3.5 stars. Just a long room open to the street that on a warm Spring Saturday night, even past 10 pm will be interestingly dead, but with a collection of top bourbons that punch above this bar's weight. By 11:30 pm though the place suddenly is crushed, and among the college tribes stomping in are some lithe girls in half-shirts looking at their phones, amidst guys that either look preppy or like country raccoons. Good vibes. Good service that is efficient over being friendly - and why not. read more

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Accidentally found this place when staying one night in Lexington and already want to go back! Our bartender Noah was so knowledgeable about all the bourbons and helped us create a very personalized flight! We were blown away by the variety alone but the service really made this place a must stop. They also have an AMAZING espresso martini! read more

1300 bourbons at college kid prices. What's not to like. Friendly bartenders with indoor and outdoor seating. It gets loud (I'm getting old). read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I recently went a couple of times within a week. Incredible bourbon selection. Jourdan, the bartender really knows his bourbon. Patient friendly shared what he liked about a variety of bourbon. It's a great place to take out of town guess who wanted urban experience of going to the distilleries themselves, which is amazing. Located downtown and a great spot for Thursday night live. They have an outdoor area during Thursday night. Inside the bar doesn't pick up until much later and not my scene. I like to go early. read more

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Mitch is the man and Bluegrass is the place! Unbelievable selection and Mitch knows them all! They also have beer!

Good place to come for some bourbon. The selection here is very good, better than the majority of places I've been to. We tried a couple of their barrel picks and were pleased. The place did get busy, but the bartender made sure we were taken care of. read more

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Love the bar, atmosphere, etc. I researched the best old fashioned and this showed up as #1. It's a shaken abomination that is shameful to call an old fashioned (in bourbon country) read more

Bluegrass Tavern - An "old fashioned" - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Fun place to go after a UK game in Lexington. Nice bar! Great selection of bourbons, bartender was great at helping us with our selections.

Always have great drinks and the bartenders are so sweet. Never too packed like all the other bars downtown.

Enormously wide selection of Bourbon in the heart of Downtown Lexington! (but you can get pretty much any other type of drink here as well). Cozy bar with friendly staff. Had a great time and will definitely stop by here again next time I'm in town. read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Seating area at the far end of the bar. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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What a selection of bourbon. Extraordinary. One of the best I have seen. Prices are reasonable. Lovely read more

While many people know this bar for its large variety of bourbon, they also have great cocktails! This espresso martini was one of the best I have had. Bartender provided quick service. Indoor and outdoor seating. Usually fun events happening at the courthouse space right outside the bar during the summer-fall. Make sure to stop by when you are in Lexington! read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Espresso Martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The bartender with the short brown bowl cut was a bad server. Asked my boyfriend for a drink and not me. I also asked for an amf a popular college town drink and he didn't recognize it. I felt like it was very much rude! read more

After your bourbon tours this is a must! It's like a bourbon museum with awesome bartenders/ bourbon experts! read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Best bourbon in Lexington! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I've been here a number of times, and so far it has the best bourbon selection of anywhere I've been in Lexington. Easier to get into on a busy night than the bars on either side, and a bit more mature clientele as well. If you're looking for a casual, no-fuss atmosphere and a fantastic bourbon selection downtown, this is a great little spot. read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Patio area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

As they say " it is what it is!" Loud, casual and well stocked with Bourbon. Slammed on a Saturday night. One intoxicated chick was asked to leave and kicked over some tables outside as she ungracefully departed. No extra charge for the show she put on. :) read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Off the Pavilion in downtown Lexington - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Looking for a great bourbon bar in Lexington and found this place advertising a ridiculous number of bourbons. Well, yes, there are a huge number of bourbons here. Why do they have so much bourbon on hand? Because they sell it for such ridiculous prices that no one buys it. Example: We ate dinner at Enoteca and I got a Rock Hill Farms for $12. Cost of Rock Hill Farms at Bluegrass Tavern? $40. After we left Bluegrass Tavern we went to Henry Clay Public House a couple of blocks away. Cost of Rock Hill Farms at Henry Clay: $10. Ironic that this bar is located on "Cheapside" street. We asked for something more "affordable" and were offered High West BouRye for $15 and Smooth Ambler for $20. Both whiskies from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana from non-distiller producers in Colorado and West Virginia. Good enough whiskey (though not for the price) but sad to be drinking it in Kentucky. My advice: skip the bourbon and get an Old Fashioned instead, which was excellent. Then again, if you are at one of the "top bourbon bars in America," why are you drinking cocktails? read more

