WHISKY BARS

[The Dazzler]

This poll is to establish what is expected of a whisky bar.

plenty of bars can be "whisky bars" if they say so!!

Are folks looking for range to choose from, knowledge of staff, the manner a whisky might be served!! Most people here know what they want but think about about what a bar should offer not only yourselves but for novices also.

All options may well be expected to some but you can only choose one!

Feel free to add extras expected of a so called whisky bar!!

if range how many whiskies are expected?
if staff knowledge what is expected of them?
and how do you wish your whisky to be served?

Slainte

[Deactivated Member]

1) An interesting range. 150 or 200 bottles is nice, but I've been in pubs with fewer than twenty that were still interesting. Of course, they probably wouldn't be every Friday night for a year!

2) Knowledgeable staff. I don't expect the barman or barmaid to be able to provide tasting notes on every bottle available, but he or she should be sympathetic to whisky, have broad and basic knowledge of it, and try to keep up with the available bottlings, at least to the point of knowing what they are.

3) Proper glassware. There are a number of acceptable options.

4) Good atmosphere, conducive to conversation. No loud music or tv--better yet, none at all. Ditto for game machines.

5) A decent pint.

[Bullie]

Impossible to vote... All of the above and MrT kind of covered it all.

[les taylor]

I think Mr T has covered it all and when he says a good pint we are talking about an ale aren't we. Lager and whisky is just such a bad combination, a bit like kippers and custard.

Just to digress slightly Going into a whisky bar looking at the selection and thinking my humble offerings are home are so much more extensive and inviting. Its like going into a drinks shop having a look and walking out because you've got more than they have, and they have nothing you want, and your not even selling the stuff.

[Deactivated Member]

Another vote for Mr. T. Here.

Your "Something other" option should really be "Something of each from the above options".

MT

[Deactivated Member]

All of the above

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Yes some parts of all of the above but also a good athmosphere a bit of everything so I voted other.

[Di Blasi]

An excellent thread with excellent comments! Gonna have to keep following this one, and print it out for my staff! Thanks!

[Deactivated Member]

Would like to add to interesting range: an ever-changing and evolving range, to keep interest piqued. That most likely means some IB's if at all possible.

[Frodo]

5) A decent pint.

I don't think Mr. TH was talking about beer. Interesting - that's a largish serving of whisky...

[Mr Fjeld]

An excellent thread with excellent comments! Gonna have to keep following this one, and print it out for my staff! Thanks!

It's also an excellent bar you run - in many ways a result from your expertise and attitude!

[lexvo]

On my vacation in Portugal I ordered a Lagavulin 16.
I received the following:
- the whisky (of course)
- a glass of water
- a glass with ice cubes (which I didn't need but nevertheless)
- a chocolate

Now THAT was a whisky bar

[Di Blasi]

An excellent thread with excellent comments! Gonna have to keep following this one, and print it out for my staff! Thanks!

It's also an excellent bar you run - in many ways a result from your expertise and attitude!

Thanks Mr Fjeld!! I do my best, and always trying to improve! I think about what I want to find in a whisky bar, and adapt it Terminus Whisky Bar.
I think it's also important for the frequent guest/visitor, ie "regular" to find that their favorite whisky bar continues to increase the selection and range and keep the enthusiasm of their guests up! I also feel a good whisky bar should offer tastings, private ones and ones open to the public, on a regular basis. Whisky is an interesting, historical and exciting product that deserves to be enjoyed thoroughly and shared with new and old enthusiasts alike!

[Ardbeg311]

I voted for how it is served. Although the example given was the kind of glass the whisky is served in, I think the option also allows for how the staff actually serves its patrons. Yes, a "good whisky bar" should have a strong selection of different kinds of whisky, yes the owners need to keep abreast of the new malts/bourbons, yes the staff should at least have some basic knowledge of whisky regions, yes glassware is important on some level, and yes the atmosphere should not be loud and toxic. However, it seems to me all these good things can be undone by a rude, uncaring, and offensive staff. If the staff is able to communicate that they want and appreciate your business then the bar will be able to compensate for a little weakness in some of these other areas.

[Di Blasi]

I voted for how it is served. Although the example given was the kind of glass the whisky is served in, I think the option also allows for how the staff actually serves its patrons. Yes, a "good whisky bar" should have a strong selection of different kinds of whisky, yes the owners need to keep abreast of the new malts/bourbons, yes the staff should at least have some basic knowledge of whisky regions, yes glassware is important on some level, and yes the atmosphere should not be loud and toxic. However, it seems to me all these good things can be undone by a rude, uncaring, and offensive staff. If the staff is able to communicate that they want and appreciate your business then the bar will be able to compensate for a little weakness in some of these other areas.

Yes, I agree Ardbeg311! Very well said! Service is crucial! All the money and perfection can't be spent and used into opening a great whisky bar, but staff can quickly mess all that up!

[Deactivated Member]

I was tempted to take the obvious route and vote for the range of whiskies, but a knowledgeable staff will lead to a commensurate range of whiskies and proper service.

[Choochoo]

I went with the staff. But at this point I'd take whatever I can get anyway. There are NO good whisky bars in the city of Hartford or surrounding towns. A few places may have 5 - 10 bottles that are fairly common, so if at least the bartender/staff knows a little something of single malts I can accept the somewhat poor selections.

