Axe and the Oak Whiskey House

A nice cocktail bar located in a old elementary school, set up as a food hall. All the alcohol is distilled by/for them, so keep this in mind. We were very pleased with the quality and taste of our cocktails, service and atmosphere. The staff was friendly and our drinks were made promptly. The space is lightly lit and they gave the bar area and a second large room. They have happy hour and also drink promotions at a great deal of $7 for their classic cocktails. We ordered a special cocktail on Tuesday evening and got $5 off. In addition, if you want food, there are many restaurants in the food hall. Definitely a fun place to go.

This is our go-to spot! We love that they have a seasonal part of the menu that they change every season. The servers are true mixologists and regular help craft the seasonal menu. They also remember everyone who comes in on a regular basis. They have a great happy hour of their classic cocktails too! It’s literally hidden gem in Colorado Springs!

The service s was amazing , friendly , welcoming and knowledgeable on the craft with recommendations. Love we came during happy hour too “ It would be great if they had trivia games or puzzles for the lower tables

We learned about this very cool cocktail venue from our server while we were at dinner. Knew we had to stop by as it was an old converted school into restaurants, bars, and shopping. I can only imagine in the summer this place is absolutely packed. I got a Negroni that had a homemade Campari, which was better than I was anticipating. My husband had a cocktail with gin. The server was kind enough to light the outdoor fire pits. Said they were brand new and this was his first time lighting them. Really made the evening special.

We went to Axe and the Oak last night to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and we had such a wonderful experience! My husband is sober, and the bartender went above and beyond to craft him a delicious non-alcoholic drink. Our server, Elizabeth, was amazing—so kind, attentive, and had the sweetest, most playful spirit that made the evening even more enjoyable. The atmosphere was great, the service was excellent, and the staff truly made us feel welcome. We couldn’t recommend this place more and will definitely be back!

Great smoky old fashion with house made bitters and cherries. Great service.

Cool place. Was recommended to try the Tobacco Old Fashioned bc I love a good smokey old fashioned. It was good but not amazing. Would order again if I was there but not a 30 min driveworthy drink.

I've been to a lot of distilleries all over the country and the spirits here are among the best. The staff are deeply passionate about their craft and happy to walk about it. I can't recommend this place enough.

Very good local distillery! Good selection of spirits, and multiple award winning whiskeys. I've tried several of their products and liked all of them. The bar makes good mixed drinks and is known for their old fashions. If you're a whiskey fan, you gotta stop by here and have a drink or three. The atmosphere is cool, with a rustic cabin feel. Live music here sometimes too. Always had really good service from the waiters and bartenders each time I've been here.

This bourbon bar is located in the lower level of the ivy school. It's a really cool establishment with swanky decor. They had some really fun drinks and flights options for those who love old fashions. I ordered their seasonal cashmere sweater. I also tried their butterscotch bourbon, which was very interesting. Cool, quiet place to hang out.

Are you a fan of old fashioned whiskey drinks? Then this is the place for you. This entire place is an awesome concept. A old elementary turned in to bars and restaurants in every classroom (formerly classrooms). When in the Colorado Springs area, this is a must visit. The service could not have been any better with all the recommendations.

If I was rating the product alone, I'd slap 5 stars all over it. The experience at the tasting room was equally matched due to the amazing staff and bartenders. Man, I wish I lived closer to this place! Axe and Oak has been on my list since I moved to Colorado. Covid definitely got in the way of more frequent day trips down to the Springs. My fiancée and I bopped around a few weeks backs; visiting many places we had bookmarked on Yelp. To be honest, I wasn't aware that Axe and Oak was located inside Ivywild School until we were headed there. We walked in and were greeted immediately. Presumably from a front of house manager or just a stellar and hospitable employee. From the moment we walked in, we got the sense they really just care. How refreshing, right? The seasonal craft cocktail menu is extensive boasting around a dozen unique cocktails. Though they sounded great, with it being my first visit I had to stick to the classics. Let's see how good their juice is, let's order an Old Fashioned. Theirs is smoked with tobacco bitters? Even better. Tobacco Old Fashioned // Their signature cocktail w/ Tobacco bitters, Colorado Mountain Bourbon Whiskey, and maple in a glass smoked with oak, torched orange peel. Not only do you get a smoky, maply and boozy concoction, you get a show out of it. Sit at the bar and watch the bartender smoke the cocktail right in front of your eyes. This is my kind of bedtime story. This is the kind of drink that immediately transports you in front of a campfire. In fact, their whiskey is perfectly balanced on its own. So much so, I purchased a bottle of their bourbon for the road. I've been enjoying the bottle at home, just neat. The test of a great whiskey is having it on its own, and Axe and Oak has quickly jumped the ranks as some of my favorite sipping bourbon! Cannot recommend enough. Need a brand ambassador in Denver? I'd be happy to get paid in whiskey just saying...Kidding, but not really... Phenomenal product and tasting room!

