Barrel Proof

after trying too many bad recommended places — this establishment renewed my faith in good food & drinks. The bartenders are incredibly knowledgable and the food (po boy) was out of this world. Thank you for the reminder of goodness in the Times Square of the south.

We went to Barrel Proof after dinner. The whiskey selection is very good. The place was packed with a young lively crowd. Which is great, but having mostly gray hair, we didn’t quite blend in.
No table service. All orders are at the bar, and that means the bar is very crowded. We didn’t get to try the food. We only stayed for one drink because the acoustics make for an extremely loud place.
I would like to try this place again, on a more quiet evening.

Worst place I’ve ever been. Anti social staff that can’t serve a drink to save their lives. As a member of the service industry, I’m appalled at the level of everything I was given here. Go anywhere else.

Yeah I know they have a happy hour old-​fashioned for $ 3. But you shouldn’t be punished for it. The bar tendress was on her own and of course took it upon herself to take my drink before I was even done with it when I ordered one right before happy hour ended. Weak as weak. It was Old Grand Dad anyway.

I really enjoyed spending some time at this bar but couldn’t figure out the vibe. Nice menu of very reasonably priced whiskey-​based drinks. I had a $ 6 house old fashioned and a Manhattan, both of which were very nice and served in appropriate glasses. Décor was cool and service was very on point.
The price point seemed to draw the mid-​twenties crowd who are finally able to afford nicer drinks than their college days allowed but don’t want to drop $ 10 on a cocktail yet. I very much respect that, but it made the crowd a pseudo-​college atmosphere that was a little rowdier than I wanted in a whiskey bar.
I probably would pick something more intimate in future, but no complaints on the drinks or price! I think this is just the ticket for lots of folks, I may just be getting crabby in my old age of 29!

Nice whiskey selection, including one locally made. Good breakdown of the menu. We went in early in the day, just after they opened. It was quiet, clean, and we sat outside. Definitely happy we stumbled across this place.

My fiancée and I came across this place by accident a couple of months ago, and have been back every Monday night since.
On Mondays they offer $ 4 Old Fashioneds… and they are the best we’ve ever had.
If you would like to get out of the madness of other bars in the area, and you love whiskey like we do, try this place. Straight watering hole… and the best I’ve had so far.
Cheers!

I gotta say, of all the bars and restaurants I visited in NoLa (and it was a lot considering I was only there for 5 days) this was the classiest. They somehow managed to keep it down to earth and inexpensive while still having that craft cocktail/​upscale feel to the place.
My group was a little hesitant when we walked in, we had been to everything from tourist traps to dives to fine dining, but no high end places. We are kind of dive bar crew. But the place was great. The staff was friendly and helpful, the drinks were solid and vast in variety and the place was comfortable.
Added bonus, the bartender I had met the day before on Bourdon St was behind the bar there, you rock Courtney!
Thanks to the staff for being so awesome!

This place is just perfect for me… I went with a party of 5, we spent awesome time having drinks and laughing.
They have an amazing whisky and bourbon selection, and of course all kind of beers. Unfortunately I couldn’t eat something because I was full, but I can not wait for my next visit there.

I had been meaning to check this place out for a little while now. It’s around the corner from a place I frequent and there are always a bunch of people outside on weekends. I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be somewhere I’ll definitely be going much more in the future. Excellent selection of bourbon and the staff is highly knowledgeable on each one. They had every bourbon I was looking for. Very laid back environment, modern industrial look to the place. Well spaced area inside, so it never feels crowd. Great atmosphere all in all. I loved going and can’t wait to go back.

There aren’t many places in New Orleans like this. Great cocktails, classy/​trendy atmosphere. It’s typically pretty dark inside, only candle light besides at the bar, and very very very loud. That’s probably the major downside of this place. They crank the music up, so everyone has to yell to talk. They have A HUGE selection of drinks– cocktails, beer, whiskey, wine, etc. I really liked All the While — bourbon, plum brandy, ginger beer. The bartenders are very nice and there many of them so the wait isn’t long.

This place is ridiculously pretentiously dark. There is a huge range of happy medium in between glaring-​fluorescent-​lights and dark-​like-​the-​inside-​of-​a-​cow. Just a wee bit more light and a few more local beer options would be great. Food from Little Bird is fantastic and those guys were really nice.

Great atmosphere and an extensive menu of mixed drinks. The wine list leaves something to be desired. When I ordered a drink they only had one red and one white to chose from.

