Best Whisky Bars in Melbourne
Melbourne has really lifted its whisky game of late. At the top bars, it's not uncommon to find four, five or even six hundred bottles in stock. Some of the rarer labels can be hard for the average consumer to acquire: they need to be bought at auction, or claimed with a deposit before they've even left the barrel.
Of course, getting the whisky (or "whiskey" if it comes from America or Ireland) is only half the job. All the bars on this list have the service, knowledge and ambience to back it up. Get sipping.
Read more:
Best Cocktail Bars in Melbourne
Bar
Whisky and Alement
Melbourne's first serious whisky bar and still a contender for the best.
Bar
The Melbourne Whisky Room
Whisky and Alement's quieter upstairs sibling.
Bar
The Elysian
280 bottles, many of them rare or one-offs.
Bar
The Kilburn
A CBD-quality bar in the suburbs? Believe it.
Bar
Carwyn Cellars
Better known as a beer bar. Shouldn't be.
Bar
1806
This former theatre restaurant packs 110 whiskies, and it knows how to use them.
Bar
Beneath Driver Lane
Moody blues and dark spirits rule at this cavernous, below-ground bar. Descend the stairs on Driver Lane for an extensive cocktail list, short-order French snacks and fancy toasties served till extra late. Or proceed to the intimate whisky cellar for a private tasting.
Bar
Buck Mulligan’s
Packed with obscure Irish whiskeys; and literature to borrow or buy.
Bar
Strangeloves Wine Bar
Nominally it's a wine bar, but Strangeloves regulars know about its handy list of 40 or so whiskies, replete with individual tasting notes. Most come from Scotland, but there's also a good number from Japan, Australia, Ireland and the US.
Bar
Goodwater
A welcoming spot for whiskey dates, cocktails with friends or just sitting at the bar. Make mates over a beer and bowl of pickle fries, while you learn your ryes from your bourbons.
