Dram Bar is a modern reimagining of what a whisky bar can be – and that’s not just because they’ve traded polished wood for brutalist concrete. The venue is all-day, high-energy and full of life. It’s a place that’s here to capture a different kind of whisky drinker, you might even say a different generation. Most importantly, it’s a place that doesn’t require you to like whisky to have a good time.

Arriving at 3.30PM on a Saturday we were ushered into a peaceful terrace full of colour and began with a mix of on-tap cocktails and bourbon, served up with plenty of fresh water on the side too. It’s a pleasant space for a Soho bar to have and on another visit during the evening I saw it packed with after-work drinkers conversing and enjoying the Guinness schooners with the very rare official 2/3 glassware the bar offers. However, we wanted to be where the whiskies were so we relocated to the front bar to continue the journey.

The front bar is dominated by the concrete bartop that runs down the centre of the space. Along one wall is the vast selection of whiskies and other spirits and the other houses the barred “whisky prison” of Dram Bar’s retail offering. There’s very little by the way of décor in this space vs the terrace. Instead the bottles and the lighting carry the vibe with the space lit by rich purple and orange colours in the evening.

Let’s discuss the selection. I cannot find a hole to poke in it. All the usual regions and styles are covered extensively. Perhaps only Canada doesn’t get much love but that’s more to do with UK distribution than anything on Dram Bar’s part. Across our visits we drank a global range of whiskies: Weller bourbon, Fielden English rye, Starward Australian whisky, Caol Ila independent bottlings, Port Dundas grain whisky and even some rums too. 

The team were great hosts and a joy to converse with. Whilst keeping us hydrated on a warm day they were also eager to recommend and walk us through a whisky and rum journey. What set the experience apart from any other bar was that the team gave us some small samples to help understand what we liked and to steer the recommendations in the right direction. 

Pricing at Dram Bar is competitive, especially when you think about its London location and the quality of experience it is offering. Yes, there are whiskies in there that will set you back a lot but there were plenty of high-quality pours at reasonable prices – you just have to ask. The staff will happily steer you towards not just what they think is good, but also what is good value too. The standout bargain of what we tried was their Weller Single Barrel for only £8 for a 35ml dram. To put it into perspective the Wetherspoons down the road was charging £5.71 for a 25ml measure of Buffalo Trace. By contrast we also had a Glendronach 12 that came out at £12 per dram. Delicious, but available at £40-£50 bottle so really on the higher end.

For our bar reviews we review over multiple visits (where possible) and for Dram Bar the one of these visits was a tasting. I attended the Ben Holladay bourbon UK launch event hosted by Dram Bar and Sazerac. The event was a tasting with multiple generous pours from Ben Holladay’s Master Distiller Kyle Merklein. Alongside plenty of discussion about their history and process we also discussed the state of the US bourbon market vs the UK and the attendees were asked stacks of interesting questions too by the teams from Sazerac and Ben Holladay. The tasting took place in Dram Bar’s back room. This is an intimate space that can really only fit ten or so people before it gets cramped but that’s perfect for making something feel special. The concrete and coloured lighting extends into here too.

After the tasting attendees enjoyed their last pours on the terrace and received gift bags that included pins, a baseball cap, bar runner and flag. I picked up a bottle of Rickhouse Proof (freed from the whisky prison by staff) which was a pricey £90 but that’s bang on the SRP set by Sazerac UK. Comparing the prices of some other bottles on sale to online prices shows Dram Bar keeping prices in line with retailers and in some cases cheaper. For instance, That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 30 Year Blended Grain was a few quid less at Dram Bar than it costs on its digital home turf of Master of Malt. 

After two visits it was easy to recommend Dram Bar as one of the best places to drink whisky in London. After four, I’m smitten with the place. If you want a secluded and intimate tasting journey or only whisky-led cocktails you might be better off in the petite basement of Black Rock over in Moorgate, but Dram Bar has them just about beat on range and price.

We’ve covered what matters to All But Drams as a specialist whisky site but truthfully we’ve only gone halfway with Dram Bar. The venue also hosts a pool room and basement cocktail bar to add to its list of wonders. That’s the real icing on the cake – someone who hates whisky can have a lot of fun here. When you bring the atmosphere, the service and the range of drinks together Dram Bar becomes a place ready for afternoon whisky anoraks, the after-work crowd and big nights out too.