When your old fashioned is served with a chocolate truffle, and your bourbon comes hot buttered, you know you’re onto a good thing. The liquid-gold selection at this CBD Merivale bar is sensational, spanning Canadian, Japanese, French, Australian, Irish, American and Scotch whisky. Swinging saloon doors, velvet armchairs, dark-wood panelling and antique cabinets of curiosities give this upper-level bar a gentlemanly feel, while the drink-friendly menu of bar snacks harks back to yesteryear with the likes of salumi platters, prunes wrapped in speck, beef pies and dry-aged beef and pecorino meatballs. 1 Angel Pl, Sydney, merivale.com.au/jandm

Good luck ordering any time soon when there are 800 whiskies to choose from at The Baxter Inn. Luckily, the shirted and suspendered bartenders at this Prohibition-era laneway bar are well-versed to help you navigate their liquid assets as they swing left to right like circus performers on a scrolling library ladder that works as hard as they do behind the bar. Whiskies are a global collection that spans top-shelf Scottish classics, elegant Japanese bottles and new Australian blends. There is always a crowd here, but the wait at the door, and then again at the bar, has rich rewards every time. Rear basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney, thebaxterinn.com

Kid Kyoto is a newcomer to the CBD scene, offering a taste of Japan’s boozy izakaya culture. The laneway restaurant is the third from the Sam Prince Hospitality Group (Indu, Mejico), and the rocking food and drink offering is inspired by the grungy punk rock hits of the 80s and 90s, which play in the restaurant. A considerable amount of work has gone into the drinks menu, so you can pair head chef Seb Gee’s (ex-China Doll, China Lane) ‘black hole sun pork belly’ or 8-10 course omakase (chef’s choice) menu with Japan’s greatest hits in the glass. That includes sake flights, shochu, and Japanese whisky from top-shelf distilleries, including Mars, Nikka, Suntory, White Oak and Ichiro’s Malt. 17/19 Bridge St, Sydney, kidkyoto.com.au

Whisky and cognac lovers who want to loosen the tie (or leather jacket) will feel right at home in this brash dive bar that pays homage to the world of dark spirits. It’s the first solo-venture from owners Sebastian “Cosmo” Soto and Dardan Shervashidze, who previously worked with Swillhouse Group – the same rascals who brought us CBD drinking institutions Shady Pines Saloon, Frankie’s Pizza and The Baxter Inn. Like these sister venues, the vibe is dark, loud and outrageous, but the drinking experience is designed to inform and educate about what’s in the glass, while keeping it fun and low-key with a menu of Mary’s burgers and fried chicken to match. 60 Park St, Sydney, ramblinrascaltavern.com

Located at the Circular Quay end of George Street under the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, this luxe hotel bar has a separate whisky menu that is one if the largest in the country. There’s a mouthful of Scotch single malt from the Highlands, Lowlands, Islands, Speyside, Islay and Campbelltown, as well as bottles from Japan, Canada, US, India, Taiwan, France, Ireland and Australia. The amber theme continues to the high-end styling, where it’s all golden lighting and caramel-coloured wood detailing around the central bar. 199 George St, Sydney, grainbar.com.au

Between the bourbon, monkey nuts and bare floor, it wouldn’t be out of place if John Wayne sauntered into Shady Pines Saloon while you were sipping your whiskey sour. The good-times drinking den from Swillhouse Group (Frankie’s Pizza, The Baxter Inn, Restaurant Hubert), has a cowboy accent and is for whiskey lovers of the US persuasion. Taxidermy moose heads loom overhead as classic rock n’ roll plays and bourbon sloshes in the hands of the foot-stomping, lumberjack-shirted crowd. This is whisky without any rules. 4/256 Crown St, Darlinghurst, shadypinessaloon.com

While Surry Hills’ Clock Hotel may be better known for pre-game beers and Sunday sessions on its sun-drenched balcony, the inside whisky room is a shrine to the amber spirit. There are 200 varieties on offer, and a killer range of cocktails, too – from a refreshing Hellyer’s Road 10-year-old whisky served simply with freshly pressed green apple, to the ‘Hokkaido disco’ made with Nikka All Malt whisky, Averna, salted caramel and cold-brew coffee. 470 Crown St, Surry Hills, clockhotel.com.au

Long before every other bar was hidden and had an old-world aesthetic, and drinks menus were as focused as food menus, Eau de Vie was entertaining us with their cocktail wizardry. The high-end Art Deco cocktail bar is still tucked away behind the lobby at Darlinghurst’s boutique Kirketon Hotel, where its allure has certainly not faded over time. Couples still canoodle over cocktails animated by liquid nitrogen, smoke-filled cloches and flaming herb sprigs, but that’s not to say the bartenders can’t serve it up neat. The bar’s Malt Masters whisky club has discounts and special offers for those who sign up, and the ceremony of returning to a bar and handing your key to the bartender for them to unlock your bottle of whisky from the member’s cabinet adds to the excitement in the glass. 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Sydney, eaudevie.com.au/sydney

This handsome Surry Hills small bar specialises in Japanese whisky, beer and yakitori, and who doesn’t love food on a stick and Yamazaki in the glass? While the yakitori is certainly a drawcard in the form of perfectly charred chicken bits, high-table seating reminds us that drinking is the name of the game here at Tokyo Bird. The uninitiated can make their first move with the ‘kansai highball’ made with Hakushu Distillers Reserve single malt whisky, plum wine, shiso, cucumber, lime and soda, while Japanese whisky veterans can invest in a nip of 30-year-old Hibiki or Chita Single Grain from Suntory’s ‘silent’ distillery in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. Corner of Commonwealth St & Belmore Ln, Surry Hills, tokyobird.com.au

The holy trinity of Irish whiskey, freshly shucked oysters and house-made sausage rolls is on offer at this hard-to-find Surry Hills bar. Hidden behind an unmarked door and spread over two levels, it’s all candlelit tables at the ground level, while upstairs, punters stand shoulder-to-shoulder sipping crystal-cut glasses of Irish and global whisk(e)y from the 200-strong list, or mugs of The Wild Rover’s classic cocktail ‘whisky buck’ made with Johnnie Walker Black Label, lime juice and housemade ginger beer. The Whiskey Co-Op, held every Monday evening, offers talks and tastings for whiskey nerds, as well as access to the bar’s reserve section. 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills, thewildrover.com.au