D.B.A. is one of the more popular music venues on Frenchmen Street, but it merits a mention in this blog because it also has the best whiskey and beer list on that stretch. In addition to their twenty taps, you’ll find an extensive bottle list, broken down by country on their menu board. Their whiskey selection is equally robust. Dozens of American bourbons nestle next to their Scotch and Irish cousins behind the bar. At D.B.A. you can sip on Elijah Craig or splurge on some Lagavulin. While you can certainly get that PBR and a shot here, D.B.A. is a classy enough spot that you might want to up your game.
One reason I really enjoy going to D.B.A. to hear music is because the layout of the bar allows you to choose your level of participation in the show. D.B.A. is split into two connecting rooms, and the wall that divides these spaces is wrapped by the bar itself. In one room you’ll find the venue, and in the other you’ll find a more traditional bar. If you plant yourself on the latter side, you can still hear the music (especially if it is a brass band) but you can also have a conversation. I tend to bounce back and forth between the two sides throughout the night, happy to be able to hear both my friends and the bands with ease.