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| - This is a review of the whiskey bar in the basement. I haven't tried the food, so if you are wondering what the food is like stop reading this review now and disregard the 2 stars.
So I walked in the place, which is pretty cozy, intimate and looks to be a nice place. There are about 10 seats at the bar and a few small tables scattered around and they have live music, which is a nice touch. But I am here for the whiskey - bourbon, to be specific. I ask for a menu and notice that the prices are a bit high, but I am here on a mission, to try a specific bottle I heard they had here. It's a rare bottle, but not an amazing, Booker's Rye or Pappy Van Winkle type bottle. I am there to try 2016 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, which, if you can find it, is about $69 a bottle. So it's not on the menu, but I see it behind the elegant bar, all lit up and surround by some Orphan Barrel bottles. I ask how much a pour is, and the bartender tells me $100! I laugh, and say "that's really expensive" to which he replies, "it's very hard to find" (it's $20 a pour at Society Lounge). So basically they are trying to sell a shot from a bottle which they paid $69 for at almost twice what the bottle cost (~25 one ounce pours per bottle). For $100 I can get a pour of 20+ year old Pappy Van Winkle at most other fancy whiskey bars. I promptly walk out and vow to never return again.
I drive over to Lizardville and buy a pour of 2016 Booker"s Rye, which was recently rated the best whiskey in the whole world, for $22. As I sip this masterpiece I laugh to myself about how ignorant and/or greedy the owners of Cafe Bon Appetit are...
If you want to be a serious whiskey bar, treat serious whiskey drinkers with a bit of respect, because if you are willing to shell out $25-50 for a pour of alcohol (let alone $100), you are most likely going to know whether it's worth it or not.
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