1.Drink
348 Congress St • 617 695 1806 
This trendy subterranean bar in the Fort Point district wins praise for its impressive lineup of classic and classically inspired cocktails. Knowledgeable bartenders may quiz you to create a drink to suit your character. The house signature drink here is the Fort Point variation on a Manhattan.
2.Oak Long Bar & Kitchen
138 St James Ave The Copley Plaza hotel bar serves a full roster of craft cocktails and a farm-to-table seasonal dining menu. In summer, drinks and meals can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio, which appropriately overlooks the twice-weekly farmers’ market.
Plush interior of Oak Long Bar & Kitchen
3.Firebrand Saints
1 Broadway, Cambridge The neighborhood bar for MIT students and about half the dot-coms on the East Coast, Firebrand Saints is wildly original, right down to its light-projection streetscapes. Bar food ranging from porchetta sandwiches to poached lobster accompanies the quirky alchemist cocktails.
4.Delux Café
The kind of place that is so special, you want to keep it a secret. The South End’s intimate Delux Café attracts a refreshing mix of professionals, bike messengers, and gay boys and girls, all suckers for the bar’s kitschy Elvis motif, extensive on-tap beers, and constant broadcast of the Cartoon Network (for further details see Delux Café).
5.Towne Stove & Spirits
900 Boylston St While Towne wins rave reviews for its upscale comfort food, the drinks menu may be even better. An eclectic range of cocktails includes the likes of Back-Bacon Manhattan (bourbon, bitters, and bacon-infused vermouth). Less daring guests will also find plenty of classic cocktails to tingle their tastebuds.
6.Les Zygomates
The dinner crowd at Les Zygomates (the French term for the facial muscles that make you smile) is lured by reasonably priced French bistro fare. After 9pm, the sleek, whimsically designed bar area comes alive with young professionals intent on flexing their smile muscles and appreciating the nightly live jazz performances (for further details see Les Zygomates).
7.Regattabar
The giants of jazz often stop at this nautical-themed lounge in Cambridge’s Charles Hotel. Drinks may not be extraordinary but the talent is; past visitors have included McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, and local favorite the Charlie Kolhase Quintet. Shows sell out quickly (for further details see Regattabar).
Jazz musicians at Regattabar
8.Hawthorne
500 Commonwealth Ave This suave craft cocktail bar anchors the nightlife scene at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. Lounge-like in the front, cozy in the back, it’s the place to drink and socialize. Creative house cocktails, and the first-rate wine list includes several sparkling wines by the glass.
9.Noir
1 Bennet St, Cambridge • 617 661 8010 In the Charles Hotel, sophisticated bar food complements the equally sophisticated variants on a classic martini. The all-black decor with high-backed banquettes creates a perfect atmosphere for private carrying-on. Waitresses carry flashlights to help you read the menu.
10.Alibi
215 Charles St Set in the former drunk tank of the Charles Street Jail (now the posh Liberty Hotel), Alibi retains the bluestone floors and vestiges of the cell walls to form little nooks to lounge in while enjoying a drink or two. The outdoor patio is great for cocktails at sunset.
TOP 10 LOCALLY BREWED BEERS
1.Chamberlain Pale Ale
An English-style pale ale with the delicious, malty middle of its forebears.
2.Harpoon IPA
Ranked among the top domestic and imported India pale ales by Beer Connoisseur Magazine.
3.John Harvard’s Nut Brown
Try this malty, light ale served at John Harvard’s Brew House (33 Dunster St, Cambridge).
4.Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Sam’s finest – available only during the autumn – with deep amber coloring and a warm, spicy smoothness.
5.Boston Beer Works Fenway Pale Ale
Don your Red Sox cap and sip a light Fenway Pale at Boston Beer Works.
6.Samuel Adams Boston Lager
The beer that put Sam back on the brewing map after a 200-year hiatus.
Samuel Adams Octoberfest mugs
7.Pretty Things Jack D’or
This popular brewer’s signature beer is the flavorful “Saison Americain” farmhouse-style ale.
8.Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Ale
Like a hybrid between champagne and cherry soda; available at most liquor stores.
9.Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen
Unfiltered, Belgian-style brew, with fruity undertones.
10.Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet
Grapefruit and pine on the nose, with dark chocolate and nuts on the palate.