One nearby Bar/restaurant has 6 Scott's Selections in stock, all in the 20-30yo old range, all going for about $30 a glass. However, I'd swear that no one working there knows the slightest thing about the stuff, I went there with a gift card and had a drink (an Ardmore), they had to make sure I wanted a snifter, not rocks glass, and no ice in it.

Perhaps someday I'll open a whisky bar in my town - there would be zero competionion, that's one thing for sure

but enough of my rant....

[mikeymad]

One more for : All of the above

[Jan]

I agree to most of the above. As long as the staff is friendly and professional, it does not matter much if they dont' know anything... I usually chose on my own anyways.

If I may add a few points; A printed list of available malts - updated, accurate and with as many details as possible included. It is great to be able to sit at your table, sipping your dram and contemplating the next great experience.
Not so great to stand at the bar, squinting and straining to read the small print on bottles behind the bar.

Mr. TH is quite right to say an interesting selection. I would like to add that it should change regularly, if I should be a regular customer. It should also be selected with care.

I infrequently frequent (can I say that? Where's Mr. Picky when I need him...) a bar that fails miserably on most points - but they do have a nice selection, which changes often. It includes quite a few IBs and it seems that every whisky they stock is just great

[Ann-Helen]

I have to agree with everything above .
Since I have small children it`s not easy to just go to a whiskybar.
So we have created our own bar we have a bar menu which we update when we get something new.
That menu is important to me because when we have friends over or I just want to relax and have a whisky Ican take the menu (all the information needed is in here ) and pick what ever I want since it is impossible to remember everything.
And the bar staff is wonderful (that would be my husband)
The only downside is I Have to wash the glasses ,well that`s actually not too bad.

[Di Blasi]

I have to agree with everything above .
Since I have small children it`s not easy to just go to a whiskybar.
So we have created our own bar we have a bar menu which we update when we get something new.
That menu is important to me because when we have friends over or I just want to relax and have a whisky Ican take the menu (all the information needed is in here ) and pick what ever I want since it is impossible to remember everything.
And the bar staff is wonderful (that would be my husband)
The only downside is I Have to wash the glasses ,well that`s actually not too bad.

What are your opening/closing hours???

[Ann-Helen]

Well if you`re near by you can come around just let me know we are very flexible.

[Muskrat Portage]

Ann-Helen:
Gee. same thing I do, except I'm the bartender and the glass washer too. Relaxed and knowledgeble staff is the byword in my whisky pub. I'd decided to update the "menu" that I keep printed at the bar, placing the opened selections on the front and the sealed on the back. The difficulty is they seem to migrate to the front on a regular basis, which requires an update yet again!
Muskrat

[Deactivated Member]

Every time I see this discussion title "Whisky Bars" I think to myself "must have one!"


Are they available alongside Mars Bars, Milky Way, Bounty ............

[toshie]

What you all said

[Lawrence]

I voted for the range of whiskies, it's too much to hope for the staff to know a lot but it's really nice when they do.

[Di Blasi]

Every time I see this discussion title "Whisky Bars" I think to myself "must have one!"


Are they available alongside Mars Bars, Milky Way, Bounty ............

Ha ha ha, deep fried too!!!

[Deactivated Member]

I infrequently frequent (can I say that? Where's Mr. Picky when I need him...)....

Mr Picky is simply speechless!

[Jan]

I infrequently frequent (can I say that? Where's Mr. Picky when I need him...)....

Mr Picky is simply speechless!

Now, if one could only figure out how to do the same to Mr. P's sidekick...

[Deactivated Member]

Sidekick?

It's his drop kick and uppercut you should worry about!

[Paul A Jellis]

All three, what use is a large range if some spotty oik serves it to you in a tumbler full of ice.

[lbacha]

I voted for a knowledgeble staff, if the staff knows and understands whisky then the rest will come because they will promote the product which will then create a demand for more and better bottles and proper glassware. You can have the others but without a good serving staff to promote it then the large range and great glasses will be wasted and possibly even dissapear as the owner realizes the product isn't selling like they wanted it to.
Len

[TheLaddie]

What defines a whisky bar? It is a bar that sells whisky.

What defines a good whisky bar?

Good, interesting and evolving range.

Decent glassware. Not only tumblers.

Fair pricing.

Friendly knowlegeable staff who enjoy talking shop with the clientelle.

Good seating and clean loos.

Most importantly, a good clientelle!

[Deactivated Member]

What everyone else said - with one addition:

Smoke-free atmosphere!

I remember walking out of the Pot Still in Glasgow once because, despite the good range, Glencairn glasses, whisky menu, real ale, semi-knowledgable staff - I couldn't breathe. I saw no point in paying for expensive whisky that I could neither taste nor enjoy.

I was a real sceptic about the smoking ban when it first came in last year. But I think it has transformed Scotland's public places for the better - especially the whisky bars.

[Di Blasi]

Yes, definitely smoke-free!!! How else are you supposed to nose the whisky?! And of course, the staff shouldn't be wearing any heavy perfumes, or "scents" of any kind either! So glad Norway went smoke-free a few years back!