My husband and I were eating dinner nearby in Tremont and used the Yelp "nearby" feature to find this indy gem. If you are on foot and navigating with Google Maps, you might have to walk around the block in order to find the entrance. The Spotted Owl is tucked away in a large brick building. When you enter, the ambiance seems like a cozy mix between speakeasy and dive bar. I love a speakeasy concept, but often it seems like the staff are trying too hard. Not so in the case of the Spotted Owl. You'll be presented with a card with four different moods and 20+ flavors. The bartenders - mostly young and "norm core" - encourage you to describe the mood and/or flavors you are craving and they take it from there. For my drink, I said that i wanted something with mood "celebratory" and flavor "citrus." I also requested no gin. What followed was a classic "Ward 8" cocktail - a mix of citrus juices and bourbon. The garnishes were star cutouts of lemons and limes. It was truly fantastic! My husband wished for something "celebratory" and "verdant," which generated the cocktail "Fire as Green as Grass," which was a gin (he can tolerate gin - not me!) concoction with allspice and other green flavors.
The drinks are $15/each, so it's not a place to get too crazy, but the total experience, at least for us, made the cost per drink very worth it.