Iain's Best Boston Bars
The Cracked Coupe Cocktail Guide - Ed. #3
I found my love for cocktails while in college right in the heart of the great city of Boston. I spent a great deal of time (and money) finding the bars I liked best. the best Boston (cocktail) bars. Here they are, reviewed.
Image courtesy of The Knot
Right out the gate in this review of Boston bars, and I’m talking about a Cambridge bar. “Best Boston Metro-Area Bars” didn’t sound quite as good, okay?
I’ve been to Brick and Mortar more times than any other bar in Boston. I’ve been here to meet numerous friends, a few relatives, and even convinced my girlfriend to go here on her birthday. I love it here. Brick and Mortar is often called a “speakeasy.” People say this because the sign above the door is very small and you walk up stairs to get to the bar. Speakeasy!
There are a number of long tables where you can sit or stand on stools, as well as a full copper U-shaped bar. The space never feels too big even when you’re the only one there at 5 p.m.. Thankfully it also never feels too small when it's packed on a Friday night. The atmosphere is entirely unstuffy, and the cocktails are incredible—the kind you might expect from a pretentious and expensive bar. The Hot Rod Lincoln, a martini with pickle gin, jalapeño-stuffed olives, and a lebanese hot pepper, is a favorite, as is the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test featuring mezcal, amontillado sherry, strawberry puree, and lemon juice. The menu rotates frequently, calling for (necessitating) repeat visits. Oh, and nearly all of the drinks are under $20.
Brick and Mortar is the perfect place to go if you love good cocktails but don't want to spend a boatload of money. It's also the best place to take someone who isn't all that into cocktails. Every person I’ve taken to this bar, even those not usually into cocktails, has enjoyed themselves. It’s the first bar I recommend to people looking to go out in Boston. Just make sure you can find the tiny sign.
Image courtesy of @birds.of.paradise.bar on Instagram.
Birds of Paradise is a travel-themed bar in Allston-Brighton at the Speedway. It took me a bit of travel to get here, which I suppose is on theme. While I’ve only been once, it was just so good that it makes the #2 spot on this list.
The bartenders here are truly talented, inventing combinations of flavor that seem unlikely yet are incredibly flavorful. They have a rotating menu inspired by global destinations; each cocktail is a combination of two places, each named in the convention of a flight. I had the “Kingston to Hanoi,” which married Vietnamese coffee with Jamaican rum. Wonderful! As a big tiki lover, this drink was perfect. The addition of the bitter coffee perfectly augmented the delectable rum, keeping the drink from being oversweet. Beyond those merits, I can attest that the drink was certainly strong enough. After leaving the bar, I walked all the way back to Cambridge’s Central Square in the pouring rain. While I don’t recommend replicating that part of my bar experience, do take a trip to Birds of Paradise when you get the chance!
Image courtsey of Trina’s Starlite Lounge
Trina’s Starlite Lounge is a wonderful bar located in Inman Square. I went here for the first time with some friends after placing poorly in trivia at another bar, and it was a great pick-me-up. Extraordinarily cheap drinks, relaxed ambiance, late hours, and a solid mac and cheese make this bar a hit.
On the cocktail side, Trina’s has a remarkably wide selection of flavors just in their Starlite Classics paired with an ever-rotating seasonal menu. There’s tiki (Drunken Monkey—my favorite), a genever-based cocktail, a mango margarita, and a wonderfully excessively green cocktail, the Green Goblin. Every drink I’ve drunk here was wonderful, even the Bourbon-based Rockin’ Chair. That’s one of three Bourbon cocktails I have enjoyed.
Trina’s service is straightforward and fast, the bartenders are knowledgeable but not pretentious, the decor is eclectic, retro, and fun, and the mac and cheese is really good. Did I mention that?
Image courtesy of Resy
The Wig Shop is a nondescript “speakeasy” style lounge in downtown Boston. Of all the bars on this list, it has the weirdest cocktails. The menu features ingredients like celery root (Nameless Midnight), cotton candy foam (Helena), and sesame oil (Yo-Soy). Fun, funky, and weird.
I was of two minds on where to rank The Wig Shop on this list. I must admit that my early experiences at this bar, if taken alone, would have ranked it lower. I’ve had drinks here that were too sweet, muddy, or just plain. But, brought back by their strange experimentation and, at one point, a hankering to try absinthe, I am happy to say that more recent experiences have significantly improved my view of the Wig Shop.
Since my early experiences, they’ve improved their menu, adding such favorites as 2-4 Cut Time with mezcal and sotol, Traveler’s Chosen with rum, chili liqueuer, roasted pineapple, soursop, lime, and demerara, and Bi-Curious George featuring two Planteray rums, banana, all-spice, walnut, and nutmeg. While at times I find the art-deco inspired tables and seating to be a bit much, I must admit that the weird stuff they do here brings me back. Give weird a chance!
Image courtesy of Boston Magazine
Hobgoblin Bar sits just across the street from another bar on this list, The Wig Shop. For me, the relationship between the two goes beyond their geography; I went to Hobgoblin after being told Wig Shop was at capacity. And what a surprise! While it’s extremely high ceilings and massive space do take away from any chance at intimacy, Hobgoblin’s cocktails are fantastic.
At Hobgoblin, they theme their menu around broad ideas of myth and fantasy, with names such as “Puck’s Potion” and “Song of Eros.” Personally, I think this is quite fun; must be my Dungeons and Dragons side. Each drink is more than the sum of its parts; unique flavors made up of niche ingredients like sumac liqueur, Meletti Amaro, and Chareau (aloe, cucumber, and muskmelon liqueur). If you’re looking for something funky, Hobgoblin is a great place to go.
Hobgoblin doesn’t make it closer to the top of this list mainly because their menu stays nearly the same year round. The drinks are good, but repeat visits are not entirely needed. That said, its definitely a solid (and somewhat cheaper) alternative to Wig Shop across the street.
I love all of these bars! You should check them out!
I went to brick and mortar with you for the first time and since then have brought many a friend back! thank you iain!!!!