154 Hope Street
City Centre
Glasgow
G2 2TH
0141 333 0980
Traditional Town Pub, 1* Heritage Pub
The Pot Still is one of Scotland’s top whisky pubs, stocking around 750 different malts and blends, most of them displayed on an impressive gantry behind the bar( photo 2). It became a whisky pub in 1981 when John Waterson remodelled the existing pub and added the gantry. It’s undeniably touristy, with visitors from across the world, but it’s so well managed that you barely notice. The pub still has its high, elaborately plastered ceiling supported with iron columns (photo 3), with a lower main bar and a mezzanine area at the back (photo 5).
Cask beer is also important at the Pot Still and is served from four traditional, and now very rare air pressure founts. Beers are mostly from Scottish breweries like Broughton, Spey Valley, Tempest and Loch Leven.
Staff are more than happy to recommend a good malt whisky and as a smoky Islay lover I asked for something similar from a small producer. She suggested Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old for me, and for my wife who likes a Balvenie, she proposed a Glen Elgin 12 Year Old. The pub runs private whisky tasting sessions which you’ll need to book for or you can just turn up for one of the new drop-in tasting sessions on Thursday afternoons.
Food is traditional Scotch pies which we had with baked beans, along with a whisky and IPA chaser (photo 4). The whisky, ale and food at the Pot Still were all excellent and I’d thoroughly recommend a visit.
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