Copper & Oak

MINI cramped (you could call it intimate) swanky bar that seats maybe 7 people at the counter, there’s also standing room but for a place like this I would rather sit. It’s all decked out in cooper!
The guy helping us didn’t seem as knowledgeable about the alcohols (which I would expect for a place that looks like this). he ended up giving a more expensive tequila than the one I ordered and charging me for it
Alcohols are sold as either a 1oz or 2oz
NOTE: none of the bottles are refrigerated but you can ask for ice cubes (although not recommended by the bartenders)

This is the most treasured room in Ron Swanson’s heaven.
There is no better way to describe Cooper & Oak than «Whisk (e)y Shrine». Honorable mentions go to «whiskey palace», «golden cavern of whiskey wonder», «that lion cave Aladdin went into with all of those jewels you’re not supposed to touch that was actually just filled with whiskey», and «All Hail the Ryenasty». Actually, I kind of like that last one. But Whiskey Shrine sums it up succinctly.
Copper & Oak doesn’t quite feel like a bar. It’s teeny tiny space that’s a bit removed from the Lower East Side craze. As you can see from the pictures, there’s not really standing room here — maybe 10 – 15 bar seats and that’s it. They actually have a cute feature here by the door (or incredibly irritating, depending on when you come): if C&O is at capacity, a little sign will light up notifying you of this, and the door will actually be locked. If there’s room at the bar, the sign will read «come on in!» and the door will open right up. I suppose they want to keep it intimate and personal here, which I loved. Definitely added to my five-​star experience here.
Came here on a Saturday night around 11pm — typically prime time. Given that C&O is off the beaten path, it was pretty much at capacity (meaning there were around 12 people inside). Once we were let in, we were seated almost immediately and the immersive experience was off and running. My allusions to all things royal/​regal/​decadent are due to the almost religious nature of the décor here. The room shines a brilliant gold and the whiskeys are the objects of our adulation and devotion, elevated and quite literally put on pedestals in all of their glory.
Note on service. Literally one word to describe it (also the word I’d use to describe the selection here): impeccable. I think the folks who run this place are incredibly committed to making one’s whiskey tasting experience as pleasant/​perfect as possible, and it shows. Our bartender was attentive, personable and mostly importantly, knowledgeable. If I had to choose a favorite whiskey, I’d probably settle on rye, given my love for spice. I gave him an idea of what my current favorites were (top one being High West Double Rye), and he came back with Russell Reserve Rye, which was even better than High West (hard to say — it’s all about personal preference), in my opinion. He gave me plenty of options and also asked how I take my whiskey, which he took into account when choosing Russel Reserve for me. Truly couldn’t commend this guy enough for this service.
Vibe: Very relaxed (especially for a weekend night), slightly intimate. Like I said at the beginning, it doesn’t really feel like a bar. It almost feels like a liquor store/​bar hybrid. There isn’t one main bar area that people crowd around, rather, the bar spans the entire space with guests directly facing the oodles and oodles of whiskey that C&O offers.
General note about drinks: Unlike many whiskey bars that I’ve been to in the past (Flatiron Room, Whiskey Ward, Bondurants, Caledonia Bar, etc.), whiskey is the ONLY thing served here. You pay by the ounce, and that is that. No beer, no wine, no cocktails. Just whiskey. What else do you need in life, really?
Come here if:
–You’re feeling adventurous and want to explore your tastes with top-​notch connoisseurs (bartenders) to help direct you
–You don’t want a typical bar experience (and of course, whiskey is your spirit of choice)
–You’re on a date and want to go for something different — still intimate, but not at all romantic
–You’re with whiskey drinkers who only want to drink whiskey (i.e. very few of my friends, which is why I only just made it here)

I don’t want to write too much here because I do believe it should be a sweet surprise to whoever comes across Copper and Oak. Pay a visit, on a relaxing evening with a few friends (and don’t pre game before hand. This is not an after party place and should never be treated like one.) the atmosphere, the selection, and the service are excellent. Whether you are a whiskey beginner or enthusiast, you will walk out from here feeling more fulfilling than when you walk in :). I’ve taken friends, coworkers and my date here before and needless to say, happiness has always been the outcome!
This place is definitely my favorite whiskey house in NYC.

Great relaxed place with a fantastic assortment of whiskey. Warm wooden interior and small venue, which makes it very cozy but also requires some patience to get in.
Bartender was fantastic, recommended two great whiskey, respecting my price range and matching exactly what I asked for.
Ideal for a post-​dinner drink!

