Bars, Pubs, Whisky stores

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (my home town) - Lark Distillery Whisky Bar - located on the Hobart waterfront, this is the main retail outlet for Lark Distillery malts (which are definitely worth trying), and also as a whisky bar with an excellent range of drams. Website www.larkdistillery.com.au

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Nicks Wine Merchants - the Armadale store (1219 High Street). Super range of malts, and a pretty good online store (www.nicks.com.au). The service in this store is brilliant - it's the only place I have ever been to that actually offered me a free tasting of whisky as a way to help me make the decision on what to buy! Last time I went there I had a couple of drams in the store and bought both malts (the drams were the Arran and the Glenmorangie Astar).

For Belgian drammers, there are several good stores like Anverness (in Antwerp), Jurgen's Whisky Huis (online store), but my favourite by far is The Bonding Dram in Ghent (also online, but they deliver free at your house if you live in a radius of 20 kilometers). Having said that, I also sometimes order online from The Whisky Exchange in London.

San Francisco, US: The Whisky Shop, 360 Sutter St.

I went into Waitrose today (a decent quality supermarket chain in the UK) and I was really surprised by their selection of whiskies. I'd say they had around 30 different single malts and most were on offer, so good value.

They stocked a few interesting things that you just wouldn't expect from a supermarket too, like Talisker 25 year old.

Same here in Belgium, JL. Most supermarkets have expanded their range of single malts for the holiday season. Ardbeg, Macallan, Glenmorangie, Longmorn, Scapa, ... And on offer as well. Time to put a few bottles on the side!

Waitrose were running a Single Malt "Festival" and had big ads outside the store for it. This can only be a good thing, getting it to a wider audience. I noticed a number of other UK chains giving more prominence to their selections in the same period.

I bought my Dalmore 15 and some Laphroaig Quarter Cask there at a ridiculously low price.

D & M Wine and Liquors in San Francisco, CA has 300 bottles and very knowledgeable staff. www.dandm.com

Nihon in San Francisco is a bar / restaurant that has a huge single malt list, and sells small tastes as well as half and full glasses...... A great way to sample.

If you're in Indiana (USA), the best place I've found so far for purchasing is Kahn's Fine Wines and Spirits in Indianapolis. Their website (www.kahnsfinewines.com) lists over 100 single malts in stock and quite a number are available for tasting online. I've been there only once but will certain be back.

A great online store is Shopper's Vineyard. Great prices and always great deals. They ship to most states in the US, not sure about international order (though I know for certain they do not ship to Israel):

www.shoppersvineyard.com/Home

Boston's Federal Wine & Spirits has a massive selection of hard to find Single Malts and Joe is an expert (www.federalwine.com) Also thanks for the Indiana recommendation (Kahn's) looks great, can't wait.

Jurgen's Whiskyhuis, Gaverland 70, 9620 Zottegem, Belgium.

Jurgen's Whiskyhuis is a real whiskystore and has also the biggest whisky webshop in Belgium with more then 3300 whisky's and since a few month we also sell samples. We also deliver for free in Belgium and The Netherlands for orders from 250 euro. If you're in Belgium come to visut us.

whiskyhuis.be/catalog/koopjeshoek.php/…

The Malt House in Madison, Wisconsin, USA has a huge selection of Whiskys.

Don't visit Glasgow without getting into the Bon Accord bar on North St on Charing X. Also have a monthly whisky club.

Whiskysamples.eu provides unique and rare whiskies to be tasted by 3cl samples bottles. A unique opportunity to buy and try a truly exceptional whisky. Just try it out now : www.whiskysamples.eu

If you ever happen to be In Ghent - Belgium I can advice you the Glengarry Bar ! The Glengarry (Sint-Baafsplein, Ghent) It's located in a medieval crypt ... very nice location ! www.glengarry.be

Recommend the cigar room of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan.

In the cellar of the Belga Queen restaurant in Brussels there is a bar with LOTS of different whiskies and cigars ! www.belgaqueen.be

For Bourbon drinkers I hear really good things about The Lexington (www.thelexington.co.uk) in London. Not been yet but I hope to soon.

In Stockholm, Sweden you will find the Akkurat Bar & Restaurant. A really nice place with an inspiring selection of whiskies from all over the world. You can check out a nice list at: www.akkurat.se/index.php

(Singapore) The Quaich bar/store has a really large collection of single malts for sale and most are available as shots with good bar food. Knowledgeable staff/owners. www.whiskystore.com.sg/quaichbar.php

Stores on the southwest side of Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, that have a tremendous selection, and that sell at official State Minimum prices: Ann Arbor Wine & Spriits, Super Liquor 4, A & L Wine Castle. The State of Michigan controls the items that are available, and 6.5% sales tax is collected during a purchase. I'm considering moving to the UK :-)

London, England - Salt on Edgware Road does the weird combination of shisha, italian food, indian food and a rather good whisky selection. www.saltbar.com

It's much nicer than the website's dodgy background music suggests.

Danish spirit prices are dreadfully steep, so stores are never really that interesting for foreigners. The travelling connosr will only find one place of interest in Aarhus, my home town and capitol of Jutland: Cockney Pub, which is an idyllic microbrew and whisky bar - www.cockneypub.dk.

Across the Kattegat in the Danish capitol, Copenhagen, the Kruts Karport whisky bar is also highly recommended - www.kruts.dk, as is a visit to the friendly Braunstein Distillery - www.braunstein.dk

If you're ever in Brighton on the Brit south coast and need a watering hole, here's some suggestions:

• Basketmakers Arms
• Waggon and Horses
• Hotel du Vin, apparently - too pricey for me so far though
• The Geese have gone over the Water - for Irish, apparently. still a field trip to do.
• St James' Tavern for rum

SMWS now has a selection of it's single cask malts at Hotel Du Vin in Brighton, reguarly updated monthy and you don't need to be a member to buy a dram. We'll need to get you along:) @scribe

@Helen@SMWS Ooh, now that sounds like a plan and an excuse for an evening out. Might have to sell a bottle of Rollercoaster to fund it though ;)

New list is coming out soon, will see what we can do about you trying some samples and reporting back:)@scribe

if you are on a tour of the north east of Scotland then the place to try a dram is the sutherland inn, Brora, Sutherland. there is over 220 malts to try. the full list can be found on facebook and will be soon on a rebuilt website www.sutherlandinn.co.uk