World’s top ten whisky bars
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Pratishtha Rana- 8 minutes read
Pratishtha Rana
Every year, on the third Saturday of May, whisky connoisseurs from around the world celebrate World Whisky Day. Founded by Blair Bowman in 2012 as part of a university project, the day gained popularity as it showcased whiskies from all corners of the world.
Dearly known as the water of life, some prefer their whisky neat and others as a base for cocktails. From vintage editions to more exotic drams, these bars have the best collections of whiskies in the world.
Read: Sotheby’s largest online spirit sale, Japanese Karuizawa whisky sells for $60,000 plus
The Junction, Taj Bengal Hotel, Kolkata
Listed on the World Whisky Day’s official website as one of the eight best whisky bars, The Junction in Kolkata’s regal Taj Bengal Hotel is a vintage railway-themed bar and lounge. There is a huge selection of rare whiskies here and in focus are single malts – Single Malt Lagavulin 16 years, Cragganmore 12 years, Dalwhinnie 15 years and Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 years are a few special ones on the menu.
The Library Bar, The Leela Palace, New Delhi
Tiny bites, classic reads and happy highs amidst a lavish rooftop bar is how The Leela Palace describes the experience at The Library Bar, New Delhi. It houses over 172 brands of whiskies including The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Glenfiddich and Chivas Regal, alongside selections of Indian malts, bourbons, Japanese whiskies, Irish whiskies, rye whisky and more.
Devil’s Place, Hotel Waldhaus am See, St. Moritz
Home to the collection of more than 2500 whiskies, Devil’s Place is touted as one of the largest whisky bars after it secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The list includes blended malts and whiskies, grain whisky, American and Canadian whisky, Japanese whisky, Irish whisky and even Indian malts. The owner of the bar, Claudio Bernasconi’s love for Indian whisky goes back to the late 80s when he visited India. He couldn’t find safe drinking water, so, on a friend’s suggestion began brushing his teeth with whisky. Bernasconi developed a liking for Indian whisky and this ultimately led him to open the largest whisky bar in St. Moritz!
The Auld Alliance, Singapore
Extravagant interiors and even more appealing trove of unique whiskies, The Auld Alliance in Singapore is every whisky lover’s haven. A daunting 70-page menu lists over 1,500 labels from Scotland, Ireland, America and Japan.
Seven Grand, Los Angeles
Seven Grand is a hunting-themed whisky bar, which stores some of the most outstanding dram varieties. Its 17-page menu features 700 kinds of whiskies, from rye, scotch and bourbons to American and Canadian whiskies as well as others from Belgium, France, Australia and Mexico.
Baxter Inn, Sydney
Imagine antique wooden ladders reaching out to a massive collection of whiskies in a lavish bar; that’s Baxter Inn in Sydney.
Tokyo Whisky Library, Japan
Touted as one of Tokyo’s top whisky experiences by Japan’s Metropolis Magazine, Tokyo Whisky Library treasures over 1,000 international and domestic whiskies. Michito Kaneko, who was crowned as the world’s best bartender by Diageo in 2015, whips up his signature whisky cocktails at the bar.
Dornoch Castle Hotel, Scotland
Dornoch Castle Hotel has been recognized as the Scottish Field Whisky Bar of the year by whiskybase.com. Located close to leading Highland distilleries like Dalmore and Glenmorangie, Dornoch’s whisky bar offers a plethora of old, rare whiskies, and has its own micro-distillery, too. It also hosts whisky tasting sessions.
The Golf Bar, ITC Maurya
Designed with sophisticated, English country club styled interiors, The Golf Bar is known to serve the most premium scotches and malt whiskies.
Bascule Bar, Cape Town
With stunning views of Cape Town’s The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Bascule Bar is a part of Cape Grace Hotel. The bar hosts its guests with over 400 choices of whiskies from across the globe, exclusive whisky tastings and perfect sundowners and live music events.
