Motor City Gas Whiskey Distillery

I come here a lot with my husband or with friends, and have never been disappointed. I love the selection and the frequent rotation of the cocktail menu and their whiskeys. I’ve had maybe one cocktail that I didn’t like which could probably just be chalked up to personal preference. The atmosphere is awesome, the music is always great and the perfect volume to have a conversation. The employees are really knowledgeable about the different drinks, or are willing to grab another more experienced employee if they don’t know something. Such a gem of a bar, we’re lucky to have it in RO!

I come in here all the time. By far my favorite spot in Royal Oak. Music is on point. Awesome vibe, very relaxed and welcoming. Eric is an excellent kisser. Space is rustic and open. Whiskey 🔥🔥. No food, but can bring in your own food.

Motor City Gas Whiskey Distillery offers an exceptional experience for whiskey enthusiasts. The distillery's ambiance combines industrial charm with a welcoming atmosphere. Their whiskey selection showcases quality craftsmanship, and the knowledgeable staff enhances the tasting journey. Whether you're a seasoned whiskey connoisseur or a newcomer, Motor City Gas provides a delightful blend of flavors and a memorable distillery visit.

Great drinks great service the bartender and distiller gave me a shot of their whiskey for my birthday. We got shamrock slushes with bourbon in them and they were amazing

Opinions from an out of stater: • Unexpectedly, very small, downtown location. • When we walked in it was very busy and we were not greeted. Also, we were unsure where to sit due to tables being used or had stuff on them. • Only had one guy working. He was very nice and professional. There was way too much expected from just one worker to accomplish. He was amazing, very knowledgeable, and did his very best. • My husband really enjoyed their flight of Rye Whiskeys!

Great place to hangout for a craft cocktail. Ive never felt rushed and the staff is so friendly and welcoming. I really love that nothing is premade.

If you want to go somewhere for subpar whiskey and overpriced drinks and have the staff be super rude to you then this is the place to go.

Very good drinks. Highly recommended

Great place to hangout for a craft cocktail. Ive never felt rushed and the staff is so friendly and welcoming. I really love that nothing is premade.

New menu! The drinks are great as always! Very friendly & quick service! Very cute place for drinks & they serve pizza too!

Been buying Whiskey here, more specifically Rye, since the pandemic. Today I sat at the bar with my brother who is in town from Phoenix. Not only was the whisky great so was the conversation with the server. We talked about soccer, Spacemen 3, record shops, England. I love this place.

Over the past year, Motor City Gas has become my #1 go-to cocktail bar! Birthday? MCG Date night? MCG Random Wednesday? MCG ... you get the point. The cocktails here are so good that my dear wife went from not liking bourbon/whiskey *at all* to asking for an MCG outing at least every couple weeks! I won't comment on individual drinks as they change their menu seasonally and it's always absolutely delicious... EXCEPT for the Bourbon Creamsicle slushee that they have during summer -- it's the perfect treat after a run or bike ride! If there's one warning, it'd be that they seem to only have 2-4 employees working at any given time (often the bartenders have to also act as servers), so the service can be a bit slow, but worth it.

Motor City Gas is a great place for a cocktail before dinner in downtown Royal Oak. They use their own products in their drinks and rotate their menu seasonally. This trip our party of four had a hard cider (delicious) a cinnamon whiskey sour (Amazing!) the Manhattan (The bitters had a hint of nutmeg which really brought out the bourbon in the Manhattan). The only sort of miss for me was the Smoking gun which had Rye, walnut bitters and a lit cinnamon stick. The smoke was off putting here and I felt like I was just sipping Rye (which is ok by me). Probably a drink in someone else's wheelhouse but I would not personally get it again. We had a very good visit and had a break from the first snow of the season.

Educational bartender and unique whiskeys. Appreciate the warm bulbs, rich wood paneling, and copper accents.

Are you a lover of whiskey even if whiskey doesn't love you all the time. Don't worry about that here because the whiskey will love you back and leave a warm feeling with you. You can taste it here and grab it to go. No food available when I visited so plan accordingly.

