Tom's Town Distillery was the unexpected highlight of my flying visit to Kansas City. I came for a…read moredrink and left with a history lesson. Little did I know that President Truman's political rise was deeply rooted in Kansas City--and facilitated by Tom Pendergast's sprawling web of influence, from concrete contracts to control of the police. It quickly becomes clear why they called it Tom's Town. I booked a tour at the last minute on a Saturday night, showed up 15 minutes early, and eased into the evening with a few sips of a perfectly made Old Fashioned--yes, you're allowed to bring it with you on the tour. From there, it was part distillery walkthrough, part Prohibition-era storytelling, and part generous spirits tasting. Our guide, Tony, was outstanding--enigmatic, passionate, and incredibly articulate. He brought the history to life without ever feeling rehearsed or dry. The dimly lit lounge rooms seal the deal, giving the entire place an authentic speakeasy vibe that feels both polished and transportive. If you're in Kansas City--even briefly--this is a must. Come for the cocktails, stay for the history.

This review is for the Bar Downstairs:…read more We went to Tom's Town because we heard about the popup (?) Mad Hatter/Alice in Wonderland themed downstairs bar. The space was so cool - everywhere you looked was a nod to the book/movie. The drinks/cocktails were aptly named and we tried a couple of them. The blackberry bramble (I believe) was especially good. We did not eat dinner, but we did get the giant oatmeal cream pie and split it as we sat with our cocktails.

Holladay Distillery is a great tour! We enjoyed our tour and our tour guide so much. The history…read moreand all the stories were very well told. The property is beautiful and very well maintained. The tasting at the end was so good as well! Really enjoyed the discussion with our tour guide and how she likes to drink each bourbon. Worth the drive for sure!!

They say whiskey is the spirit that warms the heart, and Holladay is one place that lives up to…read morethat. First off, they have a very nice and inviting tasting area where you can grab a drink, a snack, and sit around and swap stories. Most of the whiskey they create is available for purchase in the store area and is reasonably priced. Sign up for a tour and make sure to toss a penny in the well for good luck!

I went to Union Horse for their social hour the other night and it was great! They had Chivos food…read moretruck outside & I got a delicious burger from them. I had a drink that I can't remember the name of from Union Horse and it was fabulous. Tried a couple friends' drinks too and they were all great. The people working were very great and the place is GORGEOUS.

Great Social events! Love the atmosphere and people! Their Whiskey is amazing as well! Thanks!read more

We had a lovely tour of J. Rieger distillery today. Joe was our tour guide. He was amazing!…read more The tour started with a 10 minute movie about the history of KC, the distillery and older businesses. The tour was full of interesting information and history. We enjoyed the details and descriptions of the distillery operations. The rick house was impressive. We finished with a tasting of four spirits. The vodka, gin, Kansas City whiskey and coffee liqueur. All were excellent. J. Rieger is the top distillery in the metro, for sure. Highest quality. They even have a spiral slide from the restaurant down to the bottom floor. We enjoyed the tasting room and cocktails outside where we could hear music from Knuckleheads next door. We'd go again and bring more people. So much fun!!

We had a reservation during restaurant week for four people at 5:30. Restaurant wasn't full when we…read morearrived but was still pretty busy. We were sat immediately. Then we waited. When are waitress arrived, she asked if we were ready to order but we had no menus. We jokingly asked if menus were provided and she brought us one. One. I asked if we could each get a menu and she brought us one more and told us we'd need to share. Cocktails were ordered and enjoyed. Appetizer ordered, then our meals. We ordered from the RW menu and off the regular menu. The food was good. The portions were small. But the service continued to be poor. At one point, a server, not ours, walked by and grabbed my drink but I wasn't finished with it. Just those little things that add up that make the experience not great. It's a fun atmosphere and will try them again for hopefully a better experience.

