Douzo

131 DARTMOUTH ST., BACK BAY, BOSTON. 617.859.8886. DOUZOSUSHI.COM

By LINDSAY BERRIGAN | Photo By Elizabeth Shea

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I don't feel like a grown-up yet. Grown-ups go out downtown on purpose, drinking martinis, wearing long coats and talking about friends' impending homewreckages. So, for me, drinking at sleek, modern Back Bay sushi restaurant Douzo was like playing dress-up. Wasted. Douzo's bar, stocked with wine and sake, is more than packed on a Saturday at 8:30pm, mostly with thirty-and-ups dressed to the sevens and waiting for tables. My companion and I mill about nervously for a minute, until we find a seat-yourself table in the bar area. The drinks look delicious, so I'll forgive the crowd and the fact that they're playing a techno remix of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited."

Drink 1: Tokyo Cosmo ($10). Given my hilariously slim alcohol tolerance, starting the night with a combo of mandarin vodka, sake, triple sec and lime and cranberry juices seems ill-advised. Our server (usually bartender), Jay, later recommends this concoction as something to get you twisted for cheap. I'm already feeling the effects when my drinking buddy Liz notices that patrons near the door have gathered to look out the window. Behold: a brawl! Now I feel at home. Apparently, a man being escorted out took a swing at the manager. "I feel like we got our money's worth now," says a girl by the door.

Drink 2: Gingertini ($10). As my second drink arrives, so does the Boston Police Department. Five officers enter and talk to managers; one leaves carrying a plastic bag. (Take out?) The drink, made of vanilla vodka, coconut rum and ginger syrup, is strong and sweet like a vodka-soaked gingersnap. "There's gonna be no more drama," Jay assures the gals at the table next to me. "There's just gonna be 45 minutes of people going 'Did you see what happened?'"

Drink 3: Onikoroshi Daiginjyo Sake ($14). Having attended a free tasting at a sake factory a few weeks ago, I fancy myself a sake expert. This stuff is smooth, dry and tasty. Upon finishing, I make my first bathroom trip of the night and pop off a few drunk texts, including one to my mom. Not a grown-up indeed.

Drink 4: Shōchū Melon Martini ($10). I choose this because I don't know what the hell shōchū is. Jay, not wanting to misinform, Wikipedias it on his iPhone and tells me it's a Japanese (obvi) liquor distilled from barley, sweet potato or rice. The Midori-laden cocktail is less than badass, but tastes like candy.

I recommend the gingertini to the woman on an awkward date at the table beside me. ("So, do you like sake?" "Yes.") It seems to improve her life a bit. Good deed, check.

Drink 5: Lychee Martini ($10). Before I order my last, Liz and I give in to the food menu, choosing a spicy yellowtail roll. "Fucking delicious," say my loopy notes. "Best sushi I've had in Boston." This drink is my favorite: It's just vodka with lychee syrup, but it tastes like the real thing, complete with one of the sweet, grape-like fruits in the glass. By 10:20pm, the bar crowd has slimmed and there's a guy behind me dancing alone. Time to bounce. But a fight? Real lychees? I should leave my hood more often.