“My prices are ridiculously low,” says Mike Vacheresse, owner of Brooklyn’s Travel Bar. “People make fun of me all the time. People visit me from other states and they go, ‘Your prices are lower than my hometown bar.’”

It's true: Where else in New York City (or almost anywhere) can you find Blanton's for $10, Weller 12-Year-Old for $12, or Michter's 10-Year-Old for a bargain $18? Even the pricing for Pappy—$60 for Van Winkle 10-Year-Old, $75 for the 12—is far more reasonable than most other whiskey bars.

The low prices aren’t the point, but they are by design. Cozily nestled in Carroll Gardens, Travel Bar is a neighborhood bar first. You’ll find pilgrims from Manhattan there, and sometimes a whiskey-world celebrity like Sazerac master blender Drew Mayville or Old Pulteney distillery manager Malcolm Waring, tucked in among the regulars. They’re coming for the camaraderie as much as for Vacheresse’s hundreds-deep list—and for his personal touch.

 “I have tons of customers who only drink beer, cocktails, or wine,” Vacheresse says. “And some people seek knowledge, and I'm happy to share my knowledge with anybody. For the cost of a glass of whiskey, you can ask me any whiskey question you want.” He builds custom flights for guests by asking what they like, offering a similar whiskey in the middle and something different on either side. “Most times people choose the left field or right field which they would never have chosen to begin with,” he says. “Now it's gotten to the point where I buy whiskies from distributors based on my customers.”

Customer preferences notwithstanding, we asked Vacheresse to pick five pours that best represent Travel Bar. Among them are an enviable single barrel bourbon, a stellar single grain scotch, and an underappreciated single malt that’s close to his heart. Plus, a trio of “wild card” spirits that are worth the trip to Brooklyn all on their own.

Five Whiskies: Travel Bar, Brooklyn

1. Nashville Barrel Co. 11-Year-Old Single Barrel Rye ($14/ounce)

Vacheresse met the founders of Nashville Barrel Co., James Davenport and Mike Hinds, before they even had whiskey to sell. “They made a batch called First Blend,” he says. “And they just mailed it to me. It was a rye. I called Mike and I go, ‘I think you mislabeled it—this is a bourbon.’ I love ryes that drink like bourbons.”

“I sell everything that they bring to New York. I’ve done collabs with them,” he continues. “I use their stuff for barrel-agyou ed cocktails even though it’s too expensive. They don't have a big on-premise presence, so I love turning people onto them.”

2. Claxton’s 30-Year-Old Cameronbridge ($25/ounce)

“I am a single grain freak. I've been a single grain freak since before I owned this bar. Back in the day, single grain scotch was an affordable way to drink very old whiskey. Time and success has caught up with that but they're still relatively a good deal.”

Although his “favorite ever” single grain whisky—a 28-year-old Cambus bottled by Single Cask Nation—is long gone, Vacheresse learned his lesson and stocked up on this Claxton’s Cameronbridge, which is a U.S. exclusive. “There are 156 bottles and I own two of them.”

3. Deanston 2008 Red Wine Cask Matured ($20/ounce)

“I fell in love with Deanston through the 10-year-old PX Cask. I said to my business partner, I’m going to buy a lot of this, including a bottle for myself. Do you want one?’ He said no. I bought the six-pack, it immediately sold out, it was all gone forever, and he tasted it and goes, ‘Never ask me again. If you think something is this much of a diamond in the rough, that no one's ever heard of, that's fantastic, just buy it for me.’ That's the new policy.”

This particular Deanston is one of several 9- to 10-year-old offerings, matured in the likes of cream sherry and brandy casks, and produced by the underappreciated Highland distillery a few years ago. It’s Vacheresse’s favorite. He cautions against trying to swap in the Bordeaux-finished Deanston that’s available at travel retail for this one, however: “it’s garbage.”

4. 1792 Full Proof Travel Bar Single Barrel ($10/ounce)

Vacheresse has done quite a few barrel picks, but this one was special, because Barton 1792 master distiller Danny Kahn joined him for it. “We blinded all four barrels, kept our own separate notes, and at the end we all compared our notes,” Vacheresse says. “Danny and I had the exact same tasting notes on Barrel A, but we both chose Barrel D. I was like, that's good enough for me!” It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

“This is my favorite of all my single barrels I've ever done,” Vacheresse says. “It was a short barrel—122 bottles at 125 proof—and the physical barrel sits in my bar in the front of the room. It's just a big, bold, beautiful bourbon. An excellent example of what a bourbon can be.”

5. The ImpEx Collection 13-Year-Old Ardmore ($24/ounce)

“Everybody here knows I love it,” Vacheresse says. “I never advertise it; it's not on my staff favorites. But anybody who drinks peat in this bar knows this is my favorite whisky here. We literally fly through it. It’s in my top five individual sales of whiskies at the bar.”

Already a fan of indie bottler ImpEx, Vacheresse initially bought just one bottle of this single cask. Then he bought six more, the maximum he could get from the distributor. But when it didn’t sell out, he got the rest: a total of 11 bottles, nine of which have been opened and sold—and the last two aren't likely to stick around for very long.

Wild Cards: Guyana Rum, Bianco Vermouth, Strawberry Vodka

“I love shocking people,” Vacheresse says. “Even if you’re drinking whiskey, I’m going to turn you on to something else.”

Despite its whiskey focus, Travel Bar has a sizable and somewhat esoteric selection of other spirits, which Vacheresse delights in pouring for the unsuspecting and the curious. This includes high-ester, barrel-proof rum—which has become a night-ender for many regulars.

“Everybody who had a flight of scotch whisky, we would finish them with an ounce of rum,” Vacheresse says. “When I'm busy behind the bar and new people come in and they're drinking scotch, the regulars go, ‘You've gotta finish on a rum. This is what we do here.’ It's big enough to stand up to whatever you've had before in your flight. You could go from peaty whisky and still get the full flavor of a Jamaican rum.

Vacheresse’s current pick is a 10-year-old Demerara rum from Guyana’s Diamond Distillery, bottled by Blackadder. “It has the same level of craftsmanship and drive as any other crafted product.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum is a barrel-aged bianco vermouth from Antica Torino, which is owned by a man Vacheresse calls Uncle Vito. After suggesting that he come try Travel Bar’s barrel-aged Negroni, made with Antica Torino’s sweet vermouth, Uncle Vito went back to Italy and barrel-aged some of his bianco. “It is magical,” Vacheresse says. “We keep it in the fridge, and serve it with a lemon twist. Now, people ask for it.”

The wickedest wild card of all? Arbikie Strawberry Vodka. “I buy it by the six-pack and I only sell it by the ounce,” Vacheresse says. “This is where the ‘I’m a shit’ comes out. If you’re getting along with somebody and say, ‘Do you trust me?’ most people say yes. I come over with a clear glass in my hand and they’re like, ‘Whoa! Is this new make?’”

It's not, but it is a high-quality, delicious, and genuinely artisanal spirit and—like the best of Travel Bar's offerings—a total surprise that throws even the most seasoned whiskey connoisseurs for a funky loop.