Their Bourbon Egg Nog is Christmas in a glass! They offer several different types of whiskeys and cocktails. I also tried the Pumpkin Lord Commander and it's creamy delicious! My favorite cocktail is the Blueberry Smashed. If you love blueberries, mint, lemonade and of course bourbon. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. It's a nice cozy environment complete with a projected fireplace. It is wheelchair accessible with plenty of seating and large bathrooms. If you don't know what you like then just try a taste first. Don't come hungry because they don't have food; only popcorn.

Delicious cocktails! @motorcitygas_whiskey in Royal Oak is a cozy bar with some great drinks. Small venue - easy to miss but I HIGHLY recommend you check them out. For those who love straight whiskey or bourbon, there are many great options. My husband loved the freight train (& ended up buying several bottles!). I'm not big on drinking whiskey or bourbon straight so I tried the thyme traveler (fresh lemon & lime juice with plumb bitters, thyme lemon simple syrup & rye whiskey) & the impared (fresh pear juice, ginger lemon simple syrup, lemon juice & bourbon). Both were excellent. Bartenders were great. Loved the atmosphere. You can't find their product in the stores so this makes a great gift.

Great atmosphere. Kind of off the beaten path in Royal oak. Alcohol all distilled in house. Very smooth. Highly recommend!

Checked out Motor City Gas with a girlfriend. It was late in the evening, so I'm not sure if they closed down half the place. With only a few people sitting in the main room, I was confused if the adjoining rooms were for staff or customers, since there was a combo of supplies and tables. If the main room is the only sitting place, then this is a small bar! It's definitely intimate and the staff seemed accommodating. Of course we sat right at the bar. I had a warm spiked apple cider and a glass of 'The Crown', which both were delicious. Expensive but delicious. I recommend this place, however I also recommend stopping for some food beforehand. This place does not serve food, not even kettle chips. Careful.

If you love bourbon this is the place. Some of the best bourbon cocktails I have ever had and Carly does a great job describing them.

This is one of my favorite places in Royal Oak. It's a small business whiskey distillery. They've been building it slowly over the years, and their menu continues to expand. They serve great cocktails and offer plenty of choices for whiskey flights. The employees are super helpful if you don't know what you're doing and answer any of your questions. They don't serve food, but sometimes they host food trucks and you're allowed to bring your own food. I've definitely had pizza delivered there once or twice. This place is the best. Don't miss out.

We happened to be strolling through downtown Royal Oak on a cool fall night and decided to check out Motor City Gas. I had only heard positive things and been meaning to check it out for quite some time. Finally had the opportunity and it did not disappoint. Motor City Gas is a small distillery tucked into a store front, a couple blocks off the main Royal Oak downtown strip. The bar area has a type of rustic feel to it. Wooden paneled walls with that salvaged look. Concrete floors. A sturdy custom made wood bar. Tons of whiskey barrels everywhere. To the right side of the bar area is an opening looking into another room where they distill the whiskey. The centerpiece of said room is this giant copper and steel still and its maze of connected pipes. Cool to be able to view this work space. So we made our way to the bar area near the back and pulled up two bar stools. Wasn't too familiar with what they had to offer so I carefully studied their menu of specialty whiskeys. Through the doors behind the bar you can see a storage room stacked with many, many barrels of aging whiskeys. Booze-wise, I started with the less aggressive options and worked my way up. My first drink was a neat pour of this apple cinnamon type of whiskey. Great flavor, sweet, and still a nice kick of alcohol. Kind of reminded me of apple pie. After that I tried some more traditional options. Something rye. Something peaty. The last whiskey I had was some sort of BBQ cayenne jalapeno whiskey. Yes, getting adventurous at this point. According to our barkeep, the story behind this whiskey was a local BBQ establishment had asked Motor City Gas for some whiskey barrels so they could make a BBQ sauce in them. Once they were done with these barrels, Motor City got them back and filled them with whiskey and made this creation. This whiskey was pinkish red, spicy as hell, and high octane. I will admit it was rough but it was also one of the most unique I had ever had. Our bartender was great. Friendly guy with great stories. I believe he was one of the owners but I really can't remember. Anyways, if you are going to downtown Royal Oak and looking to check out an interesting, unique drinking establishment, please give Motor City Gas a try. There is nothing else like this in town.

