4 Top Shelf Whiskey Hangouts in Midland Texas
Whatever you call it: whiskey, juice, or brown water we can all agree that there are very few spirits with such a reputation as our dark, woody friend. Whether you’re on the lookout for a classic cocktail like the Old Fashioned, prefer your whiskey neat, or you’re a part of the growing culture of “bourbon hunters”, Midland has the cure for what ails you. Be it bars or a honey hole for those hard to find bottles you’ve been searching for, here is a list of the best places in The Tall City where you can satisfy your craving.
The Basement at Opal’s Table
223 West Wall Street
Located beneath the fine dining restaurant, Opal’s Table, The Basement is a beautiful cocktail lounge with plenty of craft cocktail, beer, and wine options. This establishment is the top choice and also the youngest having opened on New Year’s Eve of 2019. This bar with a speak-easy vibe hasn’t wasted any time packing the biggest whiskey offerings in Midland (and quite possibly all of the Permian Basin) with some absolutely robust choices. You truly won’t find these anywhere else in Midland or Odessa. The Basement excels in all whiskey offerings but truly distinguishes itself from the bourbon. Names like Old FashionedCopper, PappyvanWinkle, GeorgeT. Stagg, William LaRue Weller, and many more sit gloriously atop the shelves behind the bar. The bottles tease all who enter to spend a little extra and indulge in the truly great juice contained within. Simply put, this cocktail bar easily holds the title of “Best Whiskey in The Basin”.
Opal’s Table has done an amazing job with its cocktail offerings as well. All of them are delicious but you came here for whiskey, and whiskey is what you shall get. For those cocktails with a “brown water” base, look no further than these four:
“So Bussed Right Now” has Bulleit Rye, a local Midland Buzz beer, banana, cinnamon, and rosemary for an amazing combination that is both cozy and robust.
“The Berry Gentleman” is a concoction of Bulleit Rye (you’re seeing a theme here…rye is delicious!), blueberries, sugar, lemon, and chartreuse. The Berry Gentleman is a seasonal spin on another drink that Opal offers. It fits in perfectly on the cold weather menu as a fruity offering that would be right at home in your hand after Thanksgiving dinner.
“Walk in the Woods” is pretty much Autumn in a glass, plain and simple. This final whiskey cocktail on this list is based on a whiskey from across the pond, Tullamore Dew Scotch. It combines Tullamore Dew, Cocchi Americano, pear, and walnut that feels like a brisk stroll through the Scottish Highlands; it is phenomenal.
The “Rye Gentleman'' is the offspring of the “Berry Gentleman''. While this drink isn’t on the menu currently, you can still order this tasty combination of Bulleit Rye (see, I told you rye is best), agave nectar, and orange.
The Basement is first on this list for a reason and hopefully will be first in your hearts after you spend a cozy evening there. If you’re looking for a fine dining experience while enjoying a beautiful cocktail, get acquainted with one of Midland’s youngest and most aesthetic bars. The Basement at Opal’s Table has something for everyone, but make sure you check out their dress code. Like their drink menu, the vibe is classy and festive.
Pro Tip: you can get a one ounce sample of a whiskey available for half the price marked. Sample away friends!
The Blue Door
4610 Garfield St D #1C
Serving up craft cocktails in Midland for more than a decade, The Blue Door is decidedly the oldest bar on this list, and only a few doors down from Librado, The Blue Door has cemented itself as an absolute favorite for Midlanders looking to enjoy a good drink. Like the two previously mentioned establishments, The Blue Door brings some heavy-hitting whiskey to the table with the likes of High West Bourye, E. H. Taylor Straight Rye, and WhistlePig 12-year cask finish. Many other classics adorn the shelves like Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, and Bookers. Most whiskey drinkers are very familiar with these names, even if they’ve never seen one “in the wild” to purchase for a home bar. The Blue Door’s cocktail menu is like reading something from centuries ago: elevated, elegant, and refined.
No matter what you’re in the mood for, there is a mixed drink for you on the menu. Here are a couple of our favorites (but we could easily go on):
To start things off, the “Vieux Carré” is made with Courvoisier, Rye, Benedictine, Cocchi Vermouth, Angostura, and Peychaud's bitters. The blending of rye with vermouth is an absolutely unmistakable and incredibly unique pairing of sweet and spicy.
Next in line is “Forbidden” which combines Bulleit bourbon, pomegranate liqueur, and lemon to bring an exceptional twist on a whiskey sour.
The Blue Door offers a very cool option for whiskey flights. Three of the four flights offered are whiskey, Northern Scotland, Southern Scotland, and wine-influenced whiskey. These are amazing options for someone who wants to try several different options without having to buy a pour of each bottle.
When the air gets cooler around Midland, there aren’t many places where you can enjoy a patio yet still be warm, but The Blue Door is one of them. Grab your friends, order a flight or maybe an Old Fashioned with Bookers (wink wink) and enjoy the heated patio and toast to the New Year with great people at a great place.
Pinkie’s Liquor Store
2701 N Big Spring Street
Now you may be thinking how does one store location differ from others in the same city? Simply put - drastically.
All Pinkies locations have a decent, standard selection of the staple whiskeys you have known for years, but the Pinkie’s location on Big Spring Street in Midland stands heads and shoulders above nearly everything else in town. The whiskey selection, more specifically bourbon, is the best in Midland. This location is the wholesale location, which grants it more buying power with distributors, thus a higher rate of acquiring allocated bottles that you otherwise would rarely see on shelves. The store has done a wonderful job of placing even its top-shelf bourbons out in the store for anyone to purchase.
At this moment, you can walk in and pick up a Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, a Woodford Reserve Pinkies store pick, and a Rare Perfection 15 year old cask strength offering. Some scotches of note are The Balvenie 21 year Port Wood finish and Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company’s Muckety-Muck 24-year-old single grain scotch.
For those among us who are looking to elevate their home bar selection, look no further than this location of Pinkies on Big Spring Street.
Hops Scotch & Vinery
3201 Faudree Road #8616, Odessa
To round out our list, we are going to bend the rules a little bit. Hops Scotch & Vinery resides in Midland County but technically belongs to Odessa. Regardless of location, their selection is worthy of inclusion.
Similar to Pinkies on Big Spring Street in Midland, Hops Scotch & Vinery excels in the acquisition of noteworthy bottles on a continual basis. Owner Morgan Anderson has worked tirelessly over the last ten years to build one of the Permian Basin’s best bottle shops. He can be counted on to provide the finer spirits you’re in search of. In addition to his standard offerings, Morgan and the Hops Scotch team have done several single-barrel selections that are exclusively sold only in Hops Scotch.
Recently, the team picked a barrel of Woodford Reserve and there are rumors that several Woodinville selections are coming down the pipeline soon. In addition to their bourbon picks, Morgan has some amazing Codigo tequila barrel picks available. One thing you can count on is that if you’re looking for something very specific, chances are that Morgan and his team can find it for you. Also, check out our post on the best wine in Midland, TX.
Did we overlook another whiskey haven in town? Send us an email and we’ll get it added.
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