Birthday Cocktails at Woodward in the Ames Hotel

Friday was my birthday. 🙂

D asked me where I wanted to go for pre-dinner drinks (dinner was a surprise), so I suggested Woodward at the Ames Hotel. I went there a couple of weeks ago for a Girl’s Night Out, and had some great cocktails and several pretty good apps.

Woodward is a funky little place and seems to be moving up the popularity ranks quite quickly, landing the Improper Bostonian’s “Best of Boston 2010” award for best “Hot Spot”. It has two floors — the first fills up fast and seems to be the more popular location to be, it also includes a pretty little outdoor patio. The upstairs is a bit more quiet, but has lots more bar seating. If you have a larger group, I recommend trying the upstairs first. Both floors include many curio cases that sport interesting little antiques and tchotchkes.

The cocktails are quite unique but VERY pricey — at $14 a pop. That said, I am in love with the Hot Nantucket Night — a tantalizing blend of Don Julio Blanco, muddled with cranberries, jalapeno, agave nectar and fresh lime juice. This drink may look girly, but has a surprising tartness and spicy kick to it that is sure to please even the most manly men. I can throw these bad boys back like there’s no tomorrow and will most definitely be trying to replicate this drink at home. The only thing I am unsure about are the cranberries. I believe they must be poached first… as you wouldn’t serve them raw.

D opted for the classic Bees Knees — Bombay gin with fresh lemon juice and honey simple syrup. He liked it, but switched to his standard Crown Royal and Diet Coke for his subsequent rounds.

One of our friends got the Weary Kind — Makers Mark Bourbon with Crème de peche and angostura orange bitters. He could not stop raving about this drink. He loved it. Our other friend went with a traditional Caipirinha and she loved that as well. Lastly, the first time I came I tried their Pisco Sour (one of my personal favorites) — Peruvian style with Barsol Pisco, lime, raw egg white and Angostura Bitters. LOVED it… creamy, tart, refreshing.

Since we were going out for a big dinner, we opted to just get a single order of their French Fries ($7). They disappeared quickly.

The first time I came, my GF and I ordered a bunch of appetizers, these included the Sauteed Rock Shrimp — with olives, garlic and tomatoes ($14), the Spring Onion and Mushroom Flatbread — with asparagus and Parmesan ($18) and the Island Creek Oysters — with ginger mignonette ($18). They were all delicious.

The prices here are definitely steep… you will not get away with a bar bill below $50. The atmosphere, quality of the food and creativity of the drinks make up for it though. This is a great place for pre-dinner drinks or for a fun night out with your pals.