The Pot Still

First thing this is a pub and a pub alone which quite frankly there is not enough of these days. No food to really speak of just a few good beers and a lot, a lot of whisky. It has the old man feel slap bang in the middle of the city centre. Me and my friend were doing a great deal of catching up so stayed there all night and the turnover of people was quite incredible the atmosphere was jovial and busy without being crowded.
If you love a dram you’ll love this place, my friend was so enamoured that she enquired about the women of whisky night they hold.
If you want a few pints and chat with your pals without your ears being blasted with the Top 40 whilst somebody at the bardowns their 8^th jaegerbomb of the night then this could very well be the place for you. I liked it.

Amazing whiskey pub. Frances was awesome during our whiskey tasting. Make sure try a haggis pie too. Definitely coming back again.

If you’re looking to experience Scottish whisky, this is the place to do it. With an incredible selection on offer, the friendly and knowledgeable bar staff will guide you to your perfect dram. They occasionally offer tasting events which are a great way to try a few things out with a guide to what you’re drinking, and they’ll even put together a custom tasting event for you if you let them know what you’re after.
As others have mentioned, the pub itself is pretty much your basic old-​man pub, with fairly limited seating; the atmosphere adds to the charm and the authenticity of the experience!

I wish I lived in Glasgow so I could drink here on the regular. A fun, friendly, happy crowd. Great deals. Neat bartenders. Unbelievable whiskey selection.

Amazing selection of whiskeys. Stopped by while from Canada on a Friday night. It was quite busy and the bartenders knew their whiskeys but there was a bit of push back when ordering food. After getting a menu, we asked a bartender if we could order food and they said no… then we asked another bartender who made it. Service when ordering food could be better!

Wow, its been about three years since I wrote my review of the Pot Still, so a wee update is on the cards. A few things have changed about town and I feel like other pubs have caught up big time with their excellent range of beers and ales. Sadly, The Pot Still is lagging behind a little, with it limited range of draught ales (just two pumps I think?)
Nonetheless, its still a charming pub, with knowledgeable staff and the most outstanding whisky selection I’ve ever seen.
Great for a wee pit stop if shopping in the city centre or a fanatic pie and beans pick me up!

I’ve been back in here a few times; sometimes on my own and sometimes with other people. It doesn’t matter, it’s always been a good time in here. It’s never top of my list for must head places, but if I end up walking by, I invariably drop in.
I was in with a friend who is more of a whisky drinker than me and he was having a rare old time comparing recommendations and sampling new drams. That’s one thing where the Pot Still excels — they’ll offer a small taste of anything you’re not sure of.
The range is impeccable, and the mountain climbing skills of the staff remains top notch as well — ask for something off the top shelf and watch them go! — and to be honest, it well deserves the fifth star.
It is small, so if you get in and manage to snag a table, stay all night — but drink responsibly. Challenging yourself to drink your way across a shelf isn’t big, isn’t clever and possibly isn’t possible. I wish I’d known that ages ago…

You can’t argue with 600 whiskies, but 1 star off for making their malt of the month Laphroig Select — no age declaration, which is the new scam some distilleries are using to pass off immature whisky. If that malt was aged 5 years I’d be surprised. Laphroig has a lot of aftertaste anyway, but this was on my tongue for another hour. Worth £2.50 maybe, but a disservice pushing that to patrons who might want to sample some more subtle drams later. Literally left me with a bad taste.
That said, my own fault for not looking more closely. An amazing selection overall, and a lovely environment to enjoy the aqua vitae!

This place is complete mystery to me. I am really not sure what all the fuss is about. There is a multitude of 5 star reviews, so I appreciate I must be the one who is missing something.
It’s an old style, old mans pub. It looks a bit like something you would find in one of the shadier spots on the Subcrawl or on an episode of Still Game. There seemed to be a mixture of locals and some tourists or out of Towners on a day trip. They had very limited draught beer on offer, but I guess that’s because their speciality is whiskey.
The atmosphere was non existent and the décor looked like it had not been upgraded in about 50 years. We met some very friendly people and also some very unfriendly people as well, buts that’s all part of a night out in Glasgow I guess.
Standard, unexciting pub.
Best pub in Glasgow?
No chance, not even in the top 50 for my money.

