The Whiskey Ring

I am down with The Whiskey Ring!
If you look at my past reviews of Cherokee Street establishments, I can be a little harsh about the area. Let me tell you, Yeeps. I was dead wrong about this street. It is quickly becoming my favorite area in St. Louis, just second behind The Grove. And The Whiskey Ring is a huge part of it.
I’ve always had a curiosity with this establishment. There’s just something cool and unique about it. Having just moved back to the city, I didn’t waste time getting reacquainted with it.
I went to an event that was focused on Stag beer. The bar apparently sells an obnoxious amount of the product, so they decided to have a Velvet Stag painting competition. They brought in several local artists and had the patrons vote on their favorite Velvet Stag painting. The bar had bought 20 cases of Stag, totaling 480 Stag beers. They damn near sold out of Stag. Needless to say, I had a great time supporting my artist friend and drank a little too much. Thank goodness for Über!
The shell has been cracked, but there’s so much to this bar. I love the staff and management, which is rare for an area saturated with hipsters.
If you’re gonna put a ring on it, make it a Whiskey Ring! Great place!

Relaxing yet vibrant. Friendly suspendered barkeeps. Reasonably priced and tasty whiskey drinks and beer. It’s one of our go-​to spots on Cherokee and is located conveniently near the middle of where the action’s at.

Like Gamlin, but cheaper and less pretentious. There’s a well-​edited cocktail menu divided between classics and seasonals. I enjoyed my Vieux Carre and Sazerac. There’s also a really nice whiskey list – a bit heavy on the rye, though. Beer, too, if liquor’s not your thing.
I found the atmosphere pleasantly boisterous between the crowd and the blaring classic rock. I’ll definitely be back.

This is a solid bar. I headed over to The Whiskey Ring, with a few friends after eating dinner at Sidney Street Café, for the first time and was not disappointed. It was actually busy for a Tuesday evening with a really cool vibe. I opted for the sazerac first and then tried a few of the drafts. The prices were very reasonable.
I love the feel of Cherokee Street these days. Enjoy places like this now because when gentrification comes it will bring strollers and sports bars.
I’ll go back.

I really liked this place. Definitely my choice for a drink on Cherokee street. Even though they were hoppin’ on a Friday night they were able to take my order quickly and efficiently. I also really enjoyed their empanada appetizers they had around for snacking.

To be honest I’m not a whiskey/​dark alcohol kinda girl but I met a friend here for drinks and was pleasantly surprised! It was casual and home-​y with plenty of street parking.
The bartender was sweet and we joked a bit about the silliness of having to carry around a paper license while you’re waiting for a new one to be mailed to you.
I had a Mule which was a whiskey based play on my beloved vodka Moscow Mules. What a great local ginger ale too – spicy! I also tried a blood and sand which was delicious as well.
I for sure recommend this place for affordable, casual drinks.

Great bar. They don’t really have food, but told us we could take some in. They have an easy to read whiskey menu and the pricing is appropriate. I’ll be back!

Nice, reasonable whiskey joint near home. We had a few drinks and relaxed at a table by the window on a quiet night. There are lots of whiskeys to choose from and one of the bartenders gave some generous pours! The bathrooms aren’t great but it is sort of a dive so what do you expect!

The Whiskey Ring has entered my personal pantheon of Greatest Bars of All Time, and I happily dedicate my 600^th review to it’s awesomeness. Just imagine every minute detail you could want of a whiskey bar, a neighborhood pub, and a fun evening and then set all those hopes and wishes onto a corner pub in Benton Park. The atmosphere is chill, the bartender is expert, the patrons are social, and the drinks are strong. I was feeling great after just 2 of the custom cocktails, so I didn’t get to try any of the craft beer, of which there was a robust offering. Usually when I find a place I like, I recommend that Unilocalers «try it.» As regards The Whiskey Ring, I recommend you block off an evening, park yourself here, and enjoy.

Whiskey is King! Great atmosphere & staff. Go wet your whistle with this huge whiskey selection.

Went on a Friday night. They have a great selection of different whiskeys, scotches, 8 beers on draught. Have booth and bar seating. A little divey but that’s cool with me. Just wish they had whiskey balls.

I live the whiskey ring! Very kind and attentive staff with no pretense. I am an old lady and they are nice to me so go visit them now!

So… this my new favorite drinking establishment in the Cherokee district. Great place to sip on a tasty, local brew and people watch during the warmer months. The staff is always friendly and ready to serve. They also have a phenomenal selection of whiskey and often have free tasting events during Cherokee Nights. The atmosphere is laid back, and there are always interesting people to meet and chat up.
If in need for a pint or hand crafted cocktail — check them out!

Great, just great. I’m surprised to see there aren’t more review for this place. If it’s a well kept secret, then I’m glad I stumbled upon it.
The Kentucky Mule was extremely delicious and made just right. The bartender definitely has dedication to his job. It’s nice to see someone that doesn’t just pour and serve.
This is certainly a neighborhood bar. You come here to chat, gossip, and drink one more than you should. If you want to chat it up, sit at the bar. If you want privacy, sit along the wall. If you want to enjoy the evening, they have some outside seating. This isn’t the place you go get «turnt up» or whatever ridiculous saying the kids are using these days. You’d probably start or end your night here.
If I lived in STL, then I would undoubtedly frequent this bar and this area.

