Spending yet another night at a sweaty, freshmen-filled Tufts frat party is always a blast, but those Jumbos looking to get the heck off campus should consider hitting Drink, a new bar in Boston opened by famous Beantown chef Barbara Lynch. Drink is one of the newest incarnations of the speakeasy trend that has hit major cities in recent years. During Prohibition, speakeasies were hidden, underground establishments that illegally sold alcohol — today, alcohol is legal, but the speakeasy concept hasn't gone out of vogue.
Why are people flocking to speakeasies? It seems that in today's world, where we are inundated with advertisements, there is something appealing about a place that wants to keep itself a secret. Clubs often try to appear mysterious, but their clientele, who wear mini-dresses and stilettos and perform a sort of sex-dance on the floor, often leaves very little to the imagination. Elegant, exclusive speakeasy bars, on the other hand, allow one to spend a low-key night chatting with friends or a date. At these places, sexual tension is created over conversation and chemistry, rather than through raunchy dancing.
Speakeasies have been "hot spots" in Manhattan for the past few years. Well-known joints include Death & Co. and Please Don't Tell, or PDT, a bar on St. Mark's Place that requires reservations and is accessed by entering through a phone booth in Crif Dogs, a cheap hot dog place. A speakeasy in the East Village, Angel's Share, is located through an exclusive Japanese restaurant in which the maximum party size is four and you can't get served unless you are seated. At Angel's Share, you'll never have to worry about fighting other customers for the bartender's attention, getting separated from your friends amidst the crowd, or having to shout in order to have a conversation.
While sexy and mysterious bars suit New York's nightlife, Boston is better known for its casual pubs, so one might understandably approach a Boston-based speakeasy with skepticism. In truth, Drink is less sexy and less mysterious than its counterparts in Manhattan. Whereas the interiors of the aforementioned New York bars cannot be seen by passersby, Drink is located in the partial-basement of a building and its windows look out onto the street. And, in comparison to the New York bars' lush and inviting décor, Drink could be described as industrial chic. If not for the warm easy listening music playing, the bar would feel like a spruced-up garage. The clientele at Drink is also noticeably older than college-age.
The primary reason customers come to Drink, however, is for its drinks, and in this regard the establishment does not disappoint.
"This is Barbara Lynch's and the bar manager John Gertsen's commitment to quality. John is really into history and looking at the original recipes and trying to share the past," Drink bartender Joe Staropoli said.
Playing up the speakeasy theme, there is no cocktail menu. When ordering, one tells the bartender what kind of drink he's in the mood for (fruity, sweet, something with whisky, etc.) and the bartender mixes something up.
According to Staropoli, these touches all contribute to the establishment's atmosphere.
"For us it's more about being a cocktail party, rather than being a speakeasy. We want to have a cocktail party every night," he said. "If you were a guest at my house I wouldn't hand you a cocktail menu."
Staropoli and his colleagues prefer to make drinks with natural ingredients.
"First and foremost, when you think about people's flavors, we look back to the classics before we turn to artificially flavored liquors," Staropoli said. "People are turning away from mass production and artificial ingredients and saying we want great people and great drinks."
When I visited Drink, the bartender was attentive, taking time to talk to each customer. Tufts senior Amanda Nover started the evening with a Tequila Sunrise. I began with the Vodka Hula-Hula with fresh orange juice. The Hula-Hula had too much vodka in it for a school night, so Staropoli obligingly weakened it.
"I want it to be a good drink for you; it doesn't matter if it's a good drink for me," he said.
Nover said that her favorite part of the night at Drink was the surprise that came with every one of Staropoli's concoctions.
"When I go to most bars and I order a rum and coke, I know exactly what I'm going to get. But this adds a fun element of suspense," Nover said.
For our second drinks, I ordered a traditional (but nonetheless tasty) mojito, and Staropoli made Nover a delicious Maximillian Affair with lemon juice, St. Germain, tequila and sweet vermouth.
For customers polishing off a second round, the house also offered yummy grilled cheese slices with caramelized onions from their limited but unique bar menu. Other options include chicken liver mousse and buttermilk biscuits with glazed ham and pickled jalapeno oil.
The drinks at Drink were $10-$12 a pop, so it was not a cheap night. But Drink is different than the average bar, and on those nights when one feels like dressing up and venturing outside of Medford/Somerville, it is a worthy option.
Drink is located at 348 Congress St #101 in Boston. To get there, take the Red Line to South Station, pass the Federal Reserve Building, make a right on to Congress Street, cross the bridge, and Drink is down the street to the left.