Some great whiskeys here. They also had some that I didn't care for. Tastes were mostly $3 a pop. We bought a bottle for $46. On their coasters it says fuel the comeback. Not really sure Royal Oak ever needed to "come back" but catchy if you associate it with Detroit I guess. No food here and not much seating space. When we left it was standing room only. Worth a visit if you like whiskeys. I updated this because I was clearly drunk the first time I posted.

So I really wanted this place to be good but unfortunately it wasn't. The old fashions we ordered tasted like they were 1% whiskey, 99% sugar. Such a bummer. And I would have ordered another one but $12 for another crappy old fashion was a risk I didn't want to take.

So this is our first visit to a Distillery and we like what they're doing here. We liked it so much we took a fifth home of applesauce moonshine. Cool place check it out. There are lots of flavors here... you're bound to like one of them. Awesomage to the 3rd power!

Tucked onto a street off the main strip in Royal Oak. A combo of tasting room and distillery. A small bar with uncomfortable stools and some tables. They were making alcohol when we there and the smell was quite strong and disagreeable. The mixed drinks are good, as are several of the whiskeys made there. There is a small rack of tees and sweatshirts. They sell bottles to take home. The staff is pleasant. Some of the bar area is rough and amateur looking.

Boys trip to Detroit and as we are all Bourbon drinkers this was a must visit! We sat at the bar and I ordered a 3 bourbon flight. Wow....wow and wow. This was some top shelf product with some high octane. Smooth....balanced and nuanced as well. That flight didn't last long all. The 2 guys serving....a blonde and a guy with long hair (sorry guys that I dont remember your names) were solid in their craft. They knew the product and were damn funny to boot. They really made the day with their knowledge and wit! Highly recommended! A must visit! Dont miss this place! I will say that Detroits dumb signage laws make it hard to spot but use Google Maps and BINGO!

Here we are trying to enjoy a nice adult evening, and some toddler is running around with a rubber mallet. The toddler clearly belongs to an employee, because many of the employees are playing with it. This was a cool place when Eric worked here. Not any more.

This place is awesome! Not gonna lie, from the name alone, I had reservations about this place. I was scared it would be some tough-guy spot playing loud classic rock where bikers hang out lol. Man, was I wrong. Actually a really relaxing spot, great for small groups of all ages. Their whiskey selection is good, but I didn't get a chance to try any samples - I'll have to next time. I had a cocktail (Bill Murray) and it was absolutely delicious. Definitely an inclusive environment for whiskey novices and experts alike. I will definitely come back here to slowly convert my friends into whiskey drinkers :)

I wish I lived closer. Great whiskey and rye. Been awhile since I was there but I was drinking one of their Rye's yesterday and it has a great flavor. These guys know what they are doing.

The Rosemary-bourbon drink with Cardamom bitters was amazing. This place always has good mixtures and drinks for every taste. It is a nice place to hang out with friends and chat. Only downfall of this place is that there is no food. They do sell some bagged chips and jerky that you can buy, but I do think you'll be nice if they actually had food service. Overall, still a place you want to check out in Royal Oak and enjoy.

This is a great little distillery. Everyone that works their is friendly and knowledgable. The staff/owners have no problem talking about specials and what they have and/or future plans, making you feel like you are "in the know". The majority of drinks I've tried have been very tasty. Stopped in for St. Patty's and the owner gave us a tour of their new expansion (exciting!!!) along with some apple infused goodness! (Kind of looked like ecto cooler gas!) The RESULT: good vibes and a warm buzz!

Motor City Gas has a fun neighborhood bar feel. The drinks are yummy and taste fresh. The whiskey pours are reasonably priced. Great spot for a relaxing evening.

