Best Bourbon Bars in Tampa
Tampa, Florida is known for its beautiful Gulf Coast beaches, theme parks, professional sports teams, and gorgeous year-round weather. Tampa is loaded with historic charm and modern conveniences. It’s pedestrian-friendly and has dog-friendly restaurants. Plus, there’s a good mix of culture and money thrown in.
For the bourbon lover, there are many opportunities to explore tasty sips in Tampa at a diverse choice of establishments. Possibly one of the most unique and exciting venues is the Corona Cigar Company. It’s part cigar shop, part smoking lounge, and has a truly eye-popping assortment of bourbons and whiskeys to choose from. Looking to bring someone a bottle of something expensive and rare? This is a great place to go shopping for the perfect bottle.
But Tampa has a lot more to offer, too. You can find casual “I wanna sip bourbon in my swim shorts” establishments. But there is plenty of fancies, “let’s get engaged” special-occasion destinations, too. There are several swanky, speakeasy-style cocktail bars to try as well.
Plus, a trip to Tampa isn’t complete without visiting some kind of hippie, folksy Americana-roots establishment. You’ll be transported to an entirely different place and time.
We recommend visiting ALL of these places! Each one is magical in its own way.
The Battery
615 Channelside Dr., Suite 116 | Tampa, FL 33602
813-498-0008
Hours: 4-10 pm Monday-Thursday; 4-11 pm Friday; 12-11 pm Saturday; 11 am-10 pm Sunday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
This bar is a homage to baseball—“battery” is an ode to the pitcher/catcher duo in baseball. On the menu, you’ll find a pleasantly long list of rye, Japanese, American, Tennessee, Scotch, Irish, and world whiskeys. It appeals to a variety of whiskey-loving appetites. However, this bar declares itself solidly as a bourbon bar, and about 40 bottles of bourbon to choose from. The average bourbon dram will set you back about $13. But you’ll find pricier options, too, including the Horse Soldier Commander III 13 Year ($195) and Kentucky Owl Batch 11 ($89). On the regular whiskey menu, the average bottle is about $14 for a dram. The most expensive is the Macallan 25 Year for $230 and the Whistle Pig The Boss Hog Lapu-Lapu's for $168. We love that you can find something delicious at any price point!
The Happy Hour specials include cocktails, wine, and beer at great prices. Their small bites include oysters and a cheese and charcuterie board. The dinner menu features a raw bar, small plates, delicious steak options, soup and salads, pasta, and fish choices. Plus, you can expect a fully customizable cheese and charcuterie board—so you can skip that Blue Cheese and stock up on extra Burrata. Yum!
Haven Tampa
2208 W. Morrison Ave | Tampa, FL 33606
813-258-2233
Hours: 5-9 pm Tuesday through Saturday; Closed Sunday and Monday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
Haven boasts a menu of 300 bourbons, 40 wines, 60 kinds of cheese, and a variety of charcuteries. You can find a dram for as little as $6. But they also offer more exotic and expensive selections, such as Michter’s US1 Single Barrel 20 Year, 2021 Release ($120). The vast majority of the menu is under $40, though. The menu also includes Tennessee and American whiskeys; Canadian, Japanese, Irish, and Scotch whiskies; ryes; and single-malt and blended scotches.
The cheese and charcuterie menu is as long as their bourbon/whiskey menu, which we love! You will love exploring their list of Vermont, Spanish, Italian, Wisconsin, and French cheeses. Pair your cheese with a bacon-wrapped sturgeon or BBQ oysters or Beef Tongue Agrodolce. Here, you’ll find the unusual and the extraordinary that befits a special occasion!
Whiskey Cake
2223 N. Westshore Blvd | Tampa, FL 33607
813-535-9955
Hours: 11 am – 10 pm Monday through Thursday; 11 am – 11 pm Friday and Saturday; 10 am – 9 pm Sunday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
https://whiskeycake.com/locations/tampa-fl/
Whiskey Cake is a neighborhood restaurant where you can find craft cocktails and farm-fresh comfort food. This restaurant is made to feel more casual and less pretentious, but with delicious food with simple, honest flavors. The drink menu features 300 whiskies to choose from! They also have great whiskey cocktails, such as the Little Rye Lies (Old Overhold Rye, turbinado black tea syrup, orange bitters, Angostura bitters), or Rogue Rabbit (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Aperol, carrot, lemon, white pepper simple). The drink menu also has some great whiskey flight options for about $18. These are broken out by bourbon flights, Florida flights, rye whiskey flights, Irish flights, and Scotch flights. Or pick “any four spirits from our Good Book of Whiskey” to create your own. You can also get an Old Fashioned cocktail to go—serves 3, for $25.
On the food menu, you can expect to see such comfort foods as chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, pork chops, burgers, salads, and chili. Plus—you guessed it!—whiskey cake for dessert.
Rococo Steak
655 2nd Ave S. | St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-822-0999
Hours: 4-10 pm Monday-Thursday; 4-11 pm Friday and Saturday; 4-9 pm Sunday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
Hop across the bay from Tampa to find yourself in the artsy and eclectic St. Petersburg. Here, at this steakhouse, you’ll find a delicious cocktail menu and bartenders who have perfected the craft of making an Old Fashioned. You won’t be disappointed to pair your whiskey-based cocktail with a delicious steak—because that’s what this restaurant is all about. Whether it’s the $69 Angus ribeye steak or the $145 dry-aged porterhouse, you won’t walk away disappointed. You won’t find 300 bourbons on the menu, but what you’ll find will be quality and worth pairing with your meal.