Bluegrass Tavern - You can get some moderately priced whiskies like these for "only" $15 to $20! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Huge bourbon selection! Awesome night with some amazing friends at the Bluegrass! We tried some Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 years. Josh is the most knowledgeable bartender I have ever met, not only did he know the bourbons but so much history of the brands. Highly recommend! read more

Amazing establishment! Super friendly staff and great vibes . Solid place to start your night or end it. Will be back for sure!!!

We came here after dinner at Dudley's and had a big time. Our friends were loving the fantastic bourbon selection - it is absolutely immense. This is a great place to come and try a few things before spending more money than you need to on an expensive bottle of bourbon you don't even like. I loved the $4 White Claws (oh boy, let's be honest - I didn't love them later!) and the karaoke juke box that probably took too much of my money so I could torture other patrons with some of my fave tunes (let's face it: we all need a regular reminder that Bonnie Tyler is a queen). The bartender was a hoot and I enjoyed talking to him throughout the night. We had so much fun ending our night at Bluegrass Tavern - I will definitely be back next time I'm in Lexington! read more

Shit!! I shit into my pants once I saw the large bourbon selection. I asked the bartender if he farted because it blew me away. I have been wanting to come to this bar for a while now, you can only learn so much through binoculars. I couldn't be happier with my experience. I asked for a Elmer t lee and a pappy on ice. The bartender brought me two drinks. I quickly told him I wanted both of those bourbons together in one glass. Looking perplexed he obliged and I was mightily satisfied. The only negative thing is that we haven't found world peace and stopped world hunger. read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Jack Nicholson and Llyod the bartender. Ask for Llyod next time you go in, he will know the exact drink you want! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Exceptional bourbon collection and great atmosphere. The decor was exactly what you would expect from an old school bourbon bar. It was exactly what I was looking for. read more

Wide selection of Bourbon and all of the shelves are filled with affordable to out of this world crazy expensive! If you're a bourbon fan, I would suggest visiting this bar. You could probably be sitting here for awhile sipping on some bourbon. Bartenders always ask what type of bourbon you like and will come up with an assortment to choose from. We came here after dinner and ordered Poor Man's Pappy! Plenty of room to sit at the bar and also alongside the wall. There are also round tables with bar stools that you can sit at while listening to a live band play. read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Over 1300 bourbons, friendly and knowledgeable bartender who was attentive but not hovering.

Fantastic Music & Drinks!! Bartenders were friendly, crowd was nice. Just stumbled in this place after the Morgan Wallen Concert. It was a perfect end to our night.. read more

This is my third trip to Kentucky and can say that Bluegrass Tavern has the largest selection of bourbon I've seen so far in any city (Louisville, Bardstown, Lexington, etc). No, there's no bourbon list w/ prices, but considering how they are constantly adding interesting bottles to their collection I imagine they would get tired of continuously redoing a list. Bartender was knowledgeable, attentive, provided great service, and made a very nice Manhattan. Consider this is a "must stop" if you're in town on the bourbon trail. I've noticed some reviews on here complaining about prices. Yes, they can pretty much set any price they want for a pour of a rare bourbon (supply & demand after all). We were in the mood for Manhattans, 5 drinks came to $32. That's fair in my book. read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Every bottle on the bar top and shelves above is bourbon. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Sooooo many bourbons (good & bad).. there was no prices on menu/bourbon list.. came in on a Saturday night after a concert, full crowd and everyone was drinking beers .. we left before ordering anything read more