We often go to Ivywild for beer (Bristol) and pizza (Decent Pizza Co.) at lunch on Saturdays. I have seen Axe & The Oak, but it is never open when we are there (as they tend to open at 4p). Purely a bar, but with the added benefit that at Ivywild you can get and bring in food from anywhere in the place. One Saturday after coming home from Denver we hit it up as it was actually open and we needed a break to stretch legs (well and fill our Bristol growler). I had the Tobacco Old Fashioned and my hubby had a Whiskey Sour. It was awesome to watch the bartender make these drinks (burned wood/tobacco and filled the glass). Plus the whiskey sour was the real deal (with egg whites and all). Wonderful atmosphere and well crafted drinks. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

I just mentioned to our bartender that my favorite cocktail would be a coconut- ginger one. Two minutes later there was one sitting in front of me he just created! Soooo good! I don't think we were even charged for it???? Not a fan of the new food setup at Ivywild but the empanadas were delicious.

Great drinks. Go with what the server recommends as it will be good!! I got the mojito and it was perfect!!

Advertised as a speakeasy, not the case. When we showed up evidently they were going to have an acoustic band. Not at all, it was very loud with amps and speakers all over the place. Hard to talk to my date as far away from the band as we could get. They also had a patio, speakeasy's don't have them they are more down low. Drinks were marginal.

I love this spot. And I'm so thankful for their dedication to their people and the community. They offer masks if maybe you forgot yours, they built a beautiful outside oasis, which I cannot wait to see! And they take the rules very seriously. We came in on a chilly night to enjoy some delicious cocktails and sit and relax with a visiting friend. Being that I was the only one who had been in, we relied heavily on the server to recommend some options for us. We were very impressed with our selections, I was blown away with my warm cider beverage. What a special place. #thankfulthursday

Terrific staff, beverages are made with care and attention, knowledgeable and take time to listen to your preferences!

Great ambiance and even better drinks. Audi and Gabe hooked us up with a tasting, each one was better than the last! Will come back

Axe and the Oak is hands down my favorite place to get a drink in the Springs! Their bartenders are so knowledgeable and creative, and they make every cocktail delicious and you can taste the care that goes into the recipe! Additionally, they host fun events throughout the year. It was also the place for my first date with my fiancé, so I'm a little biased, but the experience is always special. And their happy hour! The have great cocktail prices, and the punch is half off! Half. Off. They also have seasonal punches that are bomb - recently it was strawberry ginger and it was delicious! Go here. Enjoy it.

As we walked up we couldn't believe they had converted an old school, such a creative and fun idea. Axe and the Oak is located on th ground floor on the far left side (a little tricky to locate if this is your first time) they had a live band that had great sets, the ambiance was great for a Friday night (not overwhelmingly loud) and the signature cocktails, absolutely killer! Our bartender educated us that they don't have just whiskey, but vodka , and a few gins (in case you're not a whiskey guy or gal) Looking forward to coming back.

My brother took me here because I'm a whiskey fanatic. In my previous trips to COS, we went to Bristol Brewery upstairs, but having come from Distillery 291, we wanted to keep with the spirits and not beer. I'm SO glad we went to Axe and the Oak! They had a great band on the little corner stage. Their name escapes me, but they were great! Not too loud and the players were talented. Not a jam band or a cover band. They did some of each but also had great original material. Very cool. This joint has some great drinks!! I didn't like the white whiskey, but I usually don't care for those. Everything else was delicious! Their bourbon was really nice and the rye was too! Try a flight if you're curious! The apple bourbon was cool and creative. The Tobacco Old Fashioned is the one MUST TRY on the menu if you like Old Fashioneds. WOW! It was a treat to watch them make it too. After the flight and the Tobacco Old Fashioned, I was well roasted and then had a few of the Penrose drinks. I don't remember the exact name, but they had ginger beer in them and were fantastic. A great night!!

Friendly but inconsistent service. Did not particularly enjoy the whiskeys, though others might enjoy. Location is very cool, though.