If you like whiskey (and if you don't, why are you reading this review?), you need to find your way to Motor City's tasting room. It's even worth a special trip. As a "tasting room" they aren't licensed for many of the things you'd expect in a bar - so their hours are more limited and there aren't TV's or music (apparently that requires additional licensing) but they do have fabulous whiskey made right here from local ingredients. Even the mixers and bitters are made right here. And what a selection of spirits!! Including moonshine if you're so bold. Wow. We were able to sample a few, enjoyed a $3 "taste" and ended with a spectacular cocktail. My rye Manhattan was awesome with barrel aged bitters. My wife had the Gas 'N Ginger with homemade ginger ale that was incredible. Service was amazing from Megan who was a delight to chat with and is quite a cocktail expert. You need to get here and sample some local spirits. You'll love it.

This little distillery tasting room in Royal Oak is totally worth the trip! They are distilling some tasty spirits here and Megan was a terrific and engaging source of info. We sampled their smokey single malt Scotch and the Belly Up Bourbon. You can't go wrong with either. The cocktail list looked really interesting and the Gas 'n Ginger with their house made ginger ale and Royal Oaked Rye was pretty perfect. My husband's Old Fashioned was great, too. I tasted their Shag 'Nasty which is a shagbark liqueur with flavors of toasted marshmallows, hazelnut & supposedly cotton candy (although I couldn't taste that part). Megan suggested the flavors really opened up over ice & it was an outstanding suggestion. Just go here, sample some spirits, order a cocktail and enjoy yourself! You're Welcome!

Delightful place! Drinks are creative, delicious and reasonably priced. Bartenders are friendly and find to talk with. We'll be back

Best craft cocktails i've ever had, and the first place to make me actually start liking whiskey. Don't miss out on this place!

Drink was amazing! Atmosphere is really nice! The staff was very friendly. If you have not checked this place out yet put it on your list!

Good menu with a knowledgeable staff, the location is cool and the environment is welcoming. Lots of good options and delicious from top to bottom.

Good atmosphere and concept (distillery/bar). Cocktails were very creative and good. Been to numerous distilleries across the country. Straight bourbon was a little harsh and nothing special. Worth a try for mixed drinks.

I'm pretty much in love with Motor City Gas. I like that it's away from the busier areas of Royal Oak, so parking is usually easy. We try to go during off times so it's not too busy because it's a small place that can pack up quick. Staff is always working hard to serve everyone and they're always super nice. I haven't had a bad drink or tired a bad whiskey here. I love the Gas N Ginger. My brother was really impressed with their Old Fashioned. The Bourbon Espresso is delicious! If I could handle caffeine better, I would order that every time. It is delightful and rich. Dogs are welcome. They have a dog that is usually hanging out. Sometimes it gets pretty loud in there with the crowd and dogs. This is definitely a great place to get a gift for the whiskey lover in your family too! I have bought many gifts!

Very sweet and intimate place. I love the cool atmosphere and "gas" theme. The menu is mostly all whiskey/bourbon drinks that are beyond an old fashioned. I got the black berry smashed and a cherry shooter and I think I liked the shooter much better since the berry drink was just a tad sweeter than my taste (still very rich berry flavor if you enjoy that). But the shooters came with cherries soaked in pure whiskey which was super cool and delicious. Really wished this place had food since we wanted to try more drinks but we were definitely feeling it

Friendly staff. Most are very knowledgeable and recommend just the right drink to match your taste or mood.

Fun mixed drinks. Enjoyed the slushies. Wide variety of whiskeys and scotch-style whiskeys. The distiller is really cool and knowledgeable about the products.

Staff were friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about their products. Good whiskeys and loved that we were able to order tastes and some great crafted cocktails. Can't wait to go back and try more.

Best whiskey drinks I've ever had!! The flavors they use make every drink amazing. Definitely recommend

A little confusion about the to go drinks they advertise. I was coming in from patio with an almost empty plastic cup get told I can't do that. But they advertise to go drinks and thought patio and bar was all same property confused.

