My first review will be of the place where the idea for this blog was born: Micky’s Irish Pub. A staple of downtown life in Iowa City, Micky’s is a sports bar that leans into its Irish theme with some Irish drafts and whiskies that you won’t see in most other spots in the city. The staff are friendly, and if you’re looking for a great game day environment as an Iowa fan, this place gives you that. It’s packed on any Iowa game day, even if it isn’t a football game, and you’ll never complain about not being able to see the action with their array of TVs. They have a great spread of appetizers, a sizeable specialty burger selection, and other fantastic pub fare on their menu, like a classic grilled cheese or a spicy salmon wrap. Not even considering the whiskey selection, this would still be one of my go to places to grab a quick bite after work or to catch a game.

Now that the free, unsolicited advertisement is done, let’s get to what you’re actually here for: the whiskey. As I plan to do with each review, I’ll roll through all the metrics, give it an overall grade on its whiskey selection, and give some general closing thoughts.

Whiskey Selection

Wells: Micky’s currently carries Mr. Boston as both their well whiskey and as the brand for the rest of their well liquors; however, I’ve been told by the staff that they don’t always stick to Mr. Boston for their well whiskey. Instead, they’ll purchase what’s available to them at the time of order, which is usually Five Star Whiskey or Mr. Boston. You can get a well shot for $5.

Variety: Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Irish, Canadian, and Japanese, which gives Micky’s one of the better varieties you’ll see. The only major region that’s left out is Global whiskey (not including Japanese), a region that is rapidly growing and becoming more available in the states.

Range: Excellent. They carry over 60 different bottles of whiskey behind the bar, all visible to the patron (although a few bottles are mostly blocked by the server computer console). There are at least two bottles for every category that they offer, with a special focus on Bourbon and Irish. The bourbon focus is expected in any American bar, good whiskey selection or not, but the advanced Irish selection is a treat, with 16 different Irish whiskies to choose from.

Top Shelf Selection: Truly amazing for a bar in Iowa City. I wouldn’t normally feel the need to give a list of bottles for this section, but it feels necessary to include considering just how many they have. I can’t guarantee this list is 100% accurate or up to date, but as of January 27, 2024, I know that Micky’s has Basil Hayden 10, Maker’s Mark Single Barrel Select (Waterfront Hy-Vee 2022 release), Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye, Old Soul High Rye, Tullamore Dew 14 and 18, Redbreast 12, Green Spot, Crown 18, Hibiki Harmony, Lagavulin 8 and 16, and Johnnie Walker Platinum. This list could go on for another dozen bottles if I included all of the more unique bottles they carry, but you’ll have to go there yourself to peruse all of their bottles.

Price Point: Any bottle with a bottle tap will run you either $6 or $7. Most of the other corked bottles range from $7-$10, with higher quality bottles getting a bump to a range of $10-$12. Some of the highest quality or highest rarity whiskies will run you $15 or more. The price of the bottle at a liquor store is not indicative of the price of the pour, which is what I first assumed. You can get pours from certain expensive and unique bottles at a surprisingly low price point. There is no whiskey or liquor menu, so you will have to ask the price on each bottle if you want to know what you are paying for beforehand.

Grade: A+

Overall Thoughts: Well, we are starting this blog off with an absolute banger. I can’t think of giving Micky’s Irish Pub any grade lower than that. It may not end up being the absolute best whiskey selection I find in Iowa City, but I would be surprised if I found more than one or two places that even come close to it, let alone top it. While talking with the staff, I was told that one of the owners is a big whiskey guy and has several local and out of state connections across the industry, as well as an extensive collection of his own. I can only imagine what that collection looks like based on what bottles he supplies his bar with. As a side note, I would love to be able to connect with him and share a whiskey sometime.

One of the best aspects of this collection of whiskey, which I briefly mentioned above, is how many unique bottles they carry. There are several bottles that I learned about thanks to Micky’s, in particular some of the bottles that come from around Iowa and the surrounding whiskey-loving states of Wisconsin and Illinois. Any bar that you walk into and can see and try something completely new is a special place for whiskey.

Another uniquely surprising aspect of this pub: they carry a couple of Glencairn glasses! I had to spot them hiding way back behind the typical bar style rocks glasses, but the bartender was happy to pull them out for me when I pointed them out, and now they know exactly which glass to grab whenever I order a whiskey.

If you’re in the Iowa City area and you like whiskey, you should have already stopped reading at this point and be on your way to Micky’s. Sláinte! 

Postscript: I can’t promise I’ll have as much to say about every place I review, as I’ve started out with a restaurant that I am intimately familiar with as opposed to other places where my first visit will be to review their whiskey selection.  

Edits caused by this post: Master Key