For those of you that have the luxury of being able to summer on Nantucket or charter yachts for a sunny little getaway, please know that I envy your life, am accepting invitations and have been told I’m a great travel partner. For the rest of us, another blissful summer in the city must suffice. Luckily, a special combination of warmer days and these delicious cocktails make happy hour even happier. Boston’s tough locals have finally defrosted from the chilly winter months, and it’s officially time to work hard and play harder, trading in cold temperatures for cold cocktails. After tasting a number of refreshing concoctions around the city (tedious task, I know, but #journalism) here is our official 2016 Summer Cocktail Roundup in Boston. Put the vodka sodas aside for a few nights and quench your thirst with drinks that actually hit the spot. And you can trust me on that, because I walked around slightly buzzed for two weeks making sure of it.
Seaport- 50 Northern Avenue
Committee in Seaport has a lot to offer, but their new summer cocktail list should be reason enough to give it a try. We had the opportunity to sample a trifecta of summertime drinks that were presented as lovely as they tasted. The Lick Responsibly, a G&T with an added watermelon popsicle is sure to be the new favorite way of cooling down on the sunny patio. Beverage director Peter Szigeti, who cheekily nicknamed it a “cocksicle,” hopes it will introduce a new meaning to eating and drinking. He also prepared for us the Pisco Thyme, Committee’s take on a Pisco Sour, and We Can’t Elope, a refreshing combo of Soul Cachaça, cucumber-cantaloupe syrup, and fresh lime juice. The giant space made it feel like we were attending a party that the whole city was invited to, and I will definitely be back.
Financial District- 540 Atlantic Avenue
The bright and airy space of Trade is a dreamy environment to sip on the most unique, innovative cocktails. We were served the increasingly popular Beets by Trade, a delicious drink with an A+ name. The Bullyboy vodka, beet + cucumber simple syrup, lime, and pineapple mixture might be the closest you or I get to a juice cleanse this summer. Dolores, But You Can Call Me Lolita was next, a summery mezcal drink, followed by a passion-fruit lover’s heaven, GANJ, a gin, saffron, passionfruit, and mint cocktail. Totally refreshing drinks with seasonal ingredients that fit this roundup to a t. As if Trade didn’t already impress us enough, we were so kindly sent over a mouth-watering dessert, and Bartender Phil Ford went crafty on us, carving out the restaurant’s name from an orange peel and then making us a Fish Tank, a large-format blue cocktail to share- he knows the importance of Instagram worthy drinks, and Mack In Style thanks him for that!
Fort Point- 348 Congress Street
Fort Point’s Drink may be located in a basement, but it’s not your typical Boston hole-in-the-wall. Quite opposite, actually. The stylish and industrial-looking cocktail bar remains the talk of the town as it is menu-less, meaning guests describe to the bartenders what flavors they like or are in the mood for, and receive tailor-made tipples in return. The staff is the most knowledgeable I’ve come across, and General Manager Ezra Star is no exception. Described to me as “Super famous to anyone who’s anyone in the mixology world,” by a PR girl herself, Ezra knew just what to prepare when we came in looking for summer cocktails. Served in a vintage style coupe, we were given a Bitter Phrase- a gin, strawberry syrup, lemon juice and campari drink that I had to stop myself from slugging down in two sips as it was so tasty. The blended scotch-based Sweet Bee Julep was to follow, served in an ice cold metal mug with slushy crushed ice, and contained Pinneau des Charentes (sweet wine), aperol, and honey syrup. We love that Ezra went with a scotch drink, something we would have never thought to order ourselves. I suppose that’s exactly the allure of Drink, and trust us, it’s awesome.
Seaport- 49 Melcher Street
The Seaport District comes to life in the warmer months, and contemporary French bistro Bastille Kitchen in the area is worth the visit. Much like with food, fashion, or skincare, if there is a French twist on it, it tends to simply conquer. Throw the words “Paris” or “French” in front of an ordinary drink, and apparently I’m sold, which is why the Paris Saint-Germain cocktail was the we tasted. The vodka, elderflower, lime and basil concoction was simple and sophisticated. To kick things up a notch, we tried the curiously delicious Genevieve, a tequila- raspberry- lime based drink with a jalapeño kick, because if there is a season when closet-tequila drinkers come out to play, it is summertime. The star of the show was Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner, a drink that packs a punch and lives up to it’s name. Its combination of cucumber vodka, watermelon juice and lime is like the classier cocktail version of summer cookout memories, and is a must-try. We had the opportunity to enjoy a few extraordinary appetizers as well, which was the sweetest gesture. Bastille Kitchen knows how to take care of Mack In Style!
Downtown- 48 Temple Place
Stoddard’s is the perfect place for post-work drinks if you work downtown like myself, and when I found out about bartender Tony Iamunno’s latest Instagram project, @oneyearofcocktails, I knew he would be able to whip up some fabulous summer drinks for us. Tony served us Mara’s Delight, a mixture of cachaca, lime juice, papaya puree, cinnamon syrup and grapefruit liqueur. Next came Atwood Grove, a grand mariner, lillet blanc, grapefruit juice and peychauds bitters cocktail, and to follow was Shipwrecked in Paradise. The dark interior of Stoddards and the tropical taste of the rum, apricot liqueur, key lime syrup, pineapple juice, orgeat and dry curaçao drink made it seem like we were, in fact, transported to paradise. We had forgotten all about the noisy downtown crossing exterior until the moment we stepped outside. Definitely go give Tony a visit for some cool cocktails!
Back Bay- 65 Exeter Street
Inside Back Bay’s Lenox Hotel lies the perfect spot to slip in for a drink in between long shopping trips on Newbury Street. Whether you go there to wind down or to drink to forget that you just spent a month’s rent on new clothes, the cocktail list is impressive and the bartender, John, served up a couple of drinks that will compliment the summer months perfectly. We tasted the Cool Hand Cuke, a combination of cucumber vodka, blackberries, lemon juice and champagne, and the Lemon Fizz, an equally as refreshing drink with a killer trifecta of ingredients being lemon vodka, limoncello, and prosecco. The crowd is chic and always interesting, and you never know who you might meet, which is why hotel bars always gain extra points. The Mamacita Margarita is highly recommended as well on the tequila side of the spectrum, and its tropical mango flavor paired with a spicy kick is a fiesta in each sip.
We hope we can help you quench your thirst this summer. Cheers! If you have any feature suggestions contact Charlotte@mackinstyle.com
