Courier Journal's Bourbon Bracket Showdown: Round 1 voting
Calling all bourbon lovers! Introducing the Courier Journal's Bourbon Bar Showdown, where 32 competitors vying for the title of Louisville's favorite bourbon bar will go head-to-head in a bracket-style challenge.
The 32 competitors have been randomly assigned to matchups and regions. Round 1 features 16 matchups.
Voting for Round 1 opens at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, and closes at midnight on Monday, Feb. 27.
Below are the 16 matchups in the Round of 23.
Matchup 1: Charr'd Bourbon Kitchen & Lounge vs. Porch Kitchen and Bar
Charr'd Bourbon Kitchen & Lounge
1903 Embassy Square Blvd., Jeffersonville, marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sdfls-louisville-marriott-east/dining/, Hours: Open every 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Charr'd Bourbon Kitchen & Lounge inside the Louisville Marriott East is a bourbon-inspired restaurant. You can sample some of its 200 varieties of bourbon and indulge in dishes made with local and regional ingredients.
Porch Kitchen and Bar
280 W. Jefferson St., porchlouisville.com, Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5-10 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5-10 p.m.Related image (ID: 110533938)
Porch Kitchen and Bar in downtown Louisville at the Marriott Hotel serves comfort food and an impressive bourbon and cocktail menu.
Matchup 2: The Pearl vs. Merle's Whiskey Kitchen
The Pearl
1151 Goss Ave., facebook.com/ThePearlofGermantown, Hours: Open every day from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.
This funky neighborhood tavern boasts, string lighting, a retro feel, plus bar games and old-school music, according to its social pages. It also features an impressive single-barrel bourbon program.
Merle's Whiskey Kitchen
122 W Main St., merleswhiskeykitchen.com, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight
This downtown bar was were recently named one of America’s Best Bourbon Bars and features a wide selection of bourbon plus draft beers, cocktails, and mixed drinks. Merle's Whiskey Kitchen is also certified by the Stave & Thief Society and is on the Urban Bourbon Trail. It features six hand-picked barrels, including ones from Buffalo Trace, Jefferson's Reserve, and Maker's Mark 46.
Matchup 3: Doc Crow's Bourbon Room vs. Down One Bourbon Bar
Doc Crow's Bourbon Room
127 W. Main St., doccrows.com, Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This bar in downtown Louisville, which sits in the space behind Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar, boasts "the widest selection" of bourbon found in Kentucky, according to its website.
Down One Bourbon Bar
321 W Main St., downonebourbonbar.com, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Down One Bourbon Bar in downtown Louisville is known for its modern, fast-casual approach to southern food. It boasts a wide bourbon selection and a variety of flights, including one called "Walkable Whiskey," which includes pours from distilleries within walking distance of the restaurant.
Matchup 4: 21st in Germantown vs. Pin + Proof
21st In Germantown
1481 S. Shelby St., 21stgermantown.com, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., Sunday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
This Germantown bar and restaurant is located in a historic building and serves burgers and sandwiches, wings, tenders, mac & cheese balls, sides and two desserts. The bar serves beer and cocktails, has an extensive bourbon collection and the venue hosts regular live music and karaoke events.
Pin + Proof
400 S. 4th St., omnihotels.com/hotels/louisville/dining/pin-and-proof, Hours: Open 24 hours
As you turn left off of the lobby of the Omni Louisville Hotel in downtown, look for the discreet mural that spells out "shhh" to discover this speakeasy, which offers a wide variety of bourbons in a cozy environment.
Matchup 5: Old Seelbach Bar vs. Brown Hotel Lobby Bar
Old Seelbach Bar
500 S 4th. St., seelbachhilton.com/dining, Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
This authentically restored, early 1900s bar features an expansive bourbon collection at the historic Seelbach Hilton Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Brown Hotel Lobby Bar
335 W Broadway, brownhotel.com/dining/lobby-bar, Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m., Sunday, 5-9 p.m.
The Brown Hotel Lobby Bar is known for its bourbon and American bar fare served in an elegant, old-world atmosphere. It also serves a variety of curated bourbon flights in addition to dozens of bourbons, including Willett Rye 17-year, which goes for $300 a pour.
Matchup 6: Sway vs. Neat Bourbon Bar
Sway
720 W. Jefferson St., hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/kentucky/hyatt-regency-louisville, Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 7-10 a.m., Wednesday-Friday, 7-10 a.m., 5-10 p.m., Saturday, 7-11 a.m., 5-10 p.m., Sunday, 7-11 a.m.,
Sway is a farm-to-table restaurant located inside the Hyatt Regency in downtown Louisville and has an impressive bourbon and cocktail list.
Neat Bourbon Bar
1139 Bardstown Road, neatbottlebar.com, Hours: Monday-Friday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday, 11 a.m., to 12 a.m., and Sunday 1-10 p.m.
