Boston's Best Fall Cocktails

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As the temperatures begin to drop, and thoughts of the cold winter months begin to creep upon us all, our minds also tend to drift towards how we can best keep those bitter doldrums at bay. One idea is to properly celebrate the closing of summer and to welcome in fall with some great cocktails, tailor made for those autumn months. Boston bars are on point with this thought across the city, offering all sorts of seasonal cocktails perfect for the Halloween and Thanksgiving season.

There are few liquors more relied upon to burn away chilly autumn months than the classic bourbon, whiskey and rye. Fall cocktails containing these potent spirits are virtually guaranteed to burn away the blues on even the gloomiest of days. The Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks has a cornucopia of brands and styles to impress the most knowledgeable and aware of bourbon/whiskey aficionados. Eastern Standard has been a go-to spot for fine food and drink for many in the area, with no sign of change upon the horizon this fall.

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Heeding to the city's South End area for our next example of prime fall cocktails, we hit up Hamersley's Bistro, a Tremont Street spot which tailor makes its ever-changing menu to fit the autumn months every year. Delicious dinner options mix up just fine with Hamersley's cocktail menu, as well as its expansive wine list. Warm atmosphere and al fresco dining, for the brave out there who enjoy dining in the brisk, autumn Boston air, add further feathers to Hamersley's already crowded cap.

We stay in the South End for our next fall cocktail destination, the cozy 'n cool Franklin Cafe. The Franklin Cafe employs an ever-changing menu, similar to that of Hamersley's Bistro, with a consistent focus on quality food and cocktails. Thanksgiving-styled meals such as turkey meatloaf make their reappearance during the fall months, and pair extremely well with any of the Franklin Cafe's warm whiskey and rum cocktails, as well as the sweeter end of its flavored liquor cocktails.

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Also located on Tremont Street (not far from Hamersley's Bistro, actually) is Masa, a South End American/Mexican fusion joint which specializes in a large cocktail selection featuring whiskey, tequila and more alongside exciting dinner and brunch menus. Morning brew fans will love Masa's Bloody Marys (perfect for those cool fall mornings), while traditional Mexican fanatics will find Masa's legit take on empanadas and huevos rancheros. Overall, Masa is a solid bet any time of day.

Scotch lovers will want to visit this hidden little spot on Milk Street in the Financial District, an old school pub tucked away between I-93 and Broad Street called the Granary Tavern. The Granary Tavern has a menu of strong scotches to go along with its beer and wine list, and can mix up a hearty cocktail to burn away the autumnal blues for just about anyone. The joint's dinner menu includes such comfort food classics as hearty Po' Boy sandwiches, classic New England lobster rolls and that southern culinary staple of chicken 'n waffles.