Places To Visit - The Silver Dollar (Louisville, KY)

The Silver Dollar in Louisville, KY is a place that we'd kept hearing about time and time again.

On our trip, we were invited out to come try some of their incredible food and rather impressive selection of whiskies and barrel picks.

We were glad we did.

The Silver Dollar is something unique. Something that defies the status quo of whiskey bars. It isn't so much of a concept as it just is. And that's a great sigh of relief for those who feel whiskey bars are increasingly becoming carbon copies of one another.

Originally built in 1890 as Hook & Ladder Co. Firehouse No. 3, it operated as such until 2009. After the closing of the firehouse, The Silver Dollar moved in and embraced the heritage and unique atmosphere.

The owners were inspired by the dust bowl migration of Southerners into California during the 1930s. Those who migrated would try to bring a slice of southern hospitality to establishments wherever they could.

The menu is inspired by a classic 1950s Bakersfield, California honky tonk. The selections are modernized and elevated versions of classic working class dishes that would have been available to the dust bowl settlers.

Their menu items contain classics, like their old fashioned and manhattan, to new classics like their gold rush cocktail.

However, alongside all of their heritage and originality, The Silver Dollar is another thing, a premium whiskey bar.

The Silver Dollar's whiskey selection is equally impressive in size and scope. Their "wall of whiskey" contains hundreds of selections. From your daily drinkers, to an impressive selection of high-end and premium whiskey, you'll likely not want for much while you're browsing their menu.

They have nearly the entire selection of BTAC for you to enjoy, and they offer half-pours (1/2 oz) for you to sample new whiskey without the price tag. Some of these higher end whiskey can make you strongly consider taking out a second mortgage on your home.

Some of the selections that The Silver Dollar features are pours you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

For example, many whiskey enthusiasts are familiar with the Old Fitzgerald releases (15 year old released this year). However, many may not be familiar with the John E. Fitzgerald very special reserve, which is aged 20 years and only had 12 barrels of the juice transferred to Haven Hill to continue aging when they purchased the brand.

Once these bottles are gone, they are gone. And you can find one sitting on the shelf while enjoying The Silver Dollar's insanely delicious southern flair deviled eggs.

One of the other cool things they have available to consumers is vintage whiskey. The selections here, while pricey, are a drinkable part of history that are unavailable and out of production. Again, once it's gone, it's gone.

If you're ever in the neighborhood and in the mood for good food, a massive whiskey selection, and some great atmosphere, you don't have to look any farther than The Silver Dollar to provide all of the above.