Neat Bourbon Bar is a vintage bourbon bar and bottle shop located on Bardstown Road in the Highlands. This bar will offer a plethora of different bourbons at a $5-10 price point all the way up to a "black card" experience for more rare and expensive bottles.
Matchup 7: Silver Dollar vs. Bourbons Bistro
Silver Dollar
1761 Frankfort Ave., whiskeybythedrink.com, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday, 5-11:30 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This historic Frankfort Avenue bar and restaurant embodies all things bourbon, with its slogan "Whiskey by the drink." The Silver Dollar serves bourbon flights, classic cocktails, wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks.
Bourbons Bistro
2255 Frankfort Ave., bourbonsbistro.com/, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4:30-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 4:30-11 p.m.
Bourbons Bistro makes its home in historic Clifton in a building dating back to the 1870s. It offers a seasonal menu that is bourbon inspired and locally sourced and has more than 130 bourbons, including a barrel selection program, according to its website.
National-recognized bourbon expert Fred Minnick said, "without Bourbons Bistro anchoring bourbon’s core market, there’s a strong chance Kentucky’s largest city would never have been motivated to support bourbon."
Matchup 8: Gertie's Whiskey Bar vs. 8Up
Gertie's Whiskey Bar
821 E Market St., gertieswhiskeybar.com/speakeasy, Hours: Monday, 4-10 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday 2-10 p.m.
This speakeasy in the NuLu Marketplace serves more than 100 bottles of whiskey and 11 single-barrel selects chosen by chef Matt Bolus, who also heads a bar in Nashville. All cocktails at the Gertie's are $14 and include classics like an old fashioned, margarita, vesper and spring sangria. The bar also serves about a dozen kinds of beer and wine.
8Up
350 W. Chestnut St., 8uplouisville.com, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.
This trendy bar and restaurant sit at the top of the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Louisville. An open-air rooftop bar boasts views of the city and eclectic New American fare, craft cocktails and more. This bar also features a private select Bulleit bourbon among its dozens of offerings.
Calling all bourbon lovers! Introducing the Courier Journal's Bourbon Bar Showdown, where 32 competitors vying for the title of Louisville's favorite bourbon bar will go head-to-head in a bracket-style challenge.
The 32 competitors have been randomly assigned to matchups and regions. Round 1 features 16 matchups.
Voting for Round 1 opens at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, and closes at midnight on Monday, Feb. 27.
Below are the eight matchups in the Bottoms Up and Neat regions.
Click here to access the eight Round 1 matchups in the Kentucky Hug and On The Rocks regions.
Matchup 9: Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar vs. Barn 8
Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar
140 N 4th St., jockeysilksbourbonbar.com/, Hours: Open every day, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This bar on the second floor of The Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville, Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar is one of the original locations on the Urban Bourbon Trail and offers a large collection of bourbon and whiskey that will appeal to any type of bourbon drinker.
Barn 8
10500 W Hwy 42, Goshen, hermitagefarm.com/food-bourbon/barn8-restaurant/, Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Barn 8 at Hermitage Farm is one of the handfuls of bars around Louisville that buys vintage bottles from private sellers to offer as part of its collection. It boasts a large collection of bourbon, including Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace and Mitchter's.
Matchup 10: Watch Hill Proper vs. Corner Flavors of Kentucky
Watch Hill Proper
11201 River Beauty Loop, watchhillproper.com, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.,
Watch Hill Proper opened in mid-2022 in a sprawling, 5,200-square-foot space in Norton Commons. The front waiting room has a name —The Fermenter — and its own bar. Inside, leather chairs are spread out in lounge seating, with low light and bourbon barrels on display. Parties are seated and waited on by barkeepers at their seats.
This premier bourbon club will have an extensive whiskey collection of more than 1,500 unique bottles, a wine list, and a unique cocktail program. Executive chef Michael Crouch leads the kitchen, serving items like tartare dishes ($17-$22), a-la-carte charcuterie (market price), and dishes like a salad, lobster hush puppies, and Bolognese meatballs ($11-$19). Cocktails are $12 to $16.
Corner Flavors of Kentucky
102 W Main St., cornerlouisville.com/, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday, 5-10 p.m.
Corner Flavors of Kentucky at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Louisville, dishes up modern Southern fare and local twists on classic recipes right on historic Whiskey Row, according to its website.
Matchup 11: Levee Bourbon Lounge vs. North of Bourbon
Levee Bourbon Lounge
3015 River Road, leveebourbonlounge.com, Hours: Friday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m.
Levee Bourbon Lounge is an upscale bourbon bar attached to River House Restaurant and Raw Bar at 3015 River Road. It boasts views of the Ohio River alongside an impressive bourbon menu.
