REDMOND, Wash. — In the heart of Redmond, you’ll find a family-owned restaurant with a “whiskey library.”
No one at Woodblock will “shush” you, but they probably could use the Dewey decimal system to keep track of their bottles.
There are more than 850 on the shelves. And the entire point of the library is for people to check things out.
"That's one of the biggest things we like to portray to everybody - we're not a museum. So, these bottles are meant to be sold, they're meant to be enjoyed," said General Manager Ira Muench. "We've got the library ladder. We do our own barrel picks.”
They also hand-cut their own ice cubes and stamp them with the restaurant's signature 'W.' The cocktail menu includes a Smoked Pecan Old Fashioned and a Woodblock Oak-Infused Manhattan.
For customers who prefer their whiskey neat, Woodblock features an array of creative flights showcasing everything from varietals to distilleries. The popular “Drink Like A Local” flight features sips of Westland Single Malt, Oola Waitsburg Bourbon, Woodinville Whiskey Bourbon and 2 Bar Bourbon.
The library also boasts a number of rare, top shelf options.
But Muench said price doesn't always equal taste.
"Not everything has to be rare, allocated, super expensive,” Muench said. “Some of the best bottles just don't cost that much, but they're so good on the palate."
Woodblock is an unpretentious way to learn about whiskey, with “librarians” who are happy to teach and serve.
"There's a whiskey for everybody, and we're here to find that one for you. It might take a few tries, but we'll get you there,” Muench said, laughing.
Most whiskey pours are 50% off every Tuesday.
For customers who don’t drink alcohol, the bar also makes a variety of zero-proof cocktails using house-made shrubs.
Woodblock also serves a full menu for lunch and dinner and has a late-night happy hour from 9-10 p.m. every Monday – Saturday. Dishes include spiced baby carrots with feta yogurt and spiced pomegranate molasses, roasted beet and orange salad, brisket gnocchi and a spicy buttermilk-fried chicken thigh sandwich. Other than the ketchup, everything on the menu is make in-house.
Woodblock is open daily and located at 16175 Cleveland Street in Redmond.
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