Axe and Oak Whiskey House was my visitation focus for a locally owned distillery when in Colorado Springs from SATX. Too bad Covid prevented the full experience, but the everything was still awesome. The samples were much appreciated and encouraged me to get 2 bottles and 2 shirts (souvenirs!) Plus lots of complimentary stickers. The whiskey is easy drinking and smooth, and has hints of green apple and caramel. Support local and visit them when in the area!

Live music, great atmosphere, amazing drinks. I came in with my husband because He loves whiskey. I do not. At all... and yet I left having 3 drinks! So delicious. The bartenders are great at describing the drinks, and helping you figure out what might be a good fit. We will be back, for sure!

This place is very quaint and so lovely. Really nice staff - good music - good drinks. :)

Nice people, they took our last second happy hour order but the chai martini was much smaller than expected even for the discounted price. Maybe we're a little too meat and potatoes for some of these fancy drinks, but I have to admit it was delicious. Too sweet for our liking, yes, but the flavor itself was very complex and I love the creativity. Great ambience in here, even the bathroom had a nice touch with the olive oil dispenser of soap.

You won't be disappointed. The staff is friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. The menu is amazing and they are able to make things to your liking. I'm coming back next time we're in CS. Get a bottle of bourbon to take home. It's a "have to" stop.

I liked this place minus a few things. First, the location was really cool. It's inside of an old public school turned funky arts district/restaurants/bars/etc. Everything is decorated in a hipster, artsy kind of vibe. However, it was ridiculously crowded. Way too much for what I can stand. And the prices were a bit high. Because of the crowd we didn't stay, but we did buy a few bottles to go. We cracked one while on vacation, the other is being saved for our big Christmas Eve party. The staff was really nice, and they got to us pretty quick for it to be so crowded. I think expanding their space if they were able to would be beneficial. I'd love to go check them out during a non-peak time. Honestly, the 4 stars are just because of the fact that I could not move in that place.

Such a cool place! The entire staff was so knowledgeable and true mixologist. The night I was there they had an amazing drink that I have tried to replicate many times to no avail. The chili whiskey sour, game changer and I will never be the same since trying this drink. My first drink was a bartenders choice (I can't remember exactly what it was called) which was a fun concept. I was asked a few questions about my drink preferences and a mystery drink appeared. Answer honestly because they will genuinely take your preference into consideration. It's really a must stop!

Great whiskey, and great service. The flight was delicious, and I enjoyed the whiskey so much that I bought a bottle of rye to take home. Will come back if I'm ever back in colorado springs!

Fantastic find. The Axe and Oak has a speakeasy vibe that is very enticing and comforting. It was even recommended by a bartender from another bar. It's set on the bottom floor of an old renovated elementary school that's been repurposed into various spaces and called Ivywild School. This isn't your run-of-the-mill bar. If you come here hoping for something ordinary, turn right around and go back home to your wine coolers and Jack and coke. They do amazing things with drinks, liquors, mixers. Wonderful, creative things. Notes, subtleties and seductions you didn't know your tongue could feel. And it's all choreographed right here. No outside help needed. If you're new to drinking or cocktails, fear not, as the mixologists will guide your adolescent palate into a drink that's right for you. If you don't care for it, they'll try again until you are quite satisfied. I had the pleasure of having several tastes of their liquor and infusions. I highly recommend asking them to create you a new drink (although having knowledge of what flavors you already like would be helpful to both parties).

What a delightful place!!! Ok, first, what you really want to know: The drinks are freaking amazing. They do things with whiskey that your tastebuds have only dreamed of. I started with a Tobacco Old Fashioned and I felt like a professor sitting in my study, surrounded by impressive books and leather furniture. ;) Seriously, their cocktails are so unique and insanely good. Next: the staff are all absolutely lovely humans. Each of them was so much fun, had great suggestions, and truly made us feel welcome. Extra shout out to Ashton in particular for going the extra mile in nerding out with us on drinks and on fantasy/sci-fi awesomeness. I forget the name of the other amazing guy who took care of us (sorry, amazing guy!), but he had short dark hair and was incredibly thoughtful the whole time. Ambiance: if I were in Middle Earth, I'd fully expect to see this place full of Hobbits. Beautiful natural wood decor, cozy low lights, and some of my favorite music playing. I could have stayed all night. It was perfect! Bonus points: their restaurant suggestions were SO GOOD!!

