When my girlfriend and I first moved to the area in the summer of 2019, I already knew that George’s would be a favorite destination of mine. We had visited Iowa City the previous spring when she was a prospective grad student at the University of Iowa. Left to my own devices while she met with faculty, I found my way to a spot that my trusty pal Google told me was a local favorite. The staff and the regulars, most many years my senior, were welcoming and friendly, despite my Ohio State gear. I was sold. Once we were established in Iowa City I would stop in occasionally after I got off work or during lunch and quickly became familiar with a regular named Richard. He was a boisterous and friendly fellow who had his reserved seat at the bar. Any time I came in during the lunch hour, Richard was bound to be there, eating a burger and having a beer, chatting it up and laughing with the bar staff and other patrons. He was always laughing. It was infectious. Richard made the place lively and made me feel welcome, even though I could hardly be considered a regular myself with how infrequently I stopped in.

Then the pandemic hit.

I was more cautious than most and didn’t feel fully comfortable visiting somewhere like a crowded bar until over a year after the shutdown. When I finally returned to George’s, I saw Richard, but not at his normal seat. Instead, it was his memory, preserved in the name of a new menu item: the Richard Burger. Richard had passed away during the pandemic, but he had left his mark on George’s, and the staff honored him by giving him his own burger on the menu. It was their usual burger, but with all the additional fixings he would always add to his burgers. It’s still on the menu today, and I get it occasionally, in his honor. It’s a good burger, besides.

Now, George’s isn’t a place that advertises its whiskey. It’s not trying to be a whiskey bar. It’s just trying to be what it always has been for Iowa City: a niche but reliable local haunt. You wouldn’t normally think to waltz into such an unassuming place if you didn’t already know about its signature burgers or great atmosphere, but if you know, then you know. That being said, its whiskey selection is nothing to scoff at, either. Let’s get into it.

WHISKEY SELECTION

Wells: Everything is displayed right out on the back bar, even the wells. They have Mr. Boston for bourbon and Lauder’s for scotch, both $1 a shot. It’s the only place I’ve encountered so far that has a separate well scotch in addition to a well bourbon.

Variety: Bourbon, Rye, Irish, Scotch, Crown. It’s a solid variety to see in any small bar such as this one.

Range: Solid. 26 Bottles. Other than Crown being the lone Canadian whisky, they have multiple selections for each type of whiskey they carry. In comparison to other joints around the city, they go above and beyond with their scotch selection, having a couple different blended options, as well as a couple Speysides, an Islay, and a Highland option. Not many other places in the area provide that many options for scotch! Their selection of Irish whiskey is impressive as well, with staples like Jameson and Tullamore Dew, but also bottles you won’t find easily elsewhere such as Powers and Bushmills Black Bush. Their bourbon selection is also quite solid, and they even have a bottle from the local distillery, Cedar Ridge.

Top Shelf Selection: None. Some people might say Macallan 12 is top shelf, at least for a Speyside single malt, but I’ll keep it off of that tier to stay consistent with my own feelings of the brand rather than with public opinion. Other notable bottles they have are the aforementioned Bushmills Black Bush, Laphroaig 10, and Knob Creek 9. The local Cedar Ridge bourbon is also a standout. Nothing they have is something you couldn’t get elsewhere in the city, but the selection is generally good across the board. It’s a high floor, low ceiling selection, if you will.

Price Point: All of their pours are under $10. Ranging in price from around $6 up to $9, you certainly won’t break the bank to get a solid pour of whiskey at George’s. There’s no customer copy of a liquor menu, but there is a list on the back wall behind the bar, and if you sit right across from it, you might be able to make out some of the prices if you squint hard enough and maybe catch a good day of sunlight in the bar.

Grade: B

Overall Thoughts: This grade has maybe been the most fluid of any place I’ve rated so far. It originally started at a C, moved instantly to a C+ before I left the bar when rating it, has since jumped up to a solid B, and I think has the potential to elevate to a B+ depending on what else I find out there in Iowa City. There is also a universe where it could slide to a B-, but that seems less likely at this moment in time. The selection has stood the test of many ratings as being much better than I initially anticipated.

Regardless of the whiskey, I absolutely adore this bar. A semi-regular stop for me on my walk home from work, it’s just a great place to grab a beer, a burger (maybe even a Richard burger), and find great company. I don’t go there for the whiskey selection alone, but I’ll enjoy a nice pour of Laphroaig or Black Bush every now and again and be thankful that I was led to such an awesome place by the internet that day in 2019.

Postscript: I’ve adjusted the Master Key to reflect an update in vocabulary of the six possible base ratings for Range.