Bluegrass Tavern - Bourbon and more bourbon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

AMAZING bourbon selection! Whatever you are looking for, the Bluegrass Tavern has it! However, they do not have a menu with prices, so I was hesitant to order any of my favorite bourbons. It seems like everything they have is extremely over priced, which is why they maintain such a vast selection. The atmosphere was a small town dive bar. When I was there, they had live entertainment, which consisted of a man playing a guitar and singing. Most of the patrons were pretty intoxicated and it was a loud atmosphere. I ordered an old fashioned and it had so much muddled fruit in the bottom of the glass, I had to ditch my straw and drink it straight from the glass. It did taste pretty good. I think that I would want to return during a less busy time to actually sit down at the bar. I would like to be able to find out how expensive some pours would cost me before I go ahead and order a rare bourbon. read more

I live this place. They have the largest selection of Bourbons and the greatest staff ever. They even offered to go get pizza from a nearby pizza joint for me when I got hungry. This is the best spot to relax, drink great bourbon and enjoy yourself. read more

If you don't come in here and splurge on some rare bourbon, did you even come to Lexington? Yes they have Pappy, but the incredibly knowledgeable bartender recommended a much more reasonably priced pour of Weller's instead. It's pretty much the same exact thing with a different label - made in the same barrels at the same distillery. I can't stop thinking about that bourbon. Bluegrass tavern doesn't have the glitz that a lot of the surrounding bars have but that's what makes it good. Favorite bar in town, best Old Fashioned I've ever had, and seriously good service. read more

I have to say that this is one of the premier bars in Lexington for Bourbon! They have a wide variety of bourbon to choose from and a lot of rare and hard to find products. The staff is very energetic and make sure that you're happy with your drink before you walk away. In the center of the downtown nightlife on at the pavilion, definitely encourage you to visit. Even if you don't like bourbon , there are plenty of options to choose from . They are also not afraid to try new recipes- got a favorite drink from home ? I bet if you brought them the ingredients they will duplicate it to make you feel right at home ! Plus there are often live music performances. It can get crowded at times especially on nights with big events downtown like sports or concerts-but definitely worth the wait. read more

Really good prices, very large selection. Staff was very nice. Cozy for sure. Wife loved it here.

A friend and I came into bluegrass tavern desperately needing to make a Sunday night fun for a bride who wanted to see Ariana Grande at the Rupp Arena but got cancelled. After going from bar to bar we finally were told that a little area can be reserved and drinks would be served for us but the people here went ABOVE and BEYOND. It was a friends themed bachelorette party and last minute they printed out signs for the front door, the tables, mirror and the bathroom! A drink special was created that was so thoughtful and unexpected. They even asked me what the brides favorite drink was and created a drink after her name. I lived in Lexington for almost 7 years and I have never had this experience. We did not expect anything extra especially since we asked an hour before we were going to show up but AJ really won us over! He was a great bartender and once again extremely thoughtful. Sean from there was informative and gave me updates given the time crunch and we are all so grateful for what you did to make our bride feel special! I will definitely be back here every time I am back in Lexington! read more

Bluegrass Tavern - A drink special for a friends themed bachelorette party - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Amazing and unbeatable selection of bourbon. Friendly staff - highly recommend when in Lexington

FAVVVVOOOORRRRRITE SPOT IN LEXINGTON!!!! This place is amazing, seriously! The Bartenders are all the SWEETEST humans you'll ever meet! They make you feel like family :) They're also incredibly knowledgeable about all types of bourbon and it is honestly really impressive and sometimes I'm like whoa, how do you know this?! The environment is laid back and fun, never had an issue, always coming back :) read more

Excellent tavern with hundreds of Bourbons! Staff is extremely knowledgeable in the history and pairings of Bourbons! Ask any of the bartenders for their recommendations for a flight of Bourbons. You won't be disappointed! read more

