As a side note, I love the chemically treated copper bar top. I think that the lighting is perfect and the acoustics are also well done in my opinion. What is the point of a good drinking session with friends if the surroundings are more “grocery store” than neighborhood bar? (this is a directed dig to a really bad Manhattan I had at another Ankeny eatery). It was extremely easy to drink.įourth, good ambiance is a necessary ingredient. The Dark, Spicy, n’ Stormy, part of the bar’s seasonal cocktail selection, is a nice take on the classic and is served in the obligatory copper mug. The Luxardo liqueur and absinthe make a great combination, but don’t forget the sugar. I spent the next week making my own version and it is now my go-to cocktail, pushing aside my usual favorite, the Sazerac. ![]() I want to know where this cocktail has been. However, the ingredients listed in the Improved Whiskey Cocktail ($12) – Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, absinthe, demerara sugar, Old-Time aromatic bitters, and a lemon peel served in a coupe glass – made me give this one a try. Usually when I visit a new place I order either a Sazerac or an Old Fashioned as the recipe seems to separate the mixologist from the wanna-bes. ![]() ![]() I have only visited once, so I can only attest to the two different cocktails that I tried, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail and the Dark, Spicy, n’ Stormy. Third, a good cocktail list is a necessary ingredient to finding a great cocktail. Brown) seemed to be new to what I’d call high-end whiskey cocktails (Hell, I’ve met experienced college town bartenders that have never made a Manhattan) he religiously followed the recipe and presented me with an absolutely perfect cocktail. I hope he can stick around for awhile at The Whiskey House because I’ve never seen a bad cocktail pass through his hands. Blake Brown (Americana, Creme Cupcake, Table 128) was on hand as well. When I was there during the soft opening week there was an army of bartenders behind the bar making drinks. Second, if a cocktail is in the plan for the evening, then you need a cocktail artist to construct it properly. If you come to The Whiskey House and bring a fat wallet then you can spend a small fortune investigating the different world whiskeys. For Scotch whisky fans, the list isn’t quite as wide but there are a lot of expressions from some of the bigger brands. There were seven different Glenmorangie whiskies, seven Macallans, including a 25 year sherry cask Macallans, and five Glenlivets, including a 21s year Archive. There were a lot of well-regarded sourced whiskeys as well, including several Jeffersons. There was a healthy list of craft distillery brands including as four different Hudson whiskeys, six different bottlings of High West, Stranahan’s, and a few I’d never heard of. Pretty much all of the better-known Kentucky brands are available, including what looks to be a complete collection of the sometimes challenging Orphan Barrel series as well some Pappy and Old Rip Van Winkle. I also found the biggest selection of Taiwanese whiskeys I’ve come across with five Kavalan expressions on hand. The bottle list (and I could spot many of these on the shelf closest to where I was sitting) includes a lot of impossible to find whisky, including eight Japanese Nikka whiskies – Nikka Taketsuru 12, 15, 17, and 21 year – and two age-statement Suntory whiskies, the slightly peaty Hakushu 12 year and the mild 12 year Yamazaki. Behind the bar is probably the deepest selection of whisky in Des Moines. ![]() Like a well-prepared cocktail, this bar and restaurant hits all the right notes.įirst, I’ll start with the most important aspect of any place calling itself “The Whiskey House.” To make a great cocktail a bartender needs good ingredients. If I were to come up with the perfect destination for a good drink The Whiskey House would be right up there among the very best in Des Moines.
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