A classic gem in the heart of Glasgow. Superb service and an unparalleled selection of whiskey. If you’re in Glasgow and want a true Scottish bar experience, be sure to check it out. And don’t be discouraged if you’re a whiskey newbie — the staff are patient and so knowledgeable and will happily guide you to a whiskey that matches your personal preference. 5-​Stars. Cheers!

Brilliant, cozy little place!
I visited based on a local friend’s advice, and wasn’t disappointed.
So many single malts, and knowledgeable, friendly staff.
Great location too, and a great way to warm up and dry off with this crazy weather.

Hundreds of selections of single malts. Hundreds. The wall is massive. Some of them they have to climb up ladders to get to. You can feel welcome here whether you’re a newbie or and EXPERT. They are all really knowledgeable and will help you pick one if you have no idea what to do. Try some of the ones you can’t get elsewhere.
They also have a water pipet so you can add precisely the correct amount of water to your drink. Science, huzzah!

Maybe your 2015 resolution was to «get healthy» and you’re currently in the throes of a juice cleanse? Hope that’s going well for you. My 2015 resolution was to learn to drink whisky — and, as it was with beer, I suspect it’s going to take me a while. So some awesome friends and I visited the Pot Still so they could start my whisky education on Friday night.
I’m so ashamed to admit this was my first visit. Yes, the Pot Still won best Unilocal nightlife venue in 2014 but it took me until this week to finally get in there. As I burst through those doors I immediately realised the error of my ways — this is just the kind of city centre pub I’ve been searching for. A bit of an old man boozer but in a classy way, and with a wall of whisky to please most tastebuds. It’s got a proper cosy feel as well as very welcoming, no matter how much of a whisky noob you are.
My friends showed me this handy flavour chart of whisky so you can pick one to suit your tastes — light, delicate, smoky. I went for the Jura 10 year old as it was nicely tucked in between light and delicate (just how I’d describe myself). The bar staff were lovely and quickly served me up a dram (look at me, I know the lingo). I also grabbed a diet coke and a glass of water and all up the bill was around £5 — bargain!
I believe their serves are larger than the standard (35ml) and I won’t lie — my first whisky drinking effort really didn’t go that well as I could only manage half of it. That being said, I did enjoy the atmosphere of the place while trying! I’ll definitely be back sooner rather than later to continue my whisky-​drinking efforts. Cheers to the Pot Still!

Really Nice place, warm welcome the owner ils always happy to mâle you discover whisky! Really Nice people!

A great wee boozer, well known for its huge selection of Whisky (and even a few Whiskey). It also normally has a couple of local Ales on and a decent selection of beers in the fridge. I’ve heard the pies are good but to be honest I don’t go to the Pot Still for the food so I can’t say I’ve tried them.
I also overheard one of my all time favourite interactions at the bar here. An American tourist asks «Do you have any Glendronach here?» to which the burly kilt-​clad barman replied «What do you think?» before swiftly producing six different kinds of Glendronach from the shelf behind him.
But if you go along on a weekend night, or after work during the week, so really any night; don’t expect a seat. The bar can get very busy and it is pretty tiny. But it just adds to the atmosphere.
Even when it is busy the staff are always happy to spend a few minutes advising any Whisky novices. But if you’re really interested go sometime when it’s a bit quieter and they’ll be more than happy to educate you properly.

Love whiskey? No? Me neither. But I looove the Pot Still.
What looks like a tired, old man’s pub located near the top of Hope St, is a warm, fuzzy place of good cheer, chat, and tunes. They are a whiskey specialist and have a range of dozens (doesn’t even begin to cover it) of malts from here to Japan. I was once told «There’s a whiskey for everyone!» and I didn’t believe it still I sampled Chivas’ Lochan Ora. It’s more of a liqueur, technically, but it has a warm, spiced flavour, and goes down a treat as a chaser to one if their draught guest ales.
But fear not whiskey fearties! They stock your standard range if spirits and choice ciders, as well as vino and some alcopops.
Food comes in the form of a Scotch of steak pie, accompanied by peas or beans, or a toastie. Basically, you’re here for the bar, not gastro chic, and the homely, simple eats are stomach liners.
Music wise there’s a decent range, from modern rock, to the odd chart song. It’s not too loud, so you can get chatting to visitors from all over the globe. Most recently I met an engaged couple of lawyers from DC, and a 30 year married pair from Manchester. On previous sojourns I’ve made friends from Germany, the States, and good old Glasgow. There’s a great age range, and the bar staff are really friendly and knowledgable.

