Written by DCist contributor Eric Denman

The strip of 18th Street between Kalorama and Columbia is notorious for bars serving cheap beer, takeout joints serving huge slices of pizza, and the resulting explosion of drunken sloppy pizza inhalation. A few places on this strip break the mold, though, and Bourbon is one of them. An outpost of the popular spot in Glover Park, Bourbon is a haven for those seeking to escape the monotony that Adams Morgan can offer. As its name would suggest, the bar has a wide selection of whiskeys: around 140 varieties of bourbons and whiskey, plus 20 varieties of rye whiskey are at your disposal. The offering is far from exclusive to whiskey, though; they also carry eight wines by the glass and have ten beers on tap (including local favorites Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Victory Prima Pils). The food isn’t bad, either, and their brunch on Saturdays and Sundays is one of the best in the area.

As far as the actual whiskey goes, the rye whiskey is best for most purposes: the spicy edge of rye lends a welcome balance to the sweet vermouth in a Manhattan (try the Rittenhouse 100 proof) and ryes can be stellar neat (or with an ice cube or two; try the Sazerac brand 18-year). Due to the relatively sporadic availability of rye, you may not always see the same bottles at the Glover Park and Adams Morgan locations, but the bartenders can guide you to a winner in any situation.