"I hopped off the plane at MCI, with a dream and my big backpack"…read more I crooned. I landed back in KC for work and went straight to Restless Spirits in North Kansas City on my way to my hotel from the airport. They put my luggage in the distillery so I could enjoy all they had to offer. I made it in-time for happy hour--$2 off cocktails and some snacks 4-6pm each night. I love the decor--lights are dim and it's very homey and cozy. The bar has books behind it and looks old-timey. It's almost mid-November but there were still Halloween decorations up and some Halloween drinks for sale in a fridge in the back. The distillery in the back is large and looming--they give tours, but I didn't take one. I sat at the bar and enjoyed being served my $2 off espresso martini from Abby and listening to her and Cheryl tell me about the history of the bar. It's predominately Irish drinks (the founders/owners are Irish) and they had a mafia-like war with another Irish brewer in the Kansas City area. That brewer's logo includes goats I believe, and Restless Spirits' includes a bunny! That's why many of their drinks have a bunny on it. The manager Adam is also from Ireland (his wife's family is from Overland Park) and is so friendly. Abby was the best bartender, really taking care of me and making me feel at home. She's thoughtful, kind, caring, fun, and funny. She worked the room well, serving a table who requested a drink from her because they liked one she made. Restless Spirits has a lot of cool merch and history (there's a merch room) and I left with a green hoodie that says "got whiskey" for my partner who loves whiskey. They've also won best distillery in Kansas City for the past few years! They offer cinnamon-flavored whiskey and so many cool Irish-American drinks and cocktails. I cannot recommend them enough for their strong and unique drinks and friendly wonderful service.

The first time we came to Restless was actually during a Bourbon Trail Trip to try whiskeys but we…read morefell in love with Restless Gin. Their botanical gin started us on a gin journey and opened a new world to us with complex flavors, styles, and qualities of gin; which also made us appreciate whiskey and other liquors as well. Since then, we have been searching for any kind of gin that impressed us as much as Restless but really haven't been able to. There are many great gins of different styles like herbal, dry, and botanical but not in the same combination of flavors and smoothness as Restless. We've since had many cases of their gin and recently traveled back to KC from TX to get more of it and try more of what they offer. They do have some good whiskey as well and it's a cool spot to relax or get food from nearby restaurants.

A perfect hidden gem in the West Bottoms. The cocktails are…read moreall West Bottom Whiskey based....yes, they distill their own! Trust everyone that's gone that you will find a favorite whether you're a whiskey fan or not. The interior is cozy with intimate corners upstairs and downstairs. Additionally, there is a small exterior picnic place in front. The bartenders are friendly and helpful to individuals new to whiskey based cocktails.

I had no clue about this place and I'm born and raised in Kansas City lol . I learned so much about…read morewhat it takes to Brew / make Whiskey and I was astounded by how much details our tour manager gave us ! The spot is not huge but a perfect place to stop and get a drink which I love . Beware of the cats in the area they actually feed them lol . But overall my experience here was fantastic. Locally made Whiskey I'll definitely be returning !

updated 3/25/26 for an up to date photo !! yay !! but 5 stars as always…read more had to whip out an old photo for this one because i'm so bad at taking photos here even though it's one of my absolute favorite places in the city. probably because i enjoy myself a bit too much here. the drinks are phenomenal, it's a very welcoming space, and the owner michael is so kind and involved! it's a place i will come again and again - and will be sure to update pics the next i am there :')

Awesome bar! My bf had an espresso martini and I had a…read morerevolver and both were delicious! The service was friendly and fast and the cocktails were definitely 100% tasty. Couldn't believe it was so empty on a Friday night! We'll be back for sure :).

The best drinks. The best humans. The best place. I've been a regular visitor here for years…read more Viva Jeff.

Mean mule is always a good time! We showed up on happy hour and it was a good time! Great margs,…read morewith a great variety of flavors to choose from! Staff at the bar was super friendly and provided quick service. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a local spot.

A group of friends and I visited SD Strong Distillery when we heard there would be a showing of the…read morefilm "The Descent" in partnership with Screenland Armor. Seeing a scary cave movie IN a cave "theater" - yes please! But I did NOT expect to love the unique location and distillery as much as I did. SD Strong Distillery is about 30 minutes outside of Kansas City, MO, so not too far of a drive at all. The Distillery is located in the Parkville Commercial Underground, a business park underneath the University of Park University (let's see how many more times I can say PARK haha) Once you find the location and enter the cavernous business park, you'll find a place to park and then walk your way through some cavey looking tunnels to the SD Strong Distillery. Once there you will definitely feel like you're in both a cave and a distillery, with barrels for aging outside the door and a craggly stone roof over your head. The drinks were amazing, especially the in-house distilled bourbon, used in a few mixed drinks that were delicious. The staff were awesome, particularly with handling all the people who were there for the movie event. The film was shown in a side room that was extra dark (perfect for movie watching), and it was the best way to end our experience!

From the owner: The world's only legal distillery in a cave. S.D. Strong is open only the second Saturday of each…read moremonth, when we offer distillery tours at 1pm, 2pm or 3pm. Tickets are purchased through the website.