Cocktail Bar
Unclaimed profileWiseguy Lounge - OTR
Cincinnati, OH · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The cocktail list runs from standards like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sidecar, Vieux Carré, Negroni, Mule, Sazerac, and Amaretto Sour to a rotating seasonal roster chosen by The Don and credited to individual staff members. On the whiskey side, the bar pours its own barrel picks, including Rossville Union rye and two Knob Creek Single Barrel Selects, backed by a Bourbon Club. The program is broad and specific rather than decorative.
- What should I order?
- Start with a barrel pick: the Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon, bottled at 120 proof, or the Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye. For a cocktail, the Vieux Carré and the Old Fashioned are the classic anchors; the Fang Banger and The Boss' Sauce carry the OTR fall seasonal list.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who want a full classic cocktail canon alongside rotating seasonal drinks, and whiskey fans who care about house-selected barrels rather than a generic back bar.
- When should I go?
- Anytime the cocktail and bourbon lists are the point of the visit; seasonal drinks are described as rotating per location, so the fall OTR list is a specific window.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- Barrel picks carry the Wiseguy Lounge name and barrel numbers, including a Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon from barrel #5 and a Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye from barrel #2. Seasonal cocktails are attributed to named staff members and selected by The Don, and the bar maintains a Bourbon Club.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Signature, classic, and seasonal cocktail menus run side by side. The classic side covers Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sidecar, Vieux Carré, Negroni, Mule, Sazerac, and Amaretto Sour; the OTR fall seasonal list includes The Boss' Sauce and Fang Banger, rotating per location and selected by The Don.
Menu strengths
- — Classic cocktails cover a wide standard range, from Old Fashioned and Manhattan to Sazerac and Amaretto Sour.
- — Seasonal drinks rotate per location and are attributed to individual staff members, including Brandon, Caroline, Matthew, and Daniel.
Standout selections
- — The Godfather: 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, Sazerac Rye, demerara syrup, orange and Jerry Thomas bitters, maple wood smoke, Amarena cherry.
- — Vieux Carré: rye, Cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Peychaud's and Angostura bitters.
- — Fang Banger: Earl Grey tea infused gin, lavender and blue butterfly pea syrup, amaretto, crème de violette, lime juice, blueberry.
Spirits
The whiskey side is built on house barrel picks: Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye, two Knob Creek Single Barrel Selects, and an Ezra Brooks cask strength single barrel. Navigation includes both a Bourbons link and a Bourbon Club link.
Menu strengths
- — A Bourbon Club and a dedicated Bourbons link sit alongside the barrel-pick bottles.
Standout selections
- — Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon, Wiseguy Lounge #5, barrel no. 12345, at 120 proof.
- — Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey, 750 cask 174, 57.3%, Lawrenceburg, IN.
- — Ezra Brooks Special Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon, distilled and aged in Kentucky by Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown.
Community reviews
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