The Pot Still, Glasgow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Location: 154 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2TH

Year of Inscription: 2024

Venue Type: City Tavern / Whisky Specialists 

EBG Rating:7.8/10
Choice/
Quality of Drinks		❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
A selection of whiskies which competes with anywhere in the world. 4 cask ales from Scottish and Northern English brewers. 
Style/
Décor		❤️❤️❤️
Some inherited Victorian fittings including detailed ceiling, in a compact 1 room pub with raised seating area to the back, booths opposite the bar, and leaning posts in the middle of the room. 
Atmosphere/
Character		❤️❤️❤️❤️
Busy, bustling trade on evenings and weekends, not a place for a relaxing contemplative dram, but somewhere you can make new friends and enjoy a busy city tavern atmosphere. Whether the two activities naturally blend is up for debate, but it’s a friendly spot.
Amenities/
Events		❤️❤️❤️
Food, snacks, TV
Value For Money❤️❤️
Relatively high on account of its city centre location.
DescriptionA Victorian pub dating from 1861, but not adopting the name Pot Still until 1981, previously McCall’s. The name change coincided with a unique selling point – the introduction of a vast array of whiskies. Initially 300, expanded these days to a minimum of 600.

These line the shelves behind the bar as you enter what is a compact space with booths opposite the bar, leaning posts, and a raised seating area to the rear.

Along with whiskies there are 3-4 cask ales from Scotland and Northern England, and an offering of pies. None of this comes particularly cheap these days which is unsurprising given its central location. What it can provide though is specialist high quality wares.

Busy, bustling trade on evenings and weekends only really subsides on midweek afternoons, but even then there is still a sense of briskness orbiting the pub. This makes it a place you can quickly get into conversations with strangers, but if you are seeking a quiet contemplative dram by a fireplace, you may wish to choose a different venue.

The superb selection pushes it above simply a superior city tavern to a guide entry. Don’t be afraid to ask the servers for recommendations. (Added January 2025)