood smoked bacon hushpuppies. For beer lovers, the Port...
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