If you’re tired of the frozen, sugar heavy drinks of Bourbon Street, hop in an Über and make your way down to the Warehouse District. There, you’ll find Barrel Proof, a true whiskey drinker’s destination and, perhaps, the best happy hour in the entire city.
Between 4pm and 6pm daily, Barrel Proof offers unbeatable deals on quality cocktails. During our visit, we enjoyed a couple rounds of $ 3 Old Fashioneds. The drinks were made with quality ingredients, not your typical well-​booze. While the whiskey was decidedly front and center, after allowing the drink to rest for a few minutes, you start to pick up heavier citrus notes and a sweetness that acted as a backdrop throughout. If mixed drinks aren’t your thing, you can opt for a shot of whiskey and a beer for $ 5. Throw in some homemade beef jerky to round out your experience. You’ll be glad you did.
As the happy hour got the best of me, I was unable to try anything more from the bar’s impressive menu. Barrel Proof boasts whiskeys by the dozen and from a variety of origins. The atmosphere at this spot is very relaxed. The darkness of the space allows for folks to sneak in and out anonymously, adding to a very cool vibe. It seems to capture the essence of New Orleans without succumbing to the trappings of a the tourist element. I can’t recommend Barrel Proof enough!

Whiskey and scotch lovers paradise. The inside is very cool and felt more Colorado than NOLA. Its almost to the point of being too dark and making you want to sleep, but I guess that’s part of the charm.
Vast menu of whiskeys and scotch. We picked out two highland scotches since they are our favorites (2 2-​ounce pours plus tax was $ 30). Prices are pretty steep, but you’ll have that at any place which a crazy selection of high end booze. Their cocktails sounded amazing so next time I’ll have to try them out.
Bringing my parents here when they come to visit next time.

Home is where the pants come off.
And in the case of Barrel Proof, this is home.
Why is this my favorite place to take my pants off?
The service.
The quality of the cocktails.
The excellent music.
The $ 3 Happy Hour specials for Old Fashioned and Sazeracs.
The cold water.
The $ 2 PBRs.
I also love that every time I leave, they tell me to never come back.

Hipster central. A group of friends went there on one of those recent nights where it felt like maybe Fall was coming before NOLA was like, «Haha, that was nice, right? Get ready to wait another month to experience it again!» My conservative estimate would be that 80% of the male clientele were in their best flannels. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… but this place definitely is going for a certain vibe.
A $ 10 cocktail type of vibe. A «you can wait to order your drink until the bartender has finished flirting with this girl who looks like she’s in high school» vibe. Oh, and as far as I could tell, they don’t card anyone. Which maybe explains all the high school girls. AND (unlike Bridge Lounge, which formerly occupied this spot) you can’t bring your dog.
As far as the cocktails themselves, the ones we tried ranged from fair to good. The dark and stormy didn’t taste like there was any ginger in it, which is one of the defining characteristics of a dark and stormy, so that was weird. We had a few whiskey cocktails too, which were both a bit on the sweet side but otherwise decent.
Long wait time plus expensive, average quality drinks minus puppies = no, gracias.

I was so sad to hear the Bridge Lounge went home to glory, but this place is definitely a winner. I’ll put my negative up front and then follow up with the good stuff… the smell was horrible! Like stank nasty horrible. When I walked in I was smacked in the face with hot, stale fried chicken air. The kitchen that is somewhere in the back definitely needs to work on ventilation, circulation, and filtration. I had to throw all my clothes, bra included, into the laundry/​dry cleaning pile. Now that bars are nonsmoking, I’ve gotten spoiled with being able to go out in decent clothes/​my favorite bras.
Now for the good stuff!!!
I love this place! The bartender was so nice and helpful. The prices are extremely reasonable. The service was impecable. And don’t even get me started on the selection… almost 250 different whiskies! I want to start on page one and sample my way through that whole menu. The menu is literally a book, just page after page of bourbons, ryes, sour mash and scotch. The atmosphere was very comfortable and the noise level was decent, you could still have a conversation.
They have preselected flights, or you can build your own. Servings are priced in one and two ounce increments, which I like. They also have beer and cocktails. I prefer my bourbon straight, but for those who prefer mixers, they have real Coke in the bottle and ginger beer. I’m sure there were others, but that’s what I spotted.
I really enjoyed watching the bartenders craft the mixed drinks. Their presentation is wonderful, and bowls of fresh fruit top the bar so you know you’re getting fresh add-​ins.
Lastly, to the proprietor (s), fix the ventilation/​circulation issue and I will definitely upgrade to five stars! I will be back, but next time not in work clothes!

Went here with my man one night thinking we were returning to Bridge Lounge but instead what we got was Barrel Proof. The once famed Bridge Lounge was closed and reopened under new management.
The drink menu brand new. This place is a lover of Whiskey and Wine.
Me personally, I’m not really a whiskey gal, so I probably won’t be frequenting this place, especially since its pitch black dark inside — candles will be the only thing between you and some perv trying to catch a feel.

So no, I’m not a whiskey drinker, but I love Barrel Proof.
Excellent and knowledgeable bartenders hold it down, but my fave bartender, Eric, has me hooked on delicious classic daiquiris. The drinks are well crafted and the bar itself is long, dark and cozy.
There seems to be lots of room for groups and I believe there is BBQ available on certain days.
If you’re a whiskey drinker, it’s a must, but any cocktail lover will appreciate Barrel Proof.