Great drink menu and skilled bartenders. I enjoyed the Blood & Sand followed by a Kentucky Mule. My guy enjoyed his Sazerac and friends tasted a variety of their whiskeys.
Music is old school country so it’s a bit on the hokey side but it was fun.

I went to Whiskey Ring thinking, «I’m a big whiskey fan; I love the Cherokee area; I’ll love this!»
I left thinking that it has potential but just isn’t there yet.
The bartender was knowledgeable, but awkward and pushy — a little too into the conversation my friend and I were privately having.
The whiskey range is great, but somewhat overpriced and underpoured (I know EVERYONE complains about this, but I’m a serious drinker and a bartender; I almost never think I’m getting less than I should; I love a $ 9 cocktail; this was just generally too little for too much).
The setup is fine, if nothing new.
It all left me feeling pretty nonplussed — maybe good for one or two drinks, but not really somewhere I’d go with any regularity or for any length of time.

First look:
Hip bar on Cherokee Street providing an alternative venue, with similar feel, to the Fortune Teller Bar just a few storefronts down. The Whiskey Ring wasn’t as dark and moody as we expected to be, which was nice, really: the vibe was comfortable but fun.
The bartender was knowledgable and friendly, pointing me toward some beginner choices off the extensive menu. Prices for the different pours would have been appreciated — more tentative patrons might stick with beers because they’re too uncomfortable asking!
The place was loud. Looking forward to returning sometime soon.

Headed down to Cherokee to FINALLY check out this place on a Saturday night. It’s been on my list for awhile and I really love whiskey so I was looking forward to trying new brands.
We sat at the bar and we were greeted right away and given menus. The place has a dark, cozy feel. It’s casual but not trashy.
I started off with an Old Fashioned since I’ve had that before and wanted to compare. I think it was about 6 bucks so good deal and they made it perfect for me. Hubby tried a 12 yr old scotch called The Balvenie (AWESOME!!!). We have this at home but haven’t tried it yet. If you’re new to scotch… this is a really good one to try. We had it neat and also tried it with a drop or two of water later… both ways are really good.
Later, hubby got the 4 Hands Divided Sky Rye IPA on tap and I tried the The Stockton Pride… I REALLY liked that one. It’s on the cocktail list.
We also ordered an Irish Coffee to try it and loved that too. :)
I know some people called this a «hipster» bar… but I really didn’t get that vibe at all. I guess it all depends on the night but I think there were all types of patrons when we went.
They are open 7 days a week now.

We went on a Friday night with friends, got there around 8pm, the staff was very helpful in explaining the different cocktails. I really enjoyed the Stockton. From other reviews I think the prices went up, mine was $ 8.00.
I also had a Civil Life Brown… SO good. We also tried Angels Envy whiskey, which was super smooth.
By 9:30 this place turned into a 25 year old hipster joint. and they got LOUD. So for me I think this will always be an early bar.
Bathrooms are clean, music at the right volume. I’m looking forward to going back.

+ AWESOME prices. Pours start at $ 5. Very affordable bar
+ Diverse selection of whiskey, scotch, bourbon, etc.
+ Sample before you choose a full pour
+ Full bar (other than whiskey)
+ Schlafly & other beers for non-​whiskey drinkers
The Whiskey Ring opened on Cherokee street just last month in December 2013. It’s a few doors down from the Fortune Teller Bar and across the street from open-​late waffler, Melt. The ambience is dark without many frills, but thoughtfully decorated. Tufted dark green/​blue leather-​esque booth seating, ample bar space, and plenty of room to stand around to mingle. It’s a small and intimate bar, with 2 – 3 bartenders on staff at a time. We were taken care of by Miles and (Jason?) on the Friday night we came.
You can get tastes of everything in shot glasses before you commit to a full pour, which starts at just $ 5. Their whiskey selection is displayed on paper menus 3 or 4 pages long and there is a short whiskey-​based cocktail list. Think Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Manhattan, Kentucky Mule, etc. My bf complained of the Old Fashioned containing too much ice, but otherwise was a solid choice. I liked the Kentucky Mule, made with ginger beer and bourbon.
This is a super affordable bar that doesn’t skimp on quality or quantity — the bartenders take really good care of you, are knowledgeable about their whiskeys, and creative to boot. My girlfriend ordered a White Russian and since they didn’t have milk, they made her a «Café Au Lait Russian» with Bailey’s. I purchased 7 drinks (a mix of cocktails, beers, and whiskey pours) on my tab and my total came out to be only $ 46. I don’t remember the last time I bought that many drinks and spent less than $ 50. Also eco-​friendly here — they use the Square to swipe credit cards through their iPad. Makes tipping a cinch too. Receipts are emailed to you and not printed.
Adding this bar to my repertoire of affordable, non-​Library Annex drinking holes to frequent.