North of Bourbon
935 Goss Ave., facebook.com/NorthofBourbon, Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
This bourbon bar and restaurant features a southern-inspired menu, cocktails, beer and more than 300 bourbons. The crawfish boudin balls are a North of Bourbon staple, but the seasonal shrimp yakamein is a top seller. Synonymous with New Orleans drinking culture, the dish — made with gulf shrimp sausage, local spaghetti, Louisiana chili crisp, scallions, crispy onions, and shrimp broth — is said to cure a hangover.
Matchup 12: Taj Louisville vs. Varanese
Taj Louisville
807 E. Market St., gotolouisville.com/directory/taj-louisville/, Hours: Monday-Friday, 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., Saturday-Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Taj Louisville sits in the heart of Louisville's NuLu neighborhood. It's known for its late-night hours and commitment to bourbon cocktails.
Varanese
2106 Frankfort Ave., varanese.com, Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m.
Varanese's eclectic menu boasts an array of fresh ingredients prepared creatively, and a culturally diverse menu, not to mention its extensive bourbon program. Guests can order a variety of bourbon flights, plus numerous bourbon-forward cocktails.
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Matchup 13: Proof on Main vs. Volare
Proof on Main
702 W. Main St., proofonmain.com, Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Proof on Main at 21c Hotel in downtown menu boasts a menu that showcases a unique, modern approach to locally-sourced cuisine. It also has an extensive bourbon list and cocktail program.
Volare
2300 Frankfort Ave., volare-restaurant.com, Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 4:30-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 4:30-11 p.m.
Volare Italian Ristorante is known for a menu that changes seasonally based on locally sourced farm fresh items and house-made products. It boasts an extensive wine menu, dozens of bourbons and a variety of bourbon flights, including one that features a Maker’s Mark Volare Private Select.
Matchup 14: Outlook Inn vs. Trouble Bar
Outlook Inn
916 Baxter Ave., instagram.com/outlookinn_louisville, Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The Outlook Inn is a local neighborhood tavern that has been owned and operated by the same family since 1974 and has operated as some type of tavern since 1860. It's known for its top-notch Bloody Marys and a "secret" bourbon menu for those in the know.
Trouble Bar
1149 S. Shelby St., matsongilman.com/trouble-bar, Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 5-11 p.m., Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.,
Trouble Bar, owned by Nicole Stipp and Kaitlyn Soligan-Owens, opened in August 2019. The bar is led by a staff of many people of color, serving up curated whiskey flights & classic cocktails. It's cozy at 1,800 square feet, with leather seats, custom stools and a couch. "Whiskey got me into trouble" is the promise painted on the outside of the building, and the bar's name comes from a quote from civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, who said to "make good trouble" with activism.
Matchup 15: Brendon's Catch 23 vs. Sidebar at Whiskey Row
Brendon's Catch 23
505 S 4th St., bcatch23.com, Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Brendon's Catch 23 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Louisville Downtown is known for its seafood and steaks with low-country sides served in a sophisticated setting. According to its website,Brendon's bar program features more than 100 bourbons, including an assortment of Brendon’s own personalized blended bourbons that are available by the glass or by the bottle.
Sidebar at Whiskey Row
129 N 2nd St., facebook.com/SidebarLou, Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m.
This sophisticated spot for premium burgers is also known for its big menu of bourbon and beers in historic digs. According to its website, you can order a Barrel Aged Cocktail or Classic Bourbon Cocktail from its extensive menu.
Matchup 16: The Wild Swann vs. Hell or High Water
The Wild Swann
601 Main St., wildswann.com, Hours: Sunday-Monday, 6:30-10:30 a.m., Tuesday-Thursday, 6:30-10:30 a.m., 4-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 6:30-10:30 a.m., 4-11 p.m.
The Wild Swann in The Grady Hotel offers sharable plates and a full bar. The Wild Swann name was derived from history, but its concept is a direct result of the pandemic. Rather than offering typical, full-course meals, the restaurant provides guests with a selection of smaller, sharable plates.
The best-selling cocktail is the New Sparrow, a blend of Olmeca Altos Reposado tequila, bitter orange, and fresh citrus and the bar usually has 35 different bourbons on hand. Wild Swann tries to carry a variety of bourbons from the same brand — they currently offer 10 expressions from Michter’s, for example — to allow for substitutions.
Hell or High Water
112 W. Washington St., hellorhighwaterbar.com/offerings, Hours: Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Thursday-Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
To find Hell or High Water, you first have to find Hello Curio, a "curated gallery" that marks the entrance to the speakeasy in downtown Louisville. It's a tiny room located on the back side of Whiskey Row, with a white globe illuminating its entrance. It serves a large variety of cocktails and bourbons, including its single-barrel collection of Russel's Reserve and Fort Hamilton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bourbon Bracket Showdown: Vote Round 1 for best bourbon bar
