5 Whisky Bars
As your denial of winter’s onset becomes harder to hang onto than your umbrella in 15-degree horizontal rain, its time to baton down the hatches and find a spot to hibernate where they serve up the most heart-warming beverage known to humankind, Whisky.
At least some of us at OutInSydney are a little bit obsessed by this classic tipple – and have hunted down the massive and the specialised across Sydney’s whisky menus.
Baxter Inn - 152-156 Clarence St, CBD
It can take some exploring but finding the fire-exit style staircase in the corner of the perpetually wet loading bay off Clarence Street does make you feel like some sort of bar-hopping Indiana Jones about to discover something sacred.
Baxter’s location doesn’t seem like the kind of place that would house a whisky menu so extensive that its staff requires ladders to navigate it’s back bar… but it does. Weird and wonderful drams from all over the world - some twice the age of the people drinking them - makes for an aficionado’s paradise. The best advice we can give you is to be sure to check your presumption of spirit knowledge at the door.
It’s almost unfair. Baxter’s range over 150 whiskies and you only one liver! Luckily, Baxter’s barstaff are beyond informed and more than happy to suggest and educate.
Uncle Ming’s - 55 York St, CBD
A strong East Asian theme spans across the décor and menu at this basement-level bar in Haymarket. Uncle Ming’s offers up sake, soju, Japanese whisky and continent-wide craft beers,. While, by no means is this the only bar in Sydney with a Japanese range in their whisky menu, few are as extensive.
If you haven’t had much experience tasting the newest heavyweight in the international whisky scene, then Uncle Ming’s is perfect for your initiation.
Stitch Bar - 61 York St, CBD
Around the corner from Baxter’s is Stitch Bar – a bar of food and spirit-worship from the brains behind Surry Hills’ ‘Pocket’.
Stitch’s impressive little secret is their 70+ blended and single malt menu with plenty of recognisable favourites conveniently categorised by region.
It is certainly worth mentioning that Stitch is Sydney’s official Ardbeg ambassador so if you’re into your chokingly-smokey whiskies, this is a great place to show off your pride in peat.
Eau De Vie - 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst
It’s one of the safest bets going – Eau De Vie will secure a spot on pretty much any Sydney-based spirit related top-five list ever and for a number of reasons.
Not only do the folks at Eau De Vie sport a cracking back bar of single malt, blended and rye whiskies, the way they use of them is seriously ballsy.
Take the Smokey Rob Roy – the peaty combo of Talisker and Lagavulin is mixed with Guatemalan rum, barrel-aged vermouth and orange bitters. If you’re a traditionalist, it might seem like sacrilege to serve whisky with anything more than room temperature water, but for those who are up for a bit of frill around their dram, this cocktail is a must.
Who’s The 5th?
Luckily, for those among us who enjoy our single malts, finding a decent variety is no longer exclusive to hotel lobby bars and indie bottle shops anymore.
The fifth place on this list could be given to handfuls of bars all across Sydney - each with their own unique and specific focus. Bars like Low 302, Shirt Bar and The Wild Rover in Surry Hills, Earl’s Juke Joint on Newtown’s King Street and the Darlinghurst institution Shady Pines Saloon have all played an equal role in setting and consistently exceeding Sydney’s high standards for whisky.
Enjoy!
Written by Jackson Davey
Twitter - @JDavey91
Images Via Flickr
