Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar

Stopped in Saturday prior the the Mardi Gras parade for a taste. …once again a great atmosphere and can’t be beat selections.

Love this place!
Cocktails are delicious and price points are great.
They do a great job of rotating the specials and keeping the menus fresh. The selection will put your parents liquor cabinet to shame!
Total hipster vibe… Beards, tattoo, and quirkiness, but it works.
The space is limited on the inside, like 25 people feels super crowded, but in warmer weather they have access to a back patio which was recently converted to allow more seating.
We went on a warm Saturday night in January, which sounds weird, but we had the fire pit and patio to ourselves. I think the improvements made to the outdoor space have really set this place apart for me and moved it to the top of my list of places I want to hang out at on a regular basis.
As the name would lead you to believe… This place doesn’t carry 100 craft beers on tap, so if that’s your thing, this probably isn’t for you, but they do have several options.
My advice… Go early, don’t be afraid to ask the bartenders questions before deciding on a drink, and listen to their recommendations.

Try anything here and you will not be disappointed – you may have a hard time tomorrow remembering what you tried tonight if you order the flight but it will not disappoint on the way down!

This bar is a dream for me. bourbon is by far my drink of choice in pretty much every scenario and I have the utmost respect for anything that Molly has a hand in. How it took me until just recently to finally get here is beyond me and I’m a bit disappointed in myself honestly. The space is a bit small inside, but the patio in the back offers a much bigger area to move around and spread out. My friends and I went on a Friday night and it was jam-​packed! The inside has a rustic and cozy feel to it that I appreciate when I’m sipping bourbon.
The selection is vast and the bartenders were very knowledgeable in the questions that I had for them. I was directed towards the Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Commemorative Edition and it was fantastic for the price and the amount that they gave me. The patio had the same style of lighting as Neons and had a bit of a barn feel. They had a fire pit and a few picnic benches as well as some tables. It will be great to use the patio space this spring through fall.
All-​in-​all, I will hopefully be adding this place to one of my regular spots, especially if I’m in Mainstrasse or NKY!

OKKB has the biggest selection of bourbon I’ve seen except maybe for the The Century in Dayton, OH. Definitely a place to check out if bourbon makes you happy in your tasty places!
We came in around 9:00 on a Friday night. The place was packed full, mostly hipsters. Man buns and beards abounded! Not that that’s a bad thing. The bar space is VERY cramped, and every place we stood we felt like we were in the way. Because of that we only stayed for maybe 20 minutes.
The bourbon selection is enough to keep a bourbon aficionado busy for days. I was hoping they had the newest release of Old Forester Birthday, but they only had 2014’s. We ordered Friday Night Flight #3, which included a taste each of Elmer T. Lee, Orphan Barrel Forged Oak, and E.H. Taylor Single Barrel. $ 20 for maybe 2 oz of bourbon, but they were delicious! I’ve been on a mission to try more Orphan Barrel and haven’t been impressed with the ones I’ve had so far, but this one was smooth as butter. I was happy I had the chance to try it. I also ordered a Sazerac via my friend and was so looking forward to trying the cocktail here after so many raved about it, but instead received a glass of Sazerac Rye. Boo for communication problems. But it was good! I’d like to come back when it’s less crowded and I feel more comfortable sticking around and studying the menu.

This was a fantastic whiskey bar! I love bourbon and have had several, yet there were bourbons here I had never seen. They also had your normal, everyday brands. The cocktails were very well done and the bartenders were professionals. This bar is ranked as one of the top bourbon bars by the Bourbon Review. I will definitely be back.

Husband says the Manhattan he ordered tonight was the best he has ever had! Great bar, great street, great atmosphere!

Not nearly as good as the hype. Awesome selection of bourbons. I got a bourbon flight and the portions were extremely small.
Seems like more of a cocktail bar than anything else… not my cup of tea. No menu available.
Bartenders slow as each cocktail for each customer is slow. With two bartenders, at times it was painfully slow. One of the bartenders was especially very slow and pretentious… Capt Jack Sparrow… seriously who wants a dude bartender at a bourbon bar that wears makeup.
We didn’t checkout the back patio area.
Been there… done that… no need to go back.

Visited KY a few years back and had an amazing time at this bar. Actually, just googled it to see if it was still around. Great service. Awesome selection. The bar tenders told me a story about every cocktail I drank. Glorious!

OKBB is a must for those in the Cincinnati area who are bourbon aficionados. Even in the heart of Kentucky you will be hard pressed to find a bar that stocks such a plethora of bourbon. They do have a board with daily specials on flights and various drinks and make a heck of a Mule for $ 5. Be careful to check prices though as some bourbons may be a bit higher in price that you may expect. The space itself is small and intimate but pretty laid back and adjacent to restaurants and other bars in the Mainstrasse area.

