In April 2008, head bartender John Coltharp took the whiskey reins, aiming to expand Seven Grand's selection greatly -- and that he did. The menu now encompasses a wide range of distilleries, and includes small batch bourbons, American single malts, and even some good 'ol corn whiskey -- seriously, when was the last time you saw moonshine available at a bar? Or how about Ardbeg 10, Uigeadail, and the Beast? Seven Grand can guide you on a tour of just-for-you whiskey bliss. They don't stock that many independents, but there are always just enough to provide some new variety. The guys behind the bar are big on rye... really big on rye. They'll undoubtedly want to point you to some rye-based cocktails (their rye Old Fashioned seems to be the house specialty) and have you try some small-batch ryes neat.
The decor is oak, brass, and leather meets fancy hunting lodge (plus pool tables of course) and quite "masculine." Not only is Seven Grand a very comfortable and impressive space to drink whiskey in, it's arguably the best place to do so in Los Angeles. The only competitor is The Daily Pint, but that's a whole different story, almost apples vs. oranges.
Get there early if you want the royal treatment and obsessive attention to detail (and to you). The place gets pretty packed later at night, and this can slow the service down a bit... people bitch about that sometimes, but you need to recognize that the guys aren't gonna sacrifice the quality of their impeccably-assembled cocktails just so some dude can get his Corona faster.
As is somewhat expected -- being downtown and rather ritzy -- the prices are on the high side, but this is basically the one drawback to an otherwise excellent whiskey bar.