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After a night at the Lexington Opera House seeing Black Jacket Symphony we decided we needed a good bourbon to end our night. It was within walking distance so we got there around 10-10:30. We were ID'd at the door and there was about 2 seats left at the bar. So we walked in to the opening at the bar to order drinks. I ordered first and asked for a Michter's old fashion and Austin ordered an EL Wellers's old fashion. When he brought it he brought me the wrong drink, he brought me a Makers old-fashion. Which was wrong and when I told him the correct drink he got upset and made me feel like I was the inconvenience instead of him verifying my order verbally back to me if it was "too noisy", again not my fault I said my order loud and clear and he assumed he heard it. So I drink it not happy to not bother him again to correct his mistake with a busy bar going on. It was horrible! He muddled and orange in it and left the pulp and fruit. Probably the worst old fashion I've ever had. There was 4 of us so no real comfortable place at the bar to enjoy our drinks, so we went outside for some fresh air. We were told to put our just made drinks into plastic cup to go outside. Which again being a "bourbon-centered bar" they have to know that that compromises the drink? So I dump into a plastic Bud Light cup they have with their water cooler by the door which is nice to not have to bother the bar tenders with water orders. Our time outside was ok, fresh-air filled with cigarette smoke. You know real fun and refreshing. We watched as the bars filled with college age crowds. So loud and wasted, which I get, but you know again, not the type of night I was looking for when drinking bourbon out with some friends after a show. Probably won't be my first choice when going out again. The girl puking in the corner of the Pavilion trash can is a whole vibe that is not a Saturday night for me. They only get 2 stars because they did have a lot of bourbon to choose from so the class is there just poor execution by staff. read more

This place is a must see for any Bourbon Lover. 650+ bottles on the menu, with 100 more unlisted. The bartender Austin was as informative as anyone I have ever talked to. We told him which types of bourbon we like, and he led us to the best hometown batches. Big ups to the owner of this place keeping a quality selection like this. I will stop here anytime I am in Lexington. read more

One weekday after a work meeting we thought we would bring the guys from Colorado out downtown. It started to pour down rain so around 7:30-8 when you would expect people to start trickling in, no one came. So we ended up having the entire bar to ourselves. Some of the guys that I work with are big bourbon collectors and have a lot of input on the history, so when we we're in there the manager who does the ordering (and negotiating when it comes to the really hard to get stuff) was working and provided us with a lot of the history of the bottles that are on the top shelf. Some are so old that I'm sure that they are in leaded glass and are undrinkable. Others that have the old medical information from prohibition when you needed a prescription. It is a great place to go when you're in the mood for trying out bourbons that you can't typically get your hands on, but I will say that you should avoid the stuff with the big name recognition (Van Winkle line) as the pricing struction can be a little odd. Depending on whether it has a little ring on the top or not will reflect how much you will pay. When it's almost out, just ask for something similar because the less there is, the more you pay. Can't fault them, it's a time consuming and tedious process to acquire all of those bottles!! When you're down in Cheapside park, make a stop and have them make you an old fashioned. You won't regret it! read more

The largest selection of bourbon that I've ever seen in a bar. Having said that, I'd never spend another dime in this place, due to the lack of courtesy given to us by the bartender, whose name was Jeff, I heard someone say. I was in Kentucky for a family funeral and instead of just sitting around the house, my cousin and I decided to go have drinks somewhere and we ended up here. When we walked in, Jeff walked over and said "What'll it be, girls", to which I replied "guy and girl" and then he shrugged his shoulders and said "whatever". We should have left at that point and In retrospect, I wish we would have, but we wanted to try some bourbon and was already there. Being rank amateurs, we did have some questions about certain bourbons, which he answered. We ended up spending $35 on bourbon shots and I gave him a $5 tip anyway and didn't even get a thank you. I have no idea where southern hospitality went but it's definitely not in this place. If you're in town, coming in from out of town or just interested in sampling bourbon, I'd suggest going anywhere but here. read more