About OUR LEXINGTON WHISKEY AND BOURBON BAR
Our Story
Lexington's Best Bourbon and Whiskey Bar
Whiskey Bear opened its doors on September 7, 2017. Originally located in The Summit at Fritz Farm, Whiskey Bear relocated to the Beaumont neighborhood in 2022. This full-service restaurant, Whiskey and Bourbon Bar is the first of its kind to join the Lexington, KY area. Owners Florence and Daniel Marlowe wanted to bring a high-quality service experience in a relaxed environment to South Lexington. The name “Whiskey Bear” was created by a unique and unexpected person, their 2-year-old daughter. “It was very authentic, and the more we kicked it around, the more we fell in love with it,” Daniel Marlowe says. As part of its relocation and expansion, the Marlowes introduced a fast-casual and family-friendly Neo-Neapolitan style pizzeria, named Addie’s Stone-Fired Pizza, as a sister concept to Whiskey Bear.
With Daniel’s 25+ years of experience in the bar industry, this bar has plenty to offer every kind of customer. Whiskey Bear has plenty of special and hard-to-find whiskeys and showcases both Kentucky bourbons as well as whiskeys from around the world. Whiskey Bear has been voted as one of America’s Best Bourbon Bars 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 by The Bourbon Review in partnership with Buffalo Trace.
Whiskey Bear serves artisan stone-fired pizzas, salads, pastas, and more, and offers much more than just whiskey. With a well-curated list of gins, rums, tequilas, and vodkas, they have something for all palates, including their extensive list of signature cocktails that are made with fresh ingredients and freshly squeezed juices. This Bourbon and Whiskey Bar offers taster pours for every spirit sold at the bar, which allows customers to venture out and try new things.
Whiskey Bear has great events to attend throughout the year for everyone to enjoy including the Big Blind Bourbon Taste-Off in partnership with Kentucky for Kentucky, and other monthly Whiskey Tastings, and other Special Happy Hours & Events.
HAPPY HOUR is currently being offered Monday-Friday 4PM-6PM. These happy hour specials consist of $1 off all draft beers, $4 wells, $5 house wines, and $6 Kentucky mules, Moscow mules, and Cosmos.
Special tasting events go on throughout the year that includes master distillers, stories behind the brands, and much more. Whiskey Bear also partners with the Mocktail Project, which allows you to enjoy delicious drinks that consist of zero booze. Whiskey Bear donates $1 to the S.V. Foundation for every mocktail ordered to support recovery programs.
Press
Whiskey Bear Club
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Meet Our Team
Daniel Marlowe
OWNER & OPERATOR
Daniel, a native of Lexington, returned to his roots with his family of three in 2015 after a 10 year stint in Denver. With over 25 years of experience in the service industry, Daniel primarily focuses on operations and management. He believes that hospitality is the cornerstone of an outstanding service experience. Making our guests feel welcome is what he strives for. He is the face of our business and wears many hats. We couldn’t do what we do without him. He loves to sing and is known to sing almost all the time when he thinks no one is around. When he’s not at Whiskey Bear, he enjoys hiking with his family or golfing.
Favorite Whiskey: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength – “this bourbon has a wonderful depth of flavor and soft nuances that make me fall in love with every sip.”
Favorite Cocktail: The Last Word – “this has so many strong flavors that are really bold at first, but as the drink slowly warms in the glass, the flavors change. This one has been one my favorites for years and is one that I am always delighted to have.”
Florence Marlowe
OWNER & OPERATOR
Florence, known by her friends as Flo, is originally from Paris, France and spent nearly 20 years in Colorado. Flo used her design and marketing background for the conceptual design of the space and branding. She is also highly knowledgeable in accounting and handles the financial aspects of the business. She is the glue that holds us together and the heartbeat of our business. She loves to surf and being by the ocean, and she answers its call any chance she gets. While being landlocked, what she loves most is spending time outdoors with her family. The Red River Gorge has become one of her favorite areas in Kentucky – especially when the leaves turn in the Fall.
Favorite Cocktail: Classic Old Fashioned made with Weller Antique 107 and an orange twist (no cherry, please) – “the first sip bites but as the ice melts, it softens and the depth of the bourbon shines through with hints of caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla. Delicious!”
Join Our Team
Want to join our team?
We take pride of who we are and what we do. The heart of our business is our people. It is their hard work, passion, and dedication to their craft that allows us to stand out. We are looking for talented, kind, fun, creative, self-motivated, and hard-working people who thrives in a team oriented environment. If you have a desire to learn about Whiskey, Spirits, and Cocktails, understand what defines true hospitality and enjoy serving others, check out our job openings and we’ll be in touch soon!