Just moved to the area and stumbled upon MCG...staff is super welcoming and nice. Cocktail was delicious, can't wait to go back and try the whiskeys

My last night in the Detroit metro and only my second trip here ever. My last trip was about a decade ago and there is a significant difference between then and now. Places like this prove that this is a creative region. After all who puts good whiskey into a BBQ barrel that isn't creative?! Good whiskey, creative aging, and great hospitality! I guarantee you will discover something you have never tasted before, and you will like it!

Amazing whiskey flights. Pricey for the bottles but it's totally worth every penny! It's nice that's is closed to Main Street and parking is easy to find neat by it always seems.

Why #motorcitygas_whiskey? After @jackdaniels this is our second visit to a whiskey distillery. This was a small local distillery we visited and not as big as JD. The drinks were amazing. Though this is the first time we've tried corn whiskey we really liked it. Bar tenders knows his mixes and gave us the best drink as asked. Must try - all drinks. . . #motorcitygas_whiskey #distillery #whiskey #locallyowned #Mi #local #cornwhiskey #tonic #lime #plumbbitters #lavender #blueberry #alcohol #mixiners #weekendlife #foodporn #trynewplace #iphonography #shotoniphonexr #michiganfoodexplorer #michigan

Great place if you're looking for whiskey tasting. Small cozy place, good for a group for 4-5 people. I had the tasting of one of their crafted whiskies however they have a good amount of cocktails, if straight whiskey isn't your thing. The service was great. They were able to pinpoint and give recommendations to the tastings I would enjoy without an issue. Nothing but good things about this place, I would definitely come back here.

Wonderful experience! Amazing atmosphere and server. Got the cherry bombs and orange creamsicles. Can't wait to come back and try some more! Great outdoor patio and excellent COVID safety compliance.

At the recommendation of a fellow yelper I have finally came to experience this place. Located a bit off the beaten path on 4th there is plenty of street parking to be had. Make no mistake, this is a whiskey distillery. And in that regard, they do it well. You can tell this is the type of place that isn't going to half ass something. Their whiskey definitely upholds that philosophy. They do not serve food, just whiskey. But not your run of the mill Jim Beam. This is creative, innovative stuff. A chocolate cherry single malt. Cherry Apple smoked bourbon. Mmmmm. They offer pours of all their whiskey and are consistently coming out with new types. They also serve cocktails. I would highly recommend the mint julep, but I enjoy the simplicity of this cocktail so I'm biased. There's nothing but simple syrup and mint leaves. Lots of space to sit with groups or stand if you feel like it. They do offer pretzels to snack on as well. The bartenders are friendly and more than willing to give their recommendations. There's a small bar area of 8 people to sit at. Overall: a great happy hour place to check out before going to dinner, or a night out on the town. A must in Royal Oak if you like whiskey.

Really cool place, whiskey is great! We sat in the barrel room in the back, such a cool experience! 3 star because our server was unprofessional, dropping the fbomb and gd while serving us. Employees need better training.

Fabulous Rye Old Fashioned and great staff. Carlie is the real deal! Charming, efficient and knowledgeable.

I love this place!!! One of my new favorite places in Royal Oak. My husband loves whiskey and I took him there for an event. I ordered a drink called The Ward which I would compare to a whiskey sour. It was so delicious that I ordered a second one which I rarely do. My husband, who is super picky about whiskey, ordered an Old Fashioned. It was incredibly flavorful. He loved it and I might have trouble keeping him away from this place. They produce everything from scratch on site and you can definitely taste the care that goes into every step of the process. The distillers are super knowledgeable and answered all our questions about how the whiskey is made. The atmosphere is relaxed and it isn't too loud. So it's a great place to meet after work with friends. I had difficulty booking us into a tasting and it would be fair to say that Rich, the owner, and Eric the manager, BENT OVER BACKWARDS to help me out. I really appreciate personal service. It is the way to win customers for life. I highly recommend Motor City Gas Whiskey. It is a MUST try bar in Royal Oak.