Bring an American whiskey aficionado to Hard Water, or show them the long list of “allocated or out of production” bottles at Charles Phan's whiskey bar serving New Orleans-influenced cuisine, and watch them start to salivate. Phan's barman, Erik Adkins, has assembled a superlative collection of rare American whiskies here, including no-longer-made game-changers like Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary (a five-decade blend of bourbons from one of the country’s great distillers), Willett Ryes from 5 to 25 years of age, and original bottlings of A.H. Hirsch 16 year Reserve.

It's members-only at this exclusive club, but those who can handle the fee will be rewarded with one of the most extensive whisk(e)y selections in the city from bar director Brian MacGregor. Besides crafting some of the best whisk(e)y-centric cocktails in SF, MacGregor stocks a number of Diageo's Rare Malts selections (Rosebank 21 year, Auchriosk 20, Glen Spey 21), the standard-setting Highland Park line (splurge on a flight of the 12-, 18-, 30- and 40-year), the reasonably-priced Glen Garioch line, and Tasmanian single malt whisky from Lark Distillery. Cigars and lounging are encouraged.

Since one of the best whisk(e)y companions is cigars, it's no surprise that the intimate Occidental Cigar Club stocks plenty of whiskies. That stogie might beg for Wild Geese Rare Irish Whiskey, or the bracing, cask-strength peaty complexity of Ardbeg Uigeadail. And don't miss the special Occidental house blend of Angel’s Envy bourbon from Kentucky.

On the fifth floor of the Hotel Palomar is both a superb restaurant and a mellow den of cocktail greatness, thanks to lead bartender Brian Means. The bar packs no short supply of rare whiskies, like Highland Park Loki, a limited-edition 15 Year old Scotch; Dalmore’s lovely King Alexander, a 30 year old Islay Scotch from Port Ellen, a distillery that was shut down in the 1980’s; or Gordon & Macphail Dallus Dhu 1979, another rarity from a distillery extinct since 1983. Once some of these babies are gone, they’re gone.

The original and gold-standard SF cocktail bar, Bourbon & Branch stocks an extensive spirits collection served with a trendsetting '20s speakeasy vibe that's great for date night or out-of-towners. With a backdrop of soft '20s jazz, order rare gems like Balvenie 1971, hand-numbered bottles of Noah’s Mill bourbon and Rittenhouse 21-year rye, one of only 1200 US bottles of Glenmorangie Margaux Finish, or a themed whisk(e)y flight. Nearby Swig, from the same owners, also has a superlative whisk(e)y collection.

In a space that first opened as a saloon back in 1858, H. Joseph Ehrmann presides over one of the city's best collections of American whiskies and Scotch, starting with his own house barrels, which he’s been hand-selecting in Kentucky in recent years (currently it’s four different Four Roses barrels, which can be ordered individually or as a flight). He also stocks rare bottlings of Scotch, like the 2nd and 3rd editions of Compass Box’s Flaming Heart, 20th anniversary whisky from Chicago bar Deliliah's (which was just poured at WhiskyFest), rare Black Adder Scotch, and the first bottling of Bruichladdich Octomore, the original "peat bomb."

Nihon has been going strong for the better part of a decade with sushi, sashimi, and over 500 whiskies, roughly 400 of which are single-malts. Unsurprisingly, every single Japanese whisky imported into the U.S. can be found here. The retro-modern lounge setting can get quite noisy (except for the mellower private room upstairs), but it’s a bustling space to bring friends and indulge in a bottle-- which drinkers can purchase and store in their own private Nihon locker.

Broken Record has been the Excelsior's great whisk(e)y dive bar for years, offering over 250 whiskies. It's cash-only, but prices are reasonable compared to what many downtown bars might charge for the same pour. Order Hirsch 28-year Reserve or 25 year rye, Bushmill's lovely 21-year Irish whiskey, bargain pours ($7) like Hancock’s Presidents Reserve from Buffalo Trace, or a Belgian Owl Single Malt from, you guessed it, Belgium.