On a cold January day three years ago, I went to see my friends’ band play at the opening of a tiny bar in Nulu with an impressive craft beer selection. I was more into beer at that point than bourbon, but I ended up having bourbon that night anyway. In the beginning, the main room was all there was to sit in and the bar was tiny and shoved into the back corner, right across from the bathroom. There were 50 craft beers and 50 whiskeys available then and, while the beer selection is still awesome, it’s the bourbon that gets most people in the door these days.
Over the last three years, I’ve watched Haymarket Whiskey Bar evolve and change. They’ve moved and expanded the bar, added more bourbons and other whiskeys to the lineup, and they now have package sales. They have an event space in the back for shows as well as a Dr. Who Pinball machine and plenty of other vintage arcade games. Through all those changes, it has remained a fun and cozy space where I love to hang out with my bourbon-loving friends. I also like that I can walk in and order just about any bourbon that comes to mind, though I usually stick with a J.T.S. Brown BIB on the rocks.
Haymarket has garnered attention from local, national, and even international media over the years, including Thrillist and The Carouser in the UK. They conduct whiskey education classes and have Master Distiller nights once a month. There’s always something fun going on at the Haymarket.
Friday night January 23 Haymarket will celebrate its third birthday. There will be DJs and more starting at 8 p.m. Click here for details. Happy birthday and cheers to my favorite bourbon bar in town!
Photos Courtesy of Haymarket Whiskey Bar