Perfect for whiskey aficionados. Because that’s all they have. Whiskey. No cocktails and no beer, but if it’s a certain type of whiskey you’re looking for, they’re 99% likely to have it. You can take a look at their extensive menu on the many tablets (Kindle Fires) they have lying around the place. Or, you can ask the attending «bartender» who is likely to have some good recommendations.
The place is very nicely laid out and all the shelves are backlit in a golden hue, which give the place a pretty cool ambiance (more so at night, than during the day). Mind you, this place is tiny, with only about 10 actual seats, and some small spaces for standing room only. Marlon, our «bartender» was incredibly knowledgeable about everything, from the peat level, to the amount of sweetness /​smokiness or the nuances of the aging processes. It was actually very impressive how he rattled off without even really thinking about it.
Everything is priced by the ounce, and each ounce of the «regular» stuff will run you about $ 8 – 15, depending on the age and type of spirit you order. There are plenty of super high-​end whiskeys, but unless you’re really looking to ball out, I would say one of the normal single malt whiskeys are more than adequate. I was able to try the Caol Ila 17 year Signatory, which was very peaty, smokey, and had a very deep burn. On the other end of the spectrum, I also tried the Barterhouse 20 year bourbon, which was much sweeter and had a bit of a dry, yet caramel-​like aftertaste.
Overall, a pretty cool ambiance for an intimate gathering and enjoyment of fine whiskeys. I would recommend for a pre-​going out drink, or on a date where both people reaaaallly like whiskey or experimenting with new spirits. Or if you just want to you impress your date with some really cool backlighting and your supposed appreciation for the finer things in life.

Copper & Oak
NY: Manhattan: LES
9pm Saturday 26^th September 2015
Five Stars
Where do you take a Kentucky boy before seeing an Eastern Country Band in LES? The answer should clearly be Copper & Oak. This tiny (10 seat, maybe 25 person) bar is whiskey heaven. It decorated exclusively with Copper Fixtures, Bourbon Barrels, and Orange Light. We found two seats towards the back and studied their tablet to find the perfect libation. They have over 600 bottles of dark spirits from all around the world. They don’t mix drinks here. You can get water, soda, or ginger ale on the side. Head Spirit Sommelier, Joel Cuellar Flores was there pouring ounces and dropping knowledge. I had Copper and Oak’s exclusive blend of Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It was served in a large stemless snifter.
The price is a bit steep but worth it if you love neat whiskey.

I love this place and it happens to be just 2 blocks from where I was staying. It’s small, has an awesome orangeish glow and the bartender was quite knowledgeable (as usual). I mean you’ve gotta trust a hipster in suspenders, right?
A great early night spot to hit with a date before shuffling off.

Very cool place. If you are a fan of whiskey you must stop by here. Obviously you can try the many different scotches they keep on hand, but I also love the idea of creating your own blend. They have single malts and grain whiskey to create the perfect blend!
Great place to geek out with the owner!

I’m not a huge whiskey drinker, but this place has such a great selection with such knowledgeable staff, that they managed to find me something I actually enjoyed (the Ardbeg, 10 yr)! The space is really tiny — maybe 10 seats max and the rest is standing room — but if you get here early, you will get a seat. The lighting and décor is awesome — definitely impresses whoever you are bringing along.
If you’re not a whiskey drinker or aren’t sure what you like, they’ll help you out. There are also rums and tequilas, but keep in mind — they don’t mix anything here! It’s straight or nothing!

This place glows and begs you to come in. We were on our way somewhere else and had to stop in. The whiskey list is awesome, the pours were decent. The menu was an IPAD which was nice considering there were SO many choices. We had a nice bourbon, the music was soothing and not distracting and the bartenders were friendly and chatty with everyone and totally knew their stuff. Not somewhere I could be all night (bc I was would be a HOT MESS) but a nice stop.

8 seats.
copper everything with oak accents.
rows and rows of bottles.
no cocktail menu.
very attentive workers
with extensive knowledge of spirits.
great place to try something new
or relax into a glass of something familiar.

3.5 stars.
Beautifully lit bar. Very expensive, but cute… great to impress a date.
Very comfortable seats… so much people never get up! So go early or you’ll stand… they have only 8 seats. I was there for a couple of hours and with my partner we were the only people standing. It took more than 1 hour for somebody to get up.
Keep in mind that when it’s busy they lock the door and don’t let more people go in. It’s so small that you couldn’t fit more than 30 people.
Amazing selection of spirits: more than 600!
Decent beer.

