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Gin and Tonic
Boston has not been immune to the recent proliferation of classic cocktail bars throughout the United States. In a city that’s better known for Sam Adams than Appletinis, a surprising number of its bars have begun to show their appreciation for a properly mixed adult beverage. Here are four of our favorite spots to enjoy a proper cocktail in Beantown:
Eastern Standard
Located in Kenmore Square, there’s no better cocktail bar near Fenway Park than Eastern Standard. The Parisian-inspired brasserie consists of red leather seating, polished wood tables, and a large, glass storefront for passers-by to ogle all the action inside. The drink menu is a blend of Prohibition Era inspiration and creative, local ingredients like red wine-cola bitters, burnt sugar, and rolled oats. Oh, and nearly everything on the dinner menu is fantastic as well.
Drink
If you appreciate the art of mixology as much as the drink itself, you’ll love Drink. Here, the bartenders forego a formal cocktail menu altogether. Simply pull up a stool and let the experts behind the bar know what sort of flavors you’re in the mood for. They’ll pull together a creative concoction on the spot, handcrafted to suit your palette. Virtually any ingredient that doesn’t come in a bottle is handmade or grown fresh and local. Go early as the wait can be lengthy any night of the week.
Cuchi Cuchi
Cuchi Cuchi blends healthy doses of retro Hollywood sexiness and celebrity with more than a sprinkle of kitsch. Sure, there’s a dinner menu, but the real draw here is the quirky, almost-classic cocktails made with fresh fruit, herbs, and other creative ingredients. The 40-foot full bar also serves Sangria, Clerico, and “bottoms up” shots with a shot glass in the shape of a female derrière. Call ahead to check their tarot card reading schedule.
Haru Sushi
Haru may be a sushi bar first and foremost (complete with a beautiful Japanese garden), but their Boston location at the Prudential Center knows how to fix a mean cocktail as well. The cocktail menu is more modern than the others on this list with drinks like the Ichiban Whisky Smash (Yamazaki 12 year single malt whisky and Cointreau with fresh muddled citrus and mint) and Komodo Dragon (Absolut ‘Vanilia’ vodka, Cruzan coconut rum, pineapple juice and blue Curaçao). Arrive early to secure an outside table and enjoy the downtown hustle and people-watching along Huntington Avenue.
If you like your tipple blended with a bit of colonial history, check out Boston’s Wine Tasting and Walking Tour. There are no classic cocktails per se, but visitors can expect a narrated two-hour tour with tastings of up to six different wine varietals.
>> See all that Boston has to offer with these tours!
- Contributed by Mike Richard
Where to Find a Proper Cocktail in Boston from Boston Things to Do
