2011 List of Philadelphia's 50 Top Bars

The website Foobooz.com, which covers all things food and drink in Philadelphia, recently released its 2011 list of Philadelphia's top 50 bars. I posted about last year's list here, and thankfully a lot of my favorites still made the list along with some notable newcomers.

My nearest neighborhood joint, the South Philly Taproom jumped up to #2 this year (from #5 in 2010), and the newly revamped Khyber Pass Pub took the top spot after missing last year's list altogether - it has been totally re-conceptualized after all. As far as the bars on the list with a real focus on whisk(e)y, there are quite a few. Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. (#4) makes some mean rye and bourbon cocktails, as does The Farmer's Cabinet (#9), another newcomer to the Philly bar scene. If you're looking for a massive and diverse whisk(e)y list check out Southwark (#13), Village Whiskey (#17), or Fiume (#40). Finally, if you want to try the bar that I think will make a big jump up this list by next year check out Kennett (#47). They have a soli selection of whiskey, beer, and cocktails along with some really great pizzas, friendly people, and there's always a seat at the bar...for now.

List of Philly's Top 50 Bars Includes Some Whiskey Joints

Interior of Pub on Passyunk East

The website Foobooz.com just released its 2010 list of Philadelphia's top 50 bars as selected by a "who’s-who of Philadelphia’s drinking scene." I was glad to see both of the bars that I've reviewed for this blog on the list - Royal Tavern at #10 and Village Whiskey at #14, and several of my other favorite haunts also made the list including my go-to spot, Pub on Passyunk East aka POPE at #4. Bars on the list with notable whiskey selections include Southwark (#3), Chick's Cafe (#9), Oyster House (#22), and Devil's Den (#43), all of which I will eventually get around to reviewing for this blog.

In addition to the list there's also a great map of all 50 bars that makes it a piece of cake to plan a good bar crawl in the City of Brotherly Love. If you're into history, you might find it interesting to compare this year's top 50 to the 2009 version - there are plenty of newcomers, but also a good helping of the classics that should be on the top 50 list for decades to come.

Bar Hopping: Village Whiskey, Philadelphia, PA

Last Friday I made my first trip to Village Whiskey - the Rittenhouse Square restaurant and bar that has received rave reviews since opening last August. Village Whiskey, the fourth Philly restaurant opened by Philadelphia's celebrity chef du jour Jose Garces, has quickly established itself as one of the best places in Philadelphia to get a hamburger. A taste of that burger will have to wait for another time since my visit to Village Whiskey was on one of the hottest days of the year so far, and I just can't think about big juicy hamburgers when the temperature is over 95 degrees at 6:00pm. A nice refreshing whiskey however was just what I needed on such an evening.

The whiskey list at Village Whiskey has received surprisingly little attention from the restaurant reviewers who have raved about the delicious burgers and unique bar snacks (think oysters, deviled eggs, and five different pickle options). The whiskey list isn't over-the-top, and there were a few brands that I hoped to see that were absent, but it is probably the most extensive whiskey list in a Philadelphia bar.

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Whiskey Bars Popping Up Everywhere in Philadelphia

Over the past few years the bar scene in Philadelphia has really taken off. Dozens of new brewpubs, craft-beer dens, and "fashionable speakeasy" style bars, have opened in various neighborhoods across the city, and most of them seem to be doing plenty of business, which is great to see. Recently we've even seen the addition of a few new whiskey-focused bars, to compete with some of the great whiskey bars that have been serving the thirsty in Philadelphia for years.

While these new kids on the block certainly bring their "A game" in terms of whiskey selection, creative cocktails, and interesting atmosphere, there's still something to be said for the old classics. Philadelphia's classic whiskey dens continue to serve awesome drinks, with a side of friendly bar-chat, in an understated, self-assured way that the newly opened joints just can't match.

Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting and reviewing some of Philadelphia's best whiskey bars. I'll definitely visit the bars listed in the poll to the left, and I'm happy to add to my list based on suggestions from my readers. My current vote for the best whiskey bar in Philadelphia is Southwark. We'll see if that preference changes as I visit the other bars with fresh eyes.