This little cute scotch/​whiskey bar almost seems to be out of place on Allen street, but it’s really easy to spot. Up on walking in, you will see nothing but bottles of whiskey, scotch, brandy, mezcal, neatly arranged on walls based on the section. The lighting might seem a little too «orange-​y» at first, but it accentuates all the brown liquor on the walls and makes you want to try them all. There are ladders sliding up and down in case the bartender has to go up to grab the liquor you want. There are only about 8 bar stools along one side, and seats are pretty close to each other, I think it promotes intimate conversations because you can’t move the stools. :)
I can’t say how busy it may get given the small space, but when we got here around 8:30pm on a Saturday, there were only five other people here. When we left close to 10pm, it was still pretty calm.
The price is slightly cheaper than its sister, Brandy Library, but if you go for some rare selection, it can still hurt your wallet. So read the menu (on a Kindle) with caution.
Come here if you want an intimate conversation with a close friend or significant other. It’s not the rowdy type of bar that usually populates LES, so please don’t come here if you want to yell and party.

I swung by here on a whim with a couple of friends after having cocktails down the street at Hill & Dale. My friend had walked by this bar (which he referred to as «glowy») earlier in the evening and was intrigued, so we went to have a drink.
The bar itself is beautiful. I suggest going just to look at their shelves and copper pipe ladders (think library ladders but for booze) because it is wonderfully lit (thus my friend’s nickname for it) and uniquely designed. That said, it is very tiny — just small rails you can kind of lean on and sip your drink at in a small rectangular space with a couple of bar seats near the window.
Their menu boasts an extensive array of dark spirits (think whiskey, bourbon, etc) along with some wines. I believe they also serve small plates of food but we didn’t order anything to eat — just a quick pour and we were on our way. For any brown spirit enthusiast, this place would be a treat.

This is the Valhalla of Scotch and Tequila. Come here for after dinner sipping liquors. You’ll learn a lot. Their menu is dizzying in the selection they provide for single malts, tequilas and mezcals, and rums. They don’t serve cocktails though — everything is sipping only. If this sounds intimidating, just remember, all the liquors are fantastic quality and will change your perception of liquor forever.
Enjoy while sitting in a beautifully copper interior with knowledgeable bartenders. If you come at the right time, you may get to even lounge in the comfortable half egg shell shaped seats.

We stumbled upon this place after meeting a friend in the area for happy hour. It’s definitely a unique experience. Not being a connoisseur of whiskey, or dark spirits, in general, I didn’t find the staff to be too eager to help me pick something. I did love the option of a half pour, though; it was great for a plebeian like me.
This is not a place to bring your lightweight friends. This is a small place — great for an intimate meeting of 2 – 4 people, max. Might even be great for a date night, depending on your date.

Been wanting to try this place and I’m glad I did. Small yet beautiful+ intimate spot. The seats are very limited but if you’re lucky enough to grab one they have these super cozy eames style chairs. They give you a kindle with a list of their complete inventory. Staff is super knowledgeable+ personable… was very eager to answer some of my complete whiskey virgin questions in helping me choose a selection.
Will definitely be back with a date. Can’t wait to try the brother site in TriBeCa!

What a sweet find on our last NYC visit!
With their lighting and displays, you can’t help but to look in when walking by.
…And I’m glad we walked in!
The best of 80s music, the fact that they’re a vodka and cocktail-​FREE establishment, and their walls of premium bottles caught our attention. They have over 600 spirits and some comfort snacks. We enjoyed sips of Macallan 18, Oban 18, and Jameson Gold Reserve, along with a few macarons before dinner.
We ended up being late to dinner, but it was worth it!
Staff are knowledgable and friendly. I’m definitely coming back, and now want to visit their bigger brother… Brandy Library.

This is a cool place with an unbelieveable selection of spirits, but the service is so slow it is infuriating. I guess it isn’t really slow, because they pour your drink fast, it’s just that they never check in with you on whether you want another. If you are at the end of the bar, I bet you could sit there 30 minutes with an empty glass before anyone would ask you if you want to order another.
Still worth going to, for sure, but just plan to manage the experience.

They opened mid-​July 2014 and carries 600 different brown alcohols of varieties and years — also have snacks (e.g. macaroons)! The «no vodkas or cocktails» is their motto. An ideal spot if you’re also waiting for a table at any of the nearby restaurants in the neighborhood.
We did that, stopping in for a drink while waiting, but ended up doing an Oban 18 Limited Edition, a Macallan 18, and a Jameson Gold Reserve. Emanuel and Joel were great! I’d come here again to start or end every NYC visit.
Note this is an off-​shoot of The Brandy Library.