The Pot Still is always a busy wee bar and is a must visit stop for tourists and locals alike. A great atmosphere and true Glaswegian hospitality at it’s best.
I’ve never seen so much whisky in one place! Literally a wall of whisky awaits you behind the bar and staff are very knowledgeable and will happily talk you through the awesome selection they have. My check in here summed it up so well:
«Buying a Whisky here is a bit like choosing a wand at Olivanders — the knowledgeable staff will always help you find the one just right for you»
Go check it our, you won’t be disappointed!

4.5 out of 5 — great pub, only problem is that is usually busy because it’s popular.
The Pot Still is a good old fashioned pub, has a huge range of whisky and a nice relaxed atmosphere, the staff are friendly and welcoming and if you are peckish the do a damn good pork pie too!
This is not a gastropub, wine bar, or trendy cocktail serving place. Enjoy your pint, your whisky and a nice quiet pub.
Just, don’t tell everyone, eh! ;)

Wow! Für Scotch Whisky Liebhaber ist diese Bar das Paradies! 450 Sorten aus allen Regionen Schottlands und darüber hinaus! Davon einige Raritäten, die gar nicht mehr produziert werden. Der Barkeeper versteht wirklich einiges von seinem Handwerk und gab sehr gute Empfehlungen ab. Alleine dafür lohnt es sich noch einmal nach Glasgow zu reisen…

Can’t believe I’d never done a review for the awesome Pot Still before! So I’ll keep it short and sweet.
PROS:
–awesome whisky lineup (450+) which may well be the biggest and best in the world
–35ml measures for spirits
–4 real ales on at any time
–wide selection of difficult to source and tasty German beers in their magic fridge
–really friendly and helpful staff
–old school inside, lovely warm and welcoming feel to the place
–only a short walk from Central Station
–reasonably priced, especially given its popularity
CONS:
–sometimes there are too many Americans in the bar (only kidding!)
–difficult to get a seat at times due to its size, so those with mobility issues may not enjoy it as much

Regular visitor from south of border, i tend to find scotland a bit poor for real ale pubs. The Pot Still is a gem ,
Not a huge range of beer but well kept, great range of malts. The pub itself is very welcoming.

My wife and I were in Glasgow for a business trip and had finished up dinner across the street from this establishment. I originally just wanted to look at the place to see if it was worth checking out in the future. Then I read the story on the outside about the history of the place and saw something about over 300 malts.
300 malts?!
I immediately looked at my wife with the same face a 7-​year-​old gives to his mother when he’s found a puppy and wants to keep it.
We needed to stop in for a dram. Or 5.
We walked in and were greeted with a pub created exactly the way I’d expect a Scotland pub to be created. Small. Short bar area just off to the side of the door. Benches and tables along the walls both downstairs and upstairs.
Oh, and the selection behind the bar — whiskies as far as the eye could see.
Yes, I may have shed a tear.
After finding a spot to settle in on a 75% full Thursday night I walked up to the bar to order my first whisky. I simply asked for a Highland that I couldn’t get in the US. The bartender smiled a knowing smile, said, «Sure, not a problem», and she was off. She came back with a couple of bottles for me to check out and, once I made my selection, poured out my dram, my beer back, and my wife’s Bailey’s/rocks. (She hasn’t quite started drinking whisky yet. Yet.)
I settled back in at the corner with my wife to enjoy. For that moment all in the universe was just perfect.
Between that night and two more visits I was able to sample many a single malt. Every time I had a conversation about what was going to be next the bartenders were able to select a few items, talk about each one highlighting different notes about them, and each time I was pointed at exactly what I was looking for. Never before have I seen people with that amazing of a level of knowledge about whisky. I was able to benefit in both gained knowledge and, of course, the chance to enjoy amazing whisky.
If you’re a whisky fan you owe it to yourself to visit Pot Still. If you’ve arrived from elsewhere, have the cabbie take you to your hotel just long enough to drop off your bags and then have them bring you here — this is where you want to be. You will thank me later.
And for the record, 12 down, 288+ left to go.