favorite beverages in Boston:
this post originally appeared on Cohost! It has been lightly edited for clarity.
sorted by coffee, cocktails, and tea, in reply to @jkap. the longer version of this list had even more categories, including food, and a previous draft was by neighborhood before I shortened it.
I'll add more if people are interested.
Coffee:
- Pavement is a great local chain, unionized. Phenomenal bagels, made daily in house. They roast their own coffee too!
Diesel in Davis Square is truly on some gay shit. I don't think they let cis-hets work there. It's ALWAYS slammed, sorry.UPDATE: commenters shared that Diesel's parent company has a history of labor dispute issues.- Broadsheet in Cambridge is an excellent local roaster. Their Headliner is my go-to espresso.
- Circus Cooperative Cafe is a new co-op spot near Harvard Square formed by baristas who took their job back after their old employer closed to bust their union!!!. Full disclosure: I haven't actually been here. I just love to see baristas winning.
- Flour is another local chain, but tbh I'm more there for pastries than their coffee. Sticky bun game is OP.
Cocktails:
- Hecate is a little witchy speakeasy. You will have to wait in line in an alley behind the world's smallest Trader Joe's. It's worth it. Don't bother bringing more than one person if you want to get in. Food menu is limited, but you aren't there for the food.
- -Wusong Road in Harvard Square is an Asian-American love letter to tiki bars and tapas. It fucks, I truly cannot get enough of the food or drinks there.
- The Koji Club is a sake bar in Brighton, attached to several other little spots (like Notch, if you're more of a beer person). Try their curry empanadas (a collab with their neighbor Super Bien).
- Highland Kitchen is an Southern comfort food spot in Somerville. GREAT friend chicken, but our favorite is their spicy goat stew.
Tea:
- MEM Tea Imports is behind the counter at almost every local cafe and restaurant, but they also sell their loose leaf in Davis Square, along with all sorts of tea accessories. They occasionally offer tasting events and classes.
- Rite Tea and Espresso is a rare tea focused cafe with some phenomenal drinks and a small, seasonal food menu.
- Maruichi Select is the imports and cafe wing of Maruichi, a Japanese grocery store in Coolidge Corner. They took over the space of former Japanese tea room Gen Sou En, and continue to deserve fantastic Japanese food and drinks, while also selling lots of great loose leaf and other specialty products. Bonus: the full grocery store is just across the street.