All But Drams wouldn’t be a thing if Milroy’s didn’t exist.

I first wandered into the little bar on an autumn day in 2017. I was a casual whisky drinker looking for Glenfiddich’s IPA cask whisky. I didn’t really care for Glenfiddich, but I loved an IPA and this was something I was curious about. I know they served it to me, but it left no lasting impression. What happened next though I won’t forget. Right after I finished it I asked if they had anything very peated I could try. They poured me Ardbeg Uigeadail and kickstarted the next stage of my whisky journey then and there.

In the coming months Milroy’s would introduce me not just to peat powerhouses but bourbon and heavily sherried whisky too. Each visit opened up a new frontier of whisky for me and I dragged along all my friends who were curious too. It was even the opening stop on my stag do where the team let me try their infinity bottle and we snapped this silly picture.

When I stopped working in the area my trips became less frequent and then the pandemic hit. In the last couple of years I have been back on occasion but fell out of love with the place given how crowded I always found it post pandemic. The sister site in Spitalfields was dark and unwelcoming vs the Soho site and in that part of London, Black Rock won out for me.

When I found out Milroy’s had been closed and completely refurbished I was excited to give the venue another fair shot to see if the love could be rekindled.

The space has opened up and that’s clear from the moment you walk in. There’s a lot more room to stand now and overall everything seems better utilised. The wood panelling has all been updated and there’s more modern styling with smooth wood and weathered copper accents. Even the bookcase-door to The Vaults has had a touch-up.  You could argue there is less texture and character – the brickwork is reduced to just a fireplace and the unique two-tier bar is now a flat and level surface – but that could also just be nostalgia speaking. By widening the space and creating plenty of spots to stand and store your drink beyond the bar Milroy’s has fixed my biggest issue with its previous iteration. They’ve also allowed more room for the retail selection and I can see how a tasting would fit this space better too. However, this has come at the expense of the bar.

Whilst staff say the bar is better for them and no smaller, there are fewer seats at it than there used to be. Perhaps most of the impact is psychological and the pernicious nostalgia creeping in but others I’ve spoken to have said the same. The tiered rows of bottles are gone in favour of shelves which means bottles can be hidden. I was enjoying my first dram of the visit when a staff member moved a bottle to reveal a whisky at the top of my “must try” list. A tiny problem, sure, but the old Milroy’s let you see the full selection upfront. It would be easily fixed with a dram list.

Let’s talk about the whisky on offer and prices. If you liked the selection before the refurb you’ll still like it now. If you complained about the London prices before, you’ll still be complaining now. It’s no different.

A rough count shows around 250-300 whiskies on the bar for you to try with all the major regions represented. The highlight of the range is their own Soho Selection independent bottlings of which I tried their Craigellachie for £16. At cask strength it came with sweet sherry on the nose but a peppery almost rye palate. Water calmed it down bt anyone looking for something fiercer than the usual Craigallchie could have a great time at full ABV but to me it’s a world away from the 13 year old I’d had just a fortnight before in Greece.

This was followed by two budget choices to test out the affordable end of the range, which does exist at Milroy’s. Campbeltown Loch came up first at £7 a dram. For those who haven’t tried this affordable Springbank-laden blend it’s full of summer fruit on the nose and a gentle peat finish. Third and final dram was the Murray McDavid Croftengea from their Cask Craft range. This Port and Madeira finished whisky was £7 a dram. A fair price till I saw just how cheap the bottle was. At £34 I picked one up right away from the team. Its a sweet and peaty affair with a rum-ish funk hiding in there. Yes the spirit is young and sharp but there’s plenty of layers to unpack. Complexity at a low, low price.

The team at Milroy’s are lovely hosts and whisky experts through and through. I’ve never had a trip where I didn’t learn something and this one was no different. The way they handhold newbies is also wonderful to see in action. I wonder how many other whisky journeys other than mine were first fired up like mine by a visit to Milroys?

I may be nostalgic for the old Milroys but overall the renovations are a boon. However, the London whisky scene has sped onwards in the years since COVID. The Melody, Black Rock and Bar Swift were fledgling operations when I first started my whisky journey at Milroys, now they’re stiff competition. Dram Bar is the real challenger though. Founded by former Milroy’s team members it’s a three minute walk away and boasts a similar selection for prices that are on par.

Do I have a preference? Dram bar is where I take friends and family, it has more seating, quirky brutalist accents and a livelier vibe. Plus they do great ice coffee and cheaper pours of Weller than most other places. Milroys is still my pick for a solo trip to get some whisky education or talk drams with people. However, there’s a three minute walk in it so to quote the classic meme: “Why not both?”

I walked past Milroy’s again shortly after the review visit as part of our whisky shopping article. I had planned to stop in and snap some pics of their retail cages but it looked pretty full, especially for 5PM on a Saturday. Bums on seats and good vibes flowing – that’s what matters in the end.

[The bar at Milroy’s of Soho is now known as 3 Greek Street]