Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft

Wow what a delicious and accommodating menu (we had vegetarian and a gluten free needs) Glorious drinks.

Oh Ripplewood. It's my neighborhood watering hole and this review is LONG overdue. I first walked in sometime in April of 2018 after a workout roughly 3 weeks after it opened and ordered the Brussels sprouts and a whiskey sour. Almost once a week since then, I've walked in and ordered about the same thing, sometimes swapping in a different beverage or additional dish. The menu rotates with the seasons and they're really good about offering up meat-free dishes (I order my sprouts sans bacon) so I always have things to choose from. There are too many delicious offerings to name but for non-meat-eaters like myself, I would recommend the wild mushroom flatbread and Mediterranean salad (farro based and really hearty). The atmosphere is great both early and late and the noise level is usually conversational. It's always my top choice for stopping in with friends to unwind after a long day. The service is quick and the staff are all awesome people. The classic cocktails are always made the way they should be and the rotating craft cocktails are tasty and unique. The beer selection is usually varied and always includes gluten free options like cider, usually a couple of hop forwards, a couple of lagers and a sour or stout/porter seasonally. I suppose I'm supposed to say something bad to make my review more believable so here: they don't have their tater tots on the regular menu, only on the late night menu. They're supposed to be fried in duck fat but I order mine without (I know I'm boring). They need to put them on the regular menu (tater tots are good ALL THE TIME doesn't everyone know that?) I guess maybe I'm a little biased because it's one of my regular haunts but I would definitely recommend it as a an unpretentious place to get phenomenal top tier food and beverages. ....so definitely try the sprouts.