Photo: Anna Knott
 

If the 140 or so whiskey options at the new West Loop thirty-something hipster bar Old Fifth seem overwhelming, start simple and order its signature cocktail. With Four Roses bourbon, walnut liqueur, apricot brandy, lime juice, and Jamaican bitters, the Old Fifth is like trail mix in a glass.

There’s a decent gin drink, too—the egg white in the Clover Club perfectly balances the bite of gin, pomegranate, and lemon. But whiskey is indeed king here, filling even the food menu, with items such as whiskey-glazed salmon.

Classic sports bar options, including pizza and burgers, are elevated by polished preparations. The upscale ­industrial decor boasts wood crate stools and a Prohibition-era fire door. Prohibition is long gone, but the door and the love of good whiskey remain, so why not clink a glass or two to the legendary spirit?

1027 W. Madison St., 312-374-1672, and oldfifth.com.