Gaspar’s Patio Bar and Grille
8448 N. 56th St. | Temple Terrace, FL 33617
813-988-6959
Hours: 11 am – 3 am every day of the week
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
This is a classic Tampa grub-pub bar. Temple Terrace is a suburb of Tampa and isn’t very far, so don’t be intimidated by that. They offer a super-long Happy Hour, live music, and karaoke options on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 9 pm. We love that this bar is pet-friendly! This is a place to get chicken wings, fried food, and sandwiches. Nothing fancy here—but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the well-stocked bar with whiskey options. There’s an adjacent liquor store and bourbon bar attached to the restaurant. After you try a taste, you can go home with your favorite selection.
Corona Cigar Company
4142 W. Boy Scout Blvd. | Tampa, FL 33607
813-513-7560
Hours: 9 am – 12 am Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday; 9 am – 1 am Wednesday and Thursday; 9 am – 2 am Friday and Saturday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
Yes, this is a cigar store. And so there’s no confusion—yes, it also used to be Davidoff of Geneva in Tampa. The owners parted ways with Davidoff and struck up a relationship with Corona sometime during the pandemic. But it’s basically the same store as before, just with a new name. If you are looking for a place to sample cigars and pair them with a great whiskey menu—this is the place to go!
You are going to find a massive menu of single-malt scotches and small-batch bourbons, as well as rare Cognacs. Seriously, this menu is eye-popping and is to be taken very seriously. If you’re looking for some rare bottles—say, a 1955 Glenfarclas for $10,300—this is a place to go to check it out. Naturally, you are going to want to display a rare bottle at home on an exquisite tray or in a super eye-catching decanter. Of course, there are cigars, too. But seriously—come here for the whiskey menu. Did we mention that it’s massive?
Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe
5119 N. Nebraska Ave. | Tampa, FL 33603
813-234-1000
Hours: 5-10 pm Tuesday and Wednesday; 11 am – 10 pm Thursday; 11 am – 11 pm Friday and Saturday; 11 am – 8 pm on Sunday; Closed on Monday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
https://www.ellasfolkartcafe.com/
We feel like it’s never a good list of Tampa/St. Pete unless you have some weird, eclectic, artsy-fartsy, hippie location on the list. Ella’s is all of that and more! It reminds us of Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY a little bit. It’s home to a small stage featuring up-and-coming folk artists and a carefully curated art collection of folk art—especially “found art.” If you aren’t artistically minded, you should come here for the food and drink anyway. The restaurant/arts venue features over 100 rare and small-batch bourbons. They also offer locally-sourced craft whiskeys and creative craft cocktails. Try the Bangers & Mash cocktail (Michter’s Sour Mash, House Aged Bourbon, Orchard Apricot, Bolin Blanc & Galliano aged in a toasted barrel with club soda & OJ). You’ll find some Southern comfort food on the food menu, as well as some tangy curry, seared tuna, fried green tomatoes, and meatloaf.
Ciro’s Tampa
2109 Bayshore Blvd. | Tampa, FL 33606
813-251-0022
Hours: 5 pm-1 am Sunday-Thursday; 5 pm-3 am Friday and Saturday
Reservations: Yes
Food: Yes
This is a great, dark, and atmospheric bar that was inspired by European-trained bartenders. Located in the historic Bayshore Royal Building, the menu revolves around the cocktail menu. You can expect to see such cocktails as the Flying V (Duck Fat-Washed Old Forester Bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse, Apricot, Rosemary Smoke, Lemon). You can also get some great Happy Hour specials from 5-7 pm Monday through Thursday. On the food menu, check out the Steak Frites, Chicken and Waffles, and Ciro’s Carbonara. Don’t forget the delicious Crème Brulée for a closing deal. This is a fantastic date night spot!
Like all good speakeasies, access to Ciro’s is a secret. Give them a call before you go to get the code.
You also don’t want to miss:
- Flute and Dram, 234 Beach Dr., NE | St. Petersburg, FL 33701
- 82 West Rum, 6430 N. Florida Ave | Tampa, FL 33604
- The Mandarin Hide, 231 Central Ave. North | St. Petersburg, FL 33701
- Pete’s Place, 4145 Henderson Blvd. | Tampa, FL 33629
- Room 901, hidden location, reserve online.
- Whiskey Joe’s Bar and Grill, 7720 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway | Tampa, FL 33607
- Zudar’s Bourbon St. Bar and Grill, 201 W. Platt St. | Tampa, FL 33606
About Author
Each decanter is handcrafted and hand-blown, formed into designs limited only by imagination. We never skip steps to cut costs either. Instead, our decanters are made the hard way because quality takes effort and that’s what you deserve. Whether you are looking for a statement piece for your home bar or shopping for something elegant for that special loved one, our decanters are always a timeless gift. If you're searching for style, inspired craftsmanship, and a transformative piece of art that also elevates the flavor profile of your favorite wines and spirits, look no further.