It’s no secret. I love this bar. Whenever I have someone visit from out of town, I like to take them here… both to show them how cool the MainStrasse area is but also because this is just a great spot to hang out. They have a large variety of bourbons and bartenders who (a) have a personality and (b) know their stuff when it comes to making specialty drinks. Only downside is that there is limited seating, and the place can fill up during busy times.

Best bar in Northern Kentucky, hands down! It can be a bit difficult to find, as the only thing marking it on the outside is a «OKBB» sign right above the door (apparently their old sandwich board which sat outside actually got stolen). However, it’s well worth the effort. They have the biggest bourbon selection that I’ve seen, and that’s saying something in KY! They also offer bourbon flights, which is a great way to sample some new bourbons with little risk (and potentially great reward). The bartenders are some of the best in this area, both talented at their craft and personable. My favorite drink is the Seelbach, which they make with champagne. It can get a bit loud as the crowd increases, so don’t go there if you want to have a deep conversation with the person across from you. However, if you’re looking to try a new bourbon and have a great time, this place cannot be beat.

Was only in Kentucky for a meeting but had been told about this place. Daily special whiskey of the day, 3 daily flight specials and best Bourbon Old Fashioned I’d venture to say in the South. Worth making a trip to this cool little town!

I’m a big bourbon fan and being that OKBB is in Kentucky, you get some of the best bourbons you can imagine. The building is a bit tricky to find but once inside, it is a nice, hipster place to enjoy a few well made cocktails.
The staff are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to bourbon and they make great recommendations based on what you’re feeling. They also make good late night food recommendations too.
Now be prepared, there are hundreds of bourbons to try and some will have you digging deep in your wallet but it is worth it to try the rarest of the rare whiskeys that you can’t find anywhere else. Recommendations: A Midwinter’s Night Dram, Colonel Taylor Barrel Proof and any of the Pappy’s. A must for any bourbon fan!

This place is great if you can find it. A three step walk-​up to a very thin building with just the unassuming «OKBB» sign above the door. I am just a novice bourbon drinker and both bartenders at the time were very helpful in helping find one that would increase my knowledge and added some suggestions in crafting a cocktail for my friend.
We got there at a good time because we could get a seat at the bar. Soon after it got really crowded even though it was the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. The guys sitting next to me knew their bourbons but the bartender was able to lead them to a couple of new ones.
Check it out even if you think you have no real bourbon knowledge.

Three words: Thrifty Thirsty Thursday. That’s alliteration. You’ve just been englished!

One of the many things I love about this place is that the bartenders have their own individual personalities and are all very different. Getting to know them has been a great time. I have several favorite cocktails at OKBB. Cocktails are influenced by the bartender’s personality, so I have my favorite cocktails based on the bartender.
Aaron — the Improved, Hibiscus Whiskey Sour
Taylor — Rum Job (drink hasn’t been officially named yet, but it’s YUMMY), Scofflaw
Val — De la Lousianne, The Kids are All Spice
I’m still undecided for Josh, Lilly and the rest (need more testing).

Even if you don’t like bourbon –GO HERE IMMEDIATELY! This place turned me into a bourbon lover. The bartenders tell you the history of your drinks and each bourbon. You can tell they love their craft. I love the fresh egg white they use in their whiskey sours. The cherry vanilla is my favorite but the lemon and spicy are amazing as well. Their Manhattan is the best I’ve had in the city and they make a great seelbach. The copper bar, rustic walls, and close quarters make this a great environment. Great for an after work cocktail or a night out with friends!

This place is why you come to Kentucky in the first place. Especially on «Thrifty Thirsty Thursday», where the drink specials are insane with $ 5 craft cocktails and $ 3 pours. Our very friendly bartender steered me to an excellent $ 3 pour that was exactly what I was looking for, and the boy got a sampler of 3 that contained a really unique spicey bourbon that you probably can’t get anywhere else. Round 2 included an excellent Manhattan and a «flower» Whiskey Sour, which of the 6+ other amazing-​sounding house-​made flavor options, is not one I would have readily chosen had it not been for the bartender’s recommendation; he was totally right though, it was excellent, tasted like a Jamaica (hibiscus-​ey flavor). Add to that a relaxed, cozy atmosphere, and friendly locals, and it’s fully worth the trek.

This is a great place and the place to be if you want to try new bourbons. This is the kind of place you go to first in the evening. Its a place to savor bourbon, not a place to get drunk.
The bourbon is pricey but I guess good bourbon is not cheap. I think when I go back, I’ll go on Thirsty Thursday when I hear they have discounted drinks. What better time to try a bourbon you’ve never had before?