I'm from Florida and bought some Axe and Oak Whiskey last year when I was in CO. We were staying close by so I decided to head here to meet a client for a drink. Awesome place with the Old School House Vibe. I had a few smoky old fashions which were great. Definitely take time to come here and then check out the rest of the school, with the coffee house and brewery.

I love this place. Incredible atmosphere, great food and of course amazing local bourbon.

Very good Rye. I tried both the Rye and the Bourbon (neat)...went home with a bottle of Rye. Friends had a few of the whiskey cocktails. They liked them,especially the smoked old fashioned. Headed back tonight.

Axe and the Oak Whiskey house is a legit cocktail bar that serves extremely well made drinks. My favorite drink from this place is probably their Tobacco Old Fashioned, where they incinerate a butcher block to create the smoke. Maybe it's because I'm from S. California, but I thought the prices were really good at $10 a pop. A whiskey cocktail could easily run around $13-$14 back for me at home. Came here on a tuesday night and they had live music (guitar dude that looked like Thor), which I thought was fantastic. This bar is definitely a 5 star establishment and I will visit again the next time I'm in town.

Really nice place with cute waiters! I highly recommend the place. My friends and I had a nice time there.

Good food, great service, solid cocktails and cool vibe! Amazing what you can do with just Whisky and craft up some common staples we all love to drink like the Mojito. Very cool an eclectic setting and loved the idea of repurposing an old school for a new use. Bravo! I am not sure how restrictive their liquor license is but to make this place even more attractive and address different tastes, I would suggest having some alternatives such as other liquors and a simple beer selection. I would then be much more inclined to go with a group of people who can likely get what they want. I advise this because our original destination was Bristol in the same building. I asked if they had just more than beer (which is great for me but bad for Wife :-)). The answer was no so we decided on A&O where we both are semi-OK with Whiskey. Bristol lost out on a $100/tab. Do the math on how many people just like us and that can be a lot of lost revenue. So for A&O same holds true! Before we go again everyone in the party has to like Whiskey and if not we all are headed somewhere else.

Great place to sit and have a drink. You can order food from any of the restaurants in the building and you can eat it at the distillery.

I've never been so disappointed in myself for letting 3 years go by and never once stopping by the Axe and the Oak. Legitimately one of the coolest distilleries/liquor stops/chill places in town - hands down. It's lively, it's speakeasy-esque, it's a little hipster, it's cool. They have a distiller's-only license, meaning everything has to be made in-house and they can't use anyone else's products. Which is awesome. All of their whiskies, bourbons, shines, and even bitters are house made. Sazerac is a cocktail that many people don't even offer, and many other don't do well. This place kills it. One of the best Sazeracs I've had in some time. That Old Fashioned is also one of the better ones I've had in town. Yup. The drinks aren't cheap. $10-$12 per cocktail. But everything is house made and most drinks are on the borderline of a double pour, so the value is there. Weekend has really good (albeit a little loud in such a small space) live music. You'll see people dancing and singing and although there's not a ton of space for any of those activities, they make it happen. Cool, cool spot with really good drinks and an awesome vibe. Don't miss this place.

This place has a really cool speakeasy vibe. The low light makes it a really swanky place to hang out. It's perfect for a date night, or a night out with your friends if you're into cigars, moonshine, and whiskey. They have plenty of options to try on the rocks, but they also have a ton of cocktail options for guests to try. I quickly learned I'm not really a moonshine person, but I had many sips of my friend's whiskey-based cocktail (the Shaman) and wanted to steal it from him. They have a nice outdoor patio with yard games, too, which is nice if you want to step out to enjoy one of their cigars.

I'm definitely a fan of this place! We came in on a Tuesday night and it wasn't busy. The lights were very low, but each table had a candle. We were promptly greeted by our server who was friendly and knowledgeable about the products they make and use. I had asked about the chai moonshine sour and when he mentioned the chai concentrate, I opted for a manhattan instead. In its defense, the chai concentrate is made in the building and is probably delicious, but I steer clear of dairy. My manhattan was delicious and served with my favorite type of cherry which is not the cheap maraschino cherry. These are the high-quality, not-cheap, cherries. While I hate to finish the manhattan, the cherry at the end makes my mouth so happy. We had the burger, which wasn't anything to have about. It was good, but just your typical burger. IMO. The fries though! I had the jerk fries and he had the herb fries. I just want to go back and eat those herb fries. They should be called garlic fries, because they are super garlicky and oh so delicious! We loved our cocktails! We also enjoyed the food, the band and their sense of humor, and the incredibly attentive service. I'll definitely return. Support this place y'all!

