West Bottoms Whiskey Co. is rich with character. Both a bar and distillery, it’s set in a turn-of-the-century train tunnel with whiskey barrels moonlighting as furniture and an upstairs loft overlooking the bar below. It’s a perfect place for a first date or night celebrating with friends.
Since opening in January 2021, founder and master distiller Alex Lindsey and his fiancé, Cassandra Benavidez, have made it a priority to create not just a gathering place, but a gathering place that leaves a lasting impression. “The West Bottoms was the heartbeat, the engine room, of Kansas City,” Lindsey says. “This district is where industry was advancing, where innovation was happening. Our cocktails, our space, everything we do pays homage to that era of forward-thinking craft.”
That same intentionality carries into the spirits. Lindsey and Benavidez have experimented with distilling methods and various flavors, yielding multiple whiskey lines for enthusiasts of all types. Some are blended, others small-batched and barrel-aged, yet each is sippable and aromatic—worth breathing in before drinking down. Their flagship, Kansas City Whiskey, is a 99-point-rated, pre-Prohibition blend: part bourbon, part rye, a dash of Oloroso sherry and completely delicious.
“Leaving with the feeling that you went somewhere special, a unique environment with quality service and drinks, that’s what we’re focused on,” Lindsey says.
West Bottoms Whiskey Co. (1321 W. 13th St., KCMO) also offers distillery tours—a perfect way to spend International Whiskey Day on March 27.
