Whisky, Scotch & Cigars

Steps from Times Square and the Broadway theaters, this Irish-Victorian bar feels straight out of the late 1800s, with wood furnishings brought over from Belfast, France and Brazil. 35 beers on tap plus a deep bourbon and whiskey list. A fun pre-show stop.

What to order

A pour from the bourbon and whiskey list, or one of the house cocktails. Afternoon tea runs daily until 2:45 PM.

How to get in

Walk-in bar at 249 W 49th St. Reservations recommended for groups and weekends.

Heads up: Open late: until 1 AM most nights, 2 AM Fri & Sat. Hours vary, so check before you go.

Open since 2004, this hushed, library-lined lounge is where the shelves hold 1,500+ aged spirits and the jazz stays soft. We tell the team what you like and let them steer us somewhere new.

What to order

Ask for a guided pour or flight from the 1,500+ bottle shelves; private 6-pour tastings available for groups.

How to get in

Seated only (no standing at the bar); parties of 6 or fewer. Closed Sundays.

Belly up under a ceiling strung with tens of thousands of old clay churchwarden pipes, and you're drinking from one of NYC's biggest single-malt Scotch lists. It's old New York in a glass.

What to order

A single malt from the big Scotch list (reported at 250-300+ labels), with Keens' famous mutton chop.

How to get in

Walk-in at the bar; reservations for the dining room.

Heads up: Scotch-list size comes from older press; ask the bar for the current list.

We step into a hot dog joint (Crif Dogs), squeeze into a vintage phone booth, pick up the receiver, and the wall swings open. Nearly 20 years on, it's still the speakeasy every other speakeasy copies.

What to order

Craft cocktails (it's a cocktail bar, not a whisky library).

How to get in

Enter via the phone booth inside Crif Dogs, 113 St. Marks Pl. Book on Resy up to 7 days out; a few first-come bar seats for parties of 4 or fewer.

Twenty-foot ceilings, 18th-century carved bookcases, a stone fireplace and a cigar in hand. Saturdays we catch the city's longest-running Sinatra show here. Very Rat Pack, very fun.

What to order

Single malt Scotch with a cigar from the house humidors.

How to get in

21+, valid ID required. Sinatra Saturdays have set showtimes (5, 8 and 10:30 PM recently).

Below the cannoli crowds on Hanover Street hides a real 1920s speakeasy turned cigar parlor. We light up underground with a pour, then pop back up into the North End for dessert.

What to order

The Godmother (Glenfiddich 12 Sherry Cask, amaro, almond, black walnut bitters), or the House Old Fashioned with tobacco bitters.

How to get in

Basement at 292 Hanover St. No reservations; extra rooms open Thu-Sat at 7 PM and Fri-Sat at 9:30 PM. $15 cutting fee if you bring your own cigar and don't buy one.

Up the stairs from Holt's, the shop where the Ashton cigar brand was born, sits a marble bar backed by 450+ whiskeys and a floor-to-ceiling walk-in humidor. Strong air filtration means non-smokers in our crew stay happy too.

What to order

Pair a rare Fuente Fuente OpusX or an aged Ashton VSG with something from the 450+ whiskey list.

How to get in

Upstairs at 1522 Walnut St. Open 4 PM-2 AM daily; reservations available.

One of the biggest whiskey collections on the planet (2,700+ bottles) on library-style shelves, poured by the ounce. That means we can build our own flight and taste five things instead of committing to one.

What to order

A custom by-the-ounce flight, or a Jack Rose Single Barrel pick; whiskey advisors are on site daily.

How to get in

Full collection is on the Saloon level; the rooftop Terrace has a smaller list, TVs and DJs on Saturdays.

Heads up: Some reviews mention cigars on the rooftop terrace, but the venue doesn't advertise it; treat as whisky-only and call ahead.

A rare DC spot where you can still light up indoors: cozy couches, humidors, a long whiskey list and an air-purification system so it doesn't feel smoky. A perfect after-monuments hideout.

What to order

Something off the long whiskey list with a cigar from the house humidors.

How to get in

Walk-in; opens late morning most days, until 2 AM Tue-Sat.

We duck off Whiskey Alley into a subterranean lounge with a two-story library and a crystal chandelier, right under Louisville's historic Whiskey Row. Bourbon country's speakeasy, done right.

What to order

Something from the extensive bourbon list; live jazz on Wednesdays 8-10 PM.

How to get in

Hidden entrance off Whiskey Alley (112 W. Washington St.). Reservations recommended on Tock (2-hour seatings); private Fumoir/Boudoir rooms carry a $10/person fee.

A bourbon-trail legend just south of Lexington with 1,000+ whiskies, 50+ private Kentucky cask picks, and a floor built from old Jim Beam rickhouse wood. Distillery big shots have been spotted here.

What to order

The Smoked Old Fashioned (a fiery show, with house tobacco bitters), or one of their private-cask Kentucky bourbons.

How to get in

Open daily noon-1 AM; patio seating too.

We step into a vintage London phone booth, dial the secret code, and a hidden door opens onto a 1920s lounge with a cigar vault. Equal parts theater and terrific Old Fashioneds.

What to order

The Smoked Old Fashioned (their signature).

How to get in

Nightly code required: get it from the 'Gain Access' button on their site, a member, or a hotel concierge. Members get priority; guests enter as space allows. Business-casual dress (no athletic wear, flip-flops or hats). Also in Buckhead, Nashville, Miami and Dallas.

A 20-year Atlanta favorite (since 2006) with a walk-in humidor, leather sofas and a real bar. Locals love strolling over from the BeltLine for a smoke and a pour.

What to order

A whiskey from the bar with a pick from the walk-in humidor; watch for bourbon flight nights.

How to get in

Open daily from noon; late on weekends.

Ybor City once rolled more cigars than Havana, and King Corona has held this corner of 7th Avenue since 1998. We grab a sidewalk seat, a whiskey and a stick and watch La Septima go by.

What to order

A Dulzura Farms cigar (their exclusive line) with a whiskey from the full bar.

How to get in

21+ only. Open daily, late most nights.

Orlando's grown-up escape from the theme parks: a big walk-in humidor and a full bar with exclusive single-barrel bourbon picks. It's a Magic Kingdom for grown-ups.

What to order

One of their exclusive single-barrel or small-batch bourbons.

How to get in

Open from 9-10 AM daily; other locations on Sand Lake Rd and in Lake Mary.

The bar that kicked off Nashville's cocktail scene in 2009, now perched on a fifth floor. The entrance is around back on Paseo Place, so it still feels like a secret. A grown-up break from Broadway honky-tonks.

What to order

A stirred whiskey classic from the bartenders.

How to get in

Moved in May 2025 to 700 8th Ave S, 5th floor; enter from Paseo Pl. behind the building. Mostly walk-in, limited reservations.

Down an alley and down the stairs into a basement bar with a newspaper-style menu (the 'Alley Cat Rag'). A perfect nightcap after a Savannah ghost tour.

What to order

Fig'et About It (fig-leaf-infused bourbon) from the rotating menu.

How to get in

Alley entrance at 207 W. Broughton Lane; closed Sundays.

Locals call it maybe the best bar in the Charleston area: a cozy neighborhood bourbon den with single-barrel picks and food that surprises. It's off the King Street tourist path, which is exactly why we like it.

What to order

A single-barrel bourbon pick or an egg-white whiskey sour; private bourbon tastings available (from $115/person).

How to get in

Two locations; brunch on weekends.

Tucked down a cobbled downtown alley, this is the bar Memphis bartenders go to after their shift. It has downtown's deepest bourbon, whiskey and Scotch shelf.

What to order

The Tennessee Bourbon Flight, or a Barboro Sour.

How to get in

Located in an alley at 117 Barboro Alley; open Tue-Sat from 4 PM.

Proof there's more to Myrtle Beach than mini golf: 120+ bourbons and whiskeys, including rare finds like Pappy Van Winkle and WhistlePig, in a laid-back lounge.

What to order

A neat pour (it's in the name), maybe a rare Kentucky or Tennessee bottle; ask what's in stock.

How to get in

Closed Sundays & Mondays; 21+.

The only spot in the French Quarter where we can drink, smoke and eat under one roof, thanks to a grandfathered exemption tied to the address. Judges, musicians and tourists share the same leather chairs.

What to order

A Sazerac or a Scotch/bourbon pairing with a Padrón or Arturo Fuente from the hand-built cedar humidor.

How to get in

Open daily 11 AM-2 AM. Food from Pig Out NOLA next door.

A punk-rock dive with jukeboxes and pool tables that just happens to have one of the Midwest's deepest whiskey collections. It hosts the Whiskies on Lincoln festival every summer.

What to order

Ask the bartender for an obscure American whiskey; tastings run often.

How to get in

Open late (till 3 AM Saturdays).

Head downstairs in historic Green Door Tavern and find the hidden door on the right. It opens onto a tiny Prohibition-style room. Cozy and a bit theatrical.

What to order

Craft cocktails from the rotating menu.

How to get in

Hidden door in Green Door Tavern's basement (676-8 N Orleans St). No reservations; Wed/Thu are calmer. Closed Sun-Tue.

A clubby suburban-Detroit spot where we can have a full bistro dinner, a martini and a cigar from the walk-in humidor at the same table, a rare combo in the Midwest.

What to order

Daily happy hour (noon-6 PM) martini specials with a cigar.

How to get in

No reservations.

A historic, velvet-draped Milwaukee lounge that recently won one of the cocktail world's top honors (a Tales of the Cocktail award). Grown-up, retro and totally unexpected.

What to order

Ask the bartender for a whiskey classic built to your taste.

How to get in

Reservations for the upstairs Velvet Lounge Thu-Sat (parties 2-8); walk-ins welcome; no groups over 8. Closed Mondays.

Follow the octopus mural down to an alley door and look for the green lantern: green means there's room, so knock. Inside it's spirits and cocktails only, with no beer, wine or food.

What to order

My Fiona (Japanese whisky and matcha) or a stirred whiskey classic.

How to get in

Main entrance in the east alley (210 W. 19th Terrace). Cash only, no reservations, closed Sun-Mon.

We head underground beneath the Ambassador Hotel into a Prohibition-style lounge that pays homage to the old Dockum Drugstore once on this spot. The 'pharmacists' build craft cocktails with house-made bitters and syrups, and local musicians play several nights a week. We were there in July 2026.

What to order

A handcrafted cocktail (house-made bitters, syrups and fresh-squeezed juices) with a few small bites.

How to get in

Below the Ambassador Hotel, 104 S Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202. Reservations not required but highly recommended. Open Mon-Thu 6 PM-midnight, Fri-Sat 6 PM-1 AM; closed Sundays.

Tucked away off Kellogg and Dugan, this hidden-door speakeasy pours classic cocktails in a dim, intimate bar from 7 to 10 PM, then turns into a late-night lounge until 2. There's a private patio, too.

What to order

The signature Old Fashioned, ordered smoked; there's a short cigar menu (Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Rocky Patel and more).

How to get in

6339 W. Kellogg Dr. Open Tue-Sat 7 PM-2 AM; closed Sun-Mon. Reservations recommended for groups of 6+.

Heads up: Cigars are on the menu, but the bar doesn't say whether you can smoke inside or only on the patio; call ahead.

A downtown Houston landmark since 2008 with 1,000+ whiskies from 16 countries, plus vintage bottles going back to 1916. It was the first bar in Texas to pour vintage spirits.

What to order

A custom flight across the bar, or a pour from the vintage & rare library.

How to get in

Open daily 4 PM-2 AM; happy hour 4-6 PM.

A 100-plus-year-old building with three moods: a main bar, a speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf, and a third-floor cigar lounge with leather chairs. Cowtown cool.

What to order

A signature or classic cocktail from the spirits collection; cigars from the lounge humidor.

How to get in

The speakeasy needs the weekly password (posted on @thompsonsftw on Facebook and Instagram). Speakeasy open Wed-Sat evenings; no reservations; no food; smart-casual dress.

Beneath one of San Antonio's classic saloons sits a moody River Walk-level lounge with a serious whiskey list. A perfect escape from the margarita crowds.

What to order

Bourbon or rye from a list that includes Blanton's, Weller, Willett and WhistlePig.

How to get in

Riverwalk-level entrance below 155 E. Commerce St.; open Wed-Sun.

Since 2015 this Old Town lounge has paired a walk-in humidor with 400+ spirits, including 200+ whiskies, bourbons and Scotches. A swanky desert-night hangout.

What to order

Ask for a barrel pick or a cigar-and-whiskey pairing recommendation.

How to get in

Open daily from morning until 2 AM.

We walk into El Rey Liquors, whisper the password, and follow staff through a walk-in-freezer door down to a hidden bar. It's pure Breaking Bad-town fun.

What to order

Signature cocktails using their house-infused spirits.

How to get in

Weekly password posted on their website/Instagram (@foundersabq).

A speakeasy-style cigar bar in a college town with 350+ whiskey bottles and properly made classics. A real small-city surprise, with a sister location in OKC.

What to order

An Old Fashioned (their specialty), with a cigar.

How to get in

Also in Oklahoma City.

Right on the Strip, a humidor holding up to 1,000 cigars with cocktails and the game on. It's an easy between-shows retreat.

What to order

A Montecristo with a whiskey or cocktail.

How to get in

21+. Reservations available; private Clubhouse seating for up to 10.

Inside Denver's grand 1892 Brown Palace Hotel: leather armchairs, dark wood and a walk-in humidor. It's one of the few places in Colorado where we can still smoke indoors with a pour.

What to order

Single malts and small-batch bourbons; one 2025 visitor raved about a Liga Privada No. 9 with Blanton's.

How to get in

Walk-in only (memberships offered); 90-minute table limit; $25 cutting fee on outside cigars unless you spend $25+ per person. Smart-casual dress.

We walk into what looks like an old bookstore, and a bookcase swings open into one of America's most decorated bars (once named Best American Cocktail Bar). It has 500+ bottles and 60+ classic cocktails.

What to order

Ask for a bespoke whiskey cocktail made to your mood, or a classic from their 60+ list.

How to get in

Bookcase entrance. Reservations recommended; plan for a 2-hour visit. There's also a Denver airport outpost near Gate A38.

Order at Bodega, a street-level tavern, then slip down to The Rest, a moody basement with 1920s decor, vinyl and a deep whiskey list. It's a fun twist in Utah.

What to order

Something local from High West, or a single-barrel pour from the whiskey list.

How to get in

The basement entrance is through Bodega at 331 S. Main St. Reservations are recommended Thu-Sat; 21+.

Down in a basement below an Asian bistro on Main Street, this small-town whiskey hideout collects rare bottles from around the world. 'Come for the food, stay for the whiskey.'

What to order

A whiskey flight from their rare-bottle collection.

How to get in

Basement suite below Sweet Chili's Asian Bistro, 101 E. Main St.

It calls itself 'the last bastion of civilization in an otherwise hostile smoking environment.' It's owner-operated, with a mahogany bar, a great crowd of regulars, and one of the only legal places to smoke and drink indoors in SF.

What to order

One of 150+ spirits with a Padrón or Liga Privada from the humidors.

How to get in

Walk-ins, no reservations. $20 minimum per person; $10 cutting fee for your own cigars; no flavored cigars.

A true Prohibition-era speakeasy address where we ring a buzzer and give a password to get in. There are several hidden bars inside, including the secret Wilson & Wilson.

What to order

A bourbon cocktail in the walk-in Library.

How to get in

Main bar: book on OpenTable to get the night's password. The Library: no reservation, ring the buzzer and say 'books'. Wilson & Wilson has its own password.

Hidden at the back of Seven Grand, LA's big whiskey bar, is an 18-seat whiskey sanctuary with vinyl jazz and a no-phones vibe. It's rare Japanese and American pours, with real conversation.

What to order

A rare Japanese or American whiskey.

How to get in

Inside Seven Grand (515 W. 7th St, 2nd floor). Reservations recommended: email [email protected] or call. Parties of 4 or fewer, with phones away.

A membership-based whiskey library housing a huge collection of spirits. Non-members can still get in with a Hall Pass, which feels like being let into a secret club.

What to order

Let the staff build you a pour or flight; tastings and cocktail classes run often.

How to get in

Membership bar. Non-members book a $25 Hall Pass on SevenRooms (up to 6 people, 2 hours, sparkling toast), up to two weeks ahead.

Tucked into the edge of the vintage Bagdad Theater, this little European-style den does cigars, port, single-malt Scotch and top-shelf whiskey. It's one of the rare indoor cigar spots on the West Coast.

What to order

A single malt or a 'cigar & Porto' nightcap with a Dominican or Honduran smoke.

How to get in

21+, on the western edge of the Bagdad Theater; open 3 PM daily.

A tiny Capitol Hill bar with one of the largest spirits collections in the country, more than 4,000 labels. It's mind-boggling in the best way.

What to order

A whiskey or Scotch pour, or one of their creative cocktails.

How to get in

Open Wed-Sun from 5 PM. Mostly walk-in; limited prepaid reservations for 2-4 people; parties max 4.