Awesome whiskey bar! On the bottom of Bristol Brewery which is an old school. Awesome atmosphere with live music and dinner by candles. Happy hour until 7pm with 50% off drinks is a great deal. Many unique cocktails I highly recommend.

Love this place, and the crew here are some of the best I've ever come across! Great place to relax, grab a bite, and have a few laughs. They are always cheerful and happy to help. Check them out for yourself you'll not be disappointed! The owner is an awesome singer and those tunes mellow you down.

Great experience here last night. We arrived around 6, and and all the seats were full. The bartenders said it's open seating....luckily there is a long bench in the middle of the distillery that you can learn on, or use to stand and drink, talk, etc. We ordered a sampler and enjoyed the whiskies standing up. After only about 10 minutes, we snagged two seats at the bar. Ordered the meat and cheese platter - delicious, and the pretzels. The pretzels were really good. We enjoyed coming here. The samplers were good, bartenders and servers kind and knowledgeable, and the food paired perfectly with our meal.

Great whiskey, good cigar. Overall I very much so enjoyed my visit as did my wife. We had two different drinks, and they both where great.

I. Just. Had. The. Best. Mixed. Drink. Of. My. Life. I love local talent and spots, as a commercial real estate broker, these kinds of places bring me joy beyond words. But, then...the true test. Make a drink that is unique. I ordered one, then two and then three of the best drinks of my life. The Tobacco Old Fashioned. Transcendent. Calling all locals and tourists, to make this place a household name.

We had a blast here. First of all it's in an old school, how fun. There was a band playing and I'll be honest I'm not the biggest fan of live music because let's be honest they aren't always that good. Not the case this time, this male duo played music by Zack brown & Pearl Jam they were awesome. We found ourselves singing along and ordering more cocktails. It was a bit loud but my husband and I were able to talk together without an issue. Now on to the cocktails, delicious. I could never recreate anything I had here- they were so complexed, balanced & unique. My husbands favorite was the whiskey smash and my favorite was the Axe-arac. I don't know how they put so much flavor into their drinks while keeping them spirit forward. Very talented bartenders. The staff was great, we had water constantly and they checked on us regularly. Also, I got a really cute women's cut shirt. They also gave me a free sticker! My only compliant is that we loved this place so much we stayed out later than we should have the night before our flight haha. I'm just warning you to give yourself more time here than at your average cocktail bar because you'll love it and want to stay longer. I would definitely recommend this place. You won't be disappointed.

Great vibe, but VERY hipster. Like trying-to-hard-to-be-hipster, so much so that it stops actually being hipster. Good drinks, although a bit "light" for a distillery's pour. They ran out of water glasses though, which seems a bit on the amateur side. But all in all we had fun, which is what really counts. Could be really great if they figured a few things out.

I am a whiskey fan and this place did not disappoint!!! The house made whiskey is amazing!!! Great atmosphere, delicious smokey whiskey and outstanding service are what you'll find here! I am new to the area and will certainly become a regular here.

The BEST distillery/ craft cocktail bar I've been to in a while!....super rad! Adam was our awesome mixologist, he is insanely creative & friendly. Get on this Colo Springs!

Their whiskey is hands down the best around... their new tasting room "Whiskey House" is a cool little joint. Located underneath Principal's Office at Ivy Wild School... Pros: Awesome Whiskey... small area for a live band... it's at Ivy Wild . Cons: The short bar/table on the side of their main bar is really really odd... unless it's made specifically for wheelchair patrons (then this will be a BIG plus). I'm hoping that they grow into their new location and will be around for awhile.

Good atmosphere and good bourbon however was not overly impressed. Prices were decent - if in town Worth a quick stop.

Antastacio made us feel very welcome and made some great recommendations for cocktails. I would highly recommend the Axe and whiskey house if you want a relaxing evening out with great drinks. Hope to be back soon!!!

Hmmmmm mediocre. It's in the bottom floor of Bristol brewing. The decor is really cool- whiskey barrel tables, an industrial modern feel. It does not appear they distill there? Either or. The drinks were mediocre. It wasn't smooth whiskey, more of a moonshine taste. It gets pretty busy and the wait for drinks was about 20 mins. The bartenders were very knowledgeable.

Always good! Bartenders and drinks. Their staff are always friendly and helpful. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